Courtesy the Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Top: Barrier tape marks the limits of the construction site. Bottom left: Stone or rock check dams slow erosion in drainage channels. Bottom right: Filter socks (a manufactured tube filled with shredded material) slow stormwater runoff on long open slopes.
All projects over 1 acre require additional state permits
With spring construction season ahead, the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wants to remind Vermonters about additional requirements to help protect the state’s waterways.
“We understand that managing construction sites to protect water quality is a year-round challenge,” said DEC Commissioner Jason Batchelder. “Using measures that reduce erosion and keep soil on construction sites helps us protect Vermont’s waterways and their many benefits.”
Construction activities may require a Vermont Construction General Permit 3-9020 when the total land disturbance is:
- Equal to or greater than 1 acre, or
- Less than 1 acre – but is part of a larger common plan of development – if the larger development will ultimately result in the disturbance of 1 or more acres.
Permittees must have a site-specific Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (EPSC) plan or otherwise comply with the Site Handbook for Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control, if applicable. Marking construction limits of disturbance, installing best management practices, and promptly stabilizing disturbed areas ensures the protection of Vermont’s surface waters.
“Permittees help us not only reduce erosion but also cut costs to maintain infrastructure such as road ditches and storm sewers,” said Batchelder. “Our department offers resources to help Vermonters understand the full suite of measures, follow the permit requirements, and protect our remarkable surface waters from streams and rivers to ponds, lakes, and wetlands.”
For more info, visit dec.vermont.gov.
