Who needs a Florida MSGP (Multi-Sector General Permit) Stormwater Discharge Permit?

We discuss who may need coverage under the MSGP stormwater permit in Florida.

Knowing if rules and regulations apply to you is a never-ending task, especially when it comes to environmental regulations such as NPDES stormwater permits. Since there are a lot of stormwater permit options out there, knowing which one applies to you, or which one you are covered by, is imperative for knowing where to start. If you aren't sure if you're covered under the Multi-Sector General Stormwater Permit in Florida, you've come to the right place.

Who needs a MSGP stormwater permit in Florida?

From time to time, we've seen our clients looking at the wrong permit or asking questions about the wrong permit. It's easy to get these things mixed up because these permits are full of legal mumbo jumbo, confusing regulatory terms, are usually really long, and to most people they just don't make sense.

Florida, like most states, has a main permit that catches the majority of industrial facilities, which is referred to as a MSGP, or multi-sector industrial permit. That means a lot of industrial types are covered under just one permit, hence the term "multi-sector".

Lets take a look at these multiple sectors and see what industries are covered under the MSGP stormwater permit in Florida.

• Category (i) - Facilities subject to federal effluent limitations or new source performance standards
• Category (ii) - Heavy manufacturing (e.g., Ship Building and Repair, Chemical Manufacturing, Wood Products Manufacturing)
• Category (iii) - Mining/oil and gas exploration
• Category (iv) - Hazardous waste facilities
• Category (v) - Landfills or open dumps
• Category (vi) - Recycling facilities (e.g., Salvage Yards, Auto Junk Yards, Battery Reclaimers)
• Category (vii) - Steam electric power generation facilities
• Category (viii) - Transportation facilities (e.g., Trucking, Airports, Marinas)
• Category (ix) - Treatment works (e.g., Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plants)
• Category (x) - Large construction activity (i.e., disturbing 5 or more acres of land). This category is regulated and permitted separately under the NPDES Stormwater Program for Construction Activity
• Category (xi) - Light industry (e.g., Printing, Warehousing)

So, a lot of industries are covered. If you're an industrial operation, chances are pretty good you need to be covered under the MSGP in Florida.

So who specifically needs coverage under the Florida MSGP stormwater permit?

Are you still wondering if YOU need to be covered under the Florida MSGP stormwater permit? Well you’re in luck. The state of Florida boiled those eleven categories down into 30 subsectors (or 30 sector specific categories) of related activities, all with general and sector-specific requirements. Florida was even nicer by taken those 30 sector specific categories and fleshing them out even more by SIC code. You can click here to check out that listing of applicable facilities.

Just learning you're covered under the Florida MSGP permit can be challenging enough, but what happens when you need to get into compliance with it? If you or your company need help understanding the ins and outs of how the MSGP stormwater permit in Florida applies to you, let's talk. We've helped hundreds of companies easily get into compliance with stormwater permits, and we've love to see if we're the right fit for your organization. Feel free to contact us online or give our Orlando office a call anytime at 407-720-6152.