Are stormwater discharges regulated under the NPDES program?
In October 2000, EPA authorized the Department to implement the NPDES stormwater permitting program to regulate point source discharges of stormwater into surface waters from certain municipal, industrial and construction activities. Through aggressive outreach and enforcement, the Department has brought more than 6,200 construction sites under permit — nearly 1,000 more sites than EPA addressed during the previous eight years. Another 1,800 industrial sites are now under permit along with more than 300 NPDES municipal storm sewer systems in the state. Even before NPDES, Florida had among the most comprehensive stormwater programs in the nation through its Environmental Resource Permitting and Nonpoint Source Management programs. How is Florida regulating large dairies? The Department designed a comprehensive plan to quickly and effectively reduce pollution from animal feeding operations and improve water quality. Two years ago, the Department ordered large dairies to obtain permits f
