Stormwater Regulations & Compliance Flashcards
7 cards from real CSM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Stormwater Regulations & Compliance flashcards as text
Which element is NOT typically required in an MS4 Annual Report submitted to the permitting authority?
Answer: A complete list of all properties within the MS4 boundary
Annual reports must address compliance status, data results, and progress toward goals, but do not require an exhaustive property inventory of the entire MS4 area.
A city's stormwater permit includes a numeric effluent limitation for total suspended solids. The city cannot meet the limit due to budget constraints. What is the appropriate course of action?
Answer: Seek a permit modification or variance through the permitting authority
When compliance with a permit limit is infeasible, the permittee must engage the permitting authority to seek a formal permit modification or variance rather than simply continuing non-compliant discharges.
Under the Endangered Species Act, stormwater permit applicants may need to consult with which agencies if their discharge could affect listed species?
Answer: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries
ESA Section 7 consultation is conducted with USFWS (terrestrial and freshwater species) and NOAA Fisheries (marine and anadromous species) for federal actions affecting listed species.
The Construction General Permit's 'buffer zone' provision most directly addresses which type of receiving water concern?
Answer: Proximity of construction disturbance to sensitive water bodies like perennial streams
CGP buffer zone requirements establish a vegetated strip between disturbed areas and perennial streams, intermittent streams, and open water bodies to minimize sediment delivery.
A state environmental agency issues a Notice of Violation (NOV) to a construction site for failing to install required BMPs. The NOV includes a compliance schedule. Which statement best describes the permittee's obligations?
Answer: The permittee must implement corrective actions by the deadlines in the compliance schedule
A compliance schedule in an NOV creates legally binding deadlines; the permittee must meet each milestone or risk escalating enforcement.
Which provision of the Clean Water Act authorizes citizens or organizations to sue a permit violator directly when the government has not taken timely enforcement action?
Answer: Section 505 Citizen Suits
CWA Section 505 authorizes citizen suits against any person alleged to be in violation of an effluent standard or permit condition, serving as a powerful enforcement backstop.
A post-construction stormwater control ordinance requires on-site retention of the 90th percentile storm event. Which design approach best meets this performance standard?
Answer: Designing infiltration or harvest-and-use systems that capture and retain runoff volume on-site
Volumetric retention standards require capturing and disposing of runoff on-site through infiltration, evapotranspiration, or reuse rather than simply attenuating peak flow.