Chapter 102 Erosion Control requires a General NPDES Permit or an Individual NPDES Permit when a person proposes to disturb one or more acres during the duration of an earth disturbance activity for most activities. This includes earth disturbance on any portion, part or during any stage of the activity, or earth disturbance during any stage of a larger common plan or development or sale.
An Individual NPDES Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activities is required for sites in special protection watersheds or sites that are unable to meet the eligibility requirements listed in the General PAG-02 permit.
A PAG-01 General NPDES Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Small Construction Activities is applicable for sites disturbing under five acres and meeting all PAG-01 conditions.
In addition to the Service Fee, General NPDES (PAG-01 and PAG-02) permits require a $500 administrative filing fee. Individual NPDES permits require a $1,500 administrative filing fee. All Chapter 102 permits require a $100/disturbed acre fee, rounded to nearest whole acre.
Payments made online through MuniciPAY (a secure site for credit card or e-check transactions) are preferred. However a SINGLE paper check, payable to Allegheny County Conservation District, is an option. Please send a check via USPS regular mail and enclose a transmittal or note as to what project the check is for.
Expedited Reviews
Expedited permits are reviewed on an accelerated schedule faster than standard permit submission, provided that all application components are complete and meet the legal permit guidelines. Beginning December 1, 2025, ACCD is requiring pre-application meetings for any projects proposing to submit expedited for new and major amendment Chapter 102 permits.
The first step with a new permit application is administrative review. ACCD will perform an administrative review of the materials within 5 business days, once payment and project files are received.
The second step is a completeness review, once the administrative review is satisfied. The completeness review of the application will occur within 5 business days.
The third step is a technical review of the application, which will occur within 10 business days of the application being marked complete.
Please see below chart summarizing these timelines compared to standard review. Please note review times are business days, and response times are calendar days.
|
NPDES & Major Amendment Review Process |
Standard |
Expedited |
|
Administrative Review & Entry |
5 |
5 |
|
Completeness Review - Initial |
15 |
5 |
|
Response Time for Applicant |
60 |
60 |
|
Completeness Review of Response |
15 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
Technical Review - Initial |
22 |
10 |
|
Response Time for Applicant |
30 |
30 |
|
Technical Review of Response |
17 |
10 |
All fees are nonrefundable.
Use forms below to submit a General or Individual NPDES Programs.
Submit a General NPDES PermitGet help submitting, uploading and applying for Chapter 102 and Chapter 105 permits.