Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan SWPPP Guide Outreach Developing Your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan: A Guide for Construction Sites Why was this Guide developed? Construction sites that are covered by National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for their stormwater discharges will need to develop a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP). EPA has found that the quality of construction site SWPPPs is highly variable and could often be improved. Many construction site operators also have asked for help with SWPPP development. In an effort to address this situation, EPA developed this Guide to provide clear guidance and easy-to-use templates to facilitate the development of better quality SWPPPs. What does this guide contain? Developing Your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, also known as the "SWPPP Guide," discusses the key features which should be found in any SWPPP. It can be used along with the appropriate NPDES Construction General Permit to develop a SWPPP that meets permit requirements and reflects the unique nature of each construction site. Perhaps the most important features of this new guide are the two new templates that are available. A fillable SWPPP Template is available in Microsoft Word format to aid in the writing of a complete and comprehensive SWPPP. Also available is an Inspection Form that can be customized for almost any site. Getting Started. The Guide discusses the overall objectives which every SWPPP should meet, how to obtain permit coverage, the relationship between NPDES requirements and local requirements, and more. Developing your SWPPP. These chapters cover a variety of key topics, including: site assessment and planning, which includes three parts: assessing the site, identifying approaches to protect natural resources, and developing site maps. Selecting erosion and sediment control and good housekeeping best management practices (BMPs) are covered in the next chapters. The last step in SWPPP development involves describing your plans and procedures for site inspections, maintenance of BMPs, and recordkeeping requirements. Implementing your SWPPP. The implementation section of the Guide covers training of staff and subcontractors, conducting inspections and maintaining BMPs, updating and evaluating the SWPPP and implementing temporary or final stabilization procedures. Model SWPPPs To further supplement all this information, EPA has developed two "model or example" SWPPPs using the SWPPP Guide and Templates. These examples are available on the website mentioned below and are intended to provide construction site operators with additional references. Where can I get a copy of the guide? To obtain an electronic copy of the SWPPP Guide, Template, and sample Inspection Form, visit www.epa.gov/npdes/swpppguide. For printed copies, please contact EPA's publications warehouse (National Service Center for Environmental Publications) at 1-800-490-9198 or nscep@bps-lmit.com, and reference EPA's document control number (EPA-833-R-06-004) in your request.