TEEMCO: Services & Press Magazine Summer 2014 | Page 149

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) An NPDES Permit issued by the EPA or state agency is required whenever one or more acre of land is disturbed by a construction process. Drilling an oil or gas well, building a tank battery, and many other oil & gas activities are considered construction under the NPDES rule. Part of obtaining the NPDES Permit is preparing and maintaining a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPP) The SWPPP identifies specific Best Management Practices to be deployed at the construction site. It includes a topographical survey to determine the flow of storm water from the site along with a method of preventing polluted storm water leaving the site. TEEMCO Services 149