Upland Finfish Hatching & Rearing General Permit

Step 1: Water Quality Web Permitting Portal Access through Secure Access Washington

To apply for new coverage or reapply for continued coverage, you must use Secure Access Washington (SAW). SAW is the secure gateway to many government services including what you need, the Water Quality Permitting Portal (WQ Web Portal). Download a PDF of detailed instructions, with screen capture images with information on how to set up WQ Web Portal or follow the instructions here:

1. Login to SecureAccess Washington or sign up.
2. Under My Services, from the top-level SAW navigation, either
   1. Select Continue to Water Quality Permitting Portal, or
   2. If you do not have the WQ Web Portal added to your SAW account, you’ll need to add it under Add Service > Add By Agency > Department of Ecology > Services From ECY > Water Quality Permitting Portal (WQWebPortal) > Add > Access > Continue to Water Quality Permitting Portal.

Step 2: Complete your Notice of Intent

New applications

For a new facility not currently covered by this general permit, you need to submit a new application, called a Notice of Intent (NOI). Download a PDF of detailed application instructions with screen capture images or follow the instructions below:

1. Login to Secure Access Washington.
2. Under My Services, go to https://secureaccess.wa.gov/ecy/wqwebportal.
3. Select NOI: General Permit Coverage – Renewal – Notice of Intent (NOI) on the WQ Web Portal home page.
4. On the Notice of Intent (NOI) webpage select + New next to the name that corresponds to your general permit. If you are completing an existing electronic application, click Search my existing Notice of Intent (NOI) applications and enter your permit number, including any leading letters, in the search box. Select Load.
5. Fill out your entire application by completing all tabs.
6. When you are finished, click Save and Continue.
7. Attach any necessary information. Once files are attached, click Save and Continue.
8. Sign the form by either of the following methods:
   1. Use your electronic signature if you have an NOI signature on file.
   2. Choose Print and Sign. Print the form, have the person in your organization with legal authority sign it, and mail it to the address on the signature page.

• Notice of transfer
• Notice of termination
• Engineering checklist

In the process of raising and releasing fish, hatcheries can produce pollution released in wastewater. These include:

• Organic waste (feed, metabolic waste, carcasses, offal)
• Nutrients
• Medicine (like antibiotics)
• Disease control chemicals
• Sand, silt, and debris

We issue this permit to limit and reduce these pollutants in waters of the state.

You need a permit if your facility discharges 30 days or more per year and at least one of the following:

• Produces more than 20,000 pounds of fish yearly
• Feeds more than 5,000 pounds of fish food in any one month
• We determine your facility contributes significantly to water pollution