Public Meeting and Hearing

We will host one online public meeting and hearing, using Zoom, the morning of Sept. 23. We will share an informational presentation that helps explain the draft modification's proposed changes. A question-and-answer session will follow, then a formal public hearing. The hearing is an opportunity for formal spoken testimony on the draft permit. The event will end when testimony is complete.

Spoken testimony will receive the same consideration as written comments. You can submit comments until Oct. 2, 2026.

Draft modification

Ecology proposes to modify the 2025 Industrial Stormwater General Permit. We are only proposing changes to the current expiration date (December 2029) and the duty to reapply date to make them a year earlier. Changing these dates will allow us to release the next version of the general permit in 2029 instead of 2030. We are proposing this draft modification to help our internal workload (create more space between this permit and another major general permit) and follow terms in a settlement agreement. 

To make this change, Ecology proposes to:

• Move the current Industrial Stormwater General Permit expiration date a year early: from Dec. 31, 2029, to Dec. 31, 2028.
• Change the subsequent duty to reapply date from July 3, 2029, to July 3, 2028. Duty to reapply tells permittees they must reapply for coverage within 180 days of the expiration date of the permit.

Purpose of the permit

This permit limits the discharge of pollutants to surface waters under the authority of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act – Title 33 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 1251 – and limits the discharge of pollutants to surface and groundwater under the authority of the State Water Pollution Control Act – Chapter 90.48 Revised Code of Washington (RCW). When the permitted activities conducted by a specific class of industries are similar, Ecology issues a general permit to cover all of them, rather than issuing a series of individual permits.

Next steps

After Ecology receives and considers all public comments, we will prepare a response to comments and describe any changes to the draft permit. We expect to make a final decision on the modification of the general permit October 2026.