Water Permitting and Compliance in Louisiana and Texas: LPDES, TPDES, SPCC, Stormwater and Facility Response Plans

CK Associates supports Louisiana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (LPDES) permitting and compliance for industrial facilities. LPDES is Louisiana's state-run version of the federal NPDES program. NPDES permits last up to five years, and federal rules call for a renewal application at least 180 days before expiration, though state programs can set their own deadlines.

CK Associates supports Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) permitting and compliance, working with TCEQ, with a Texas office in The Woodlands. CK has also published an update on TCEQ's revision of the TPDES Multi-Sector General Permit for industrial stormwater on its News and Updates page.

CK Associates prepares and updates SPCC plans under 40 CFR Part 112. The rule generally applies to facilities with more than 1,320 gallons of aboveground oil storage in containers of 55 gallons or more, or more than 42,000 gallons of buried storage, and a reasonable expectation of a discharge to navigable waters. Plans must be reviewed at least every five years and amended when the facility changes.

CK Associates prepares stormwater pollution prevention plans and Best Management Plans for industrial facilities. A good plan names the actual sources of pollutants on your site and the controls you use, because inspectors compare the plan to what they see on the ground.

CK Associates prepares Facility Response Plans for facilities that need them. An FRP is required under 40 CFR 112.20 for certain oil storage facilities that could cause substantial harm to the environment if they discharge, and it builds on the facility's SPCC plan.

CK Associates performs 316(b) evaluations and comprehensive demonstration studies. Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act addresses cooling water intake structures, and the federal rule for existing facilities generally applies to those that withdraw more than 2 million gallons per day from waters of the United States with at least 25 percent used for cooling.

CK Associates conducts Toxicity Reduction Evaluations (TREs) and Water-Effect Ratio studies. A TRE works to identify the source of effluent toxicity and the steps needed to bring the discharge back into compliance.

CK Associates provides industrial wastewater treatment support, stormwater and wastewater treatment evaluations, water quality monitoring, mixing zone and hydraulic modeling, drainage studies, data management and reporting, and offshore NPDES program management.