Formal Draft Comment Period

The draft permit and supporting documents are available for review on the Sand and Gravel General Permit webpage. We ask that comments reference specific text, permit condition(s), and page number(s) in your comments whenever possible. It is also helpful if you describe the nature of your concern and propose any potential solutions or changes to permit language. Please provide references or other supporting documentation in support of your comments when appropriate and available.

The Sand and Gravel General Permit regulates discharges of water — process water, stormwater, and water from mine dewatering — associated with sand and gravel, rock quarry, and similar mining operations, concrete batch plants, and hot mix asphalt operations.

Under the Federal Clean Water Act and State Water Pollution Control Act this permit protects Washington’s waters and aquatic life by ensuring that untreated wastewater from these mining, concrete, and asphalt operations does not carry pollutants into waters of the state.

The current permit was last issued in April 2021 and is scheduled to expire at the end of March 2026. After the comment period closes, we will review and consider all comments recieved. Then we will publish a Response to Comments as an appendix to the fact sheet and make a final decision on permit issuance. We expect to reissue the final permit in spring 2026.