(A) The director of environmental protection, consistent with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the regulations adopted thereunder, without application therefor, may issue, modify, revoke, or terminate a general permit under this chapter for both of the following:

(1) Discharge of stormwater; the discharge of liquids, sediments, solids, or water-borne mining related waste, such as, but not limited to, acids, metallic cations, or their salts, from coal mining and reclamation operations ; or treatment works whose discharge would have de minimis impact on the waters of the state receiving the discharge;

(2) Installation or modification of disposal systems or any parts thereof, including disposal systems for stormwater or for coal mining and reclamation operations .

A general permit shall apply to a class or category of discharges or disposal systems or to persons conducting similar activities, within any area of the state, including the entire state.

A general permit shall not be issued unless the director determines that the discharges authorized by the permit will have only minimal cumulative adverse effects on the environment when the discharges are considered collectively and individually and if, in the opinion of the director, the discharges, installations, or modifications authorized by the permit are more appropriately authorized by a general permit than by an individual permit.

A general permit shall be issued subject to applicable mandatory provisions and may be issued subject to any applicable permissive provision of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the regulations adopted thereunder.

The director, at the director's discretion, may require any person authorized to discharge or to install or modify a disposal system under a general permit to apply for and obtain an individual permit for the discharge, installation, or modification. When a particular discharge, installation, or modification is subject to an individual permit, a general permit shall not apply to that discharge, installation, or modification until the individual permit is revoked, terminated, or modified to exclude the discharge, installation, or modification.

In the case of a general permit issued by the director under this section for coal mining and reclamation operations, a person seeking coverage under such a general permit shall submit a notice of intent to be covered by the general permit and to be subject to the terms and conditions of the general permit. The notice of intent shall be submitted in accordance with the forms and deadlines specified for the applicable general permit for which coverage is sought. If the director has not granted or denied coverage under the general permit within forty-five days after receipt of the notice of intent, the person seeking coverage shall submit written notice to the director restating the person's request for coverage under the general permit. The director shall grant or deny coverage under the general permit not later than sixty days after receipt of the notice of intent. If, not later than fifteen days after receipt of the person's written notice restating the person's request for coverage, but not earlier than sixty days after receipt of the original notice of intent for coverage under the general permit, the director fails to act on the notice of intent, the discharge that is the subject of the notice of intent is deemed to be permitted and covered by the general permit related to coal mining and reclamation operations. Nothing in this section alters or limits the authority of the director to enforce the terms and conditions of the general permit or limits the director's authority to issue or deny other required permits.

As used in this division, "coal mining and reclamation operations" has the same meaning as in section 1513.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) Notwithstanding any requirement under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code concerning the manner in which notice of a permit action is provided, the director shall not be required to provide certified mail notice to persons subject to the issuance, modification, revocation, or termination of a general permit under division (A) of this section.

Notwithstanding section 3745.07 of the Revised Code concerning the location of newspapers in which notices of permit actions are published, the director shall cause notice of the issuance, modification, revocation, or termination of a general permit to be published in the newspapers of general circulation determined by the director to provide reasonable notice to persons affected by the permit action in the geographic area covered by the general permit within the time periods prescribed by section 3745.07 of the Revised Code. Any notice under this section or section 3745.07 of the Revised Code concerning the issuance, modification, revocation, or termination of a general permit shall include a summary of the permit action and instructions on how to obtain a copy of the full text of the permit action. The director may take other appropriate measures, such as press releases and notice to trade journals, associations, and other persons known to the director to desire notification, in order to provide notice of the director's actions concerning the issuance, modification, revocation, or termination of a general permit; however, the failure to provide such notice shall not invalidate any general permit.

(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Revised Code, a person subject to the proposed issuance, modification, revocation, or termination of a general permit under division (A) of this section may request an adjudication hearing pursuant to section 119.07 of the Revised Code concerning the proposed action within thirty days after publication of the notice of the proposed action in newspapers of general circulation pursuant to division (B) of this section. This division shall not be interpreted to affect the authority of the director to take actions on general permits in forms other than proposed general permits.

(D) The director may exercise all incidental powers required to carry out this section, including, without limitation, the adoption, amendment, and rescission of rules to implement a general permit program for classes or categories of dischargers or disposal systems.

(E) On and after the date on which the United States environmental protection agency approves the NPDES program submitted by the director of agriculture under section 903.08 of the Revised Code, this section does not apply to storm water from an animal feeding facility, as defined in section 903.01 of the Revised Code, or to manure, as defined in that section.

(F) As used in this section, "Federal Water Pollution Control Act" means the "Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972," 86 Stat. 886, 33 U.S.C.A. 1251, as amended by the "Clean Water Act of 1977," 91 Stat. 1566, 33 U.S.C.A. 1251, the "Act of October 21, 1980," 94 Stat. 2360, 33 U.S.C.A. 1254, the "Municipal Wastewater Treatment Construction Grant Amendments of 1981," 95 Stat. 1623, 33 U.S.C.A. 1281, and the "Water Quality Act of 1987," 101 Stat. 7, 33 U.S.C.A. 1251.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.115, SB 294, §1, eff. 9/5/2012.

Effective Date: 09-05-2001 .