Erosion & Sediment Control

Fayette County Erosion & Sediment Control Permit Requirements

The Conservation District is delegated through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to handle the Chapter 102 program, which is for erosion and sediment control during earthmoving activities. Earthmoving is described by the DEP as “construction or other human activity which disturbs the surface of the land, including land clearing and grubbing, grading, excavations, embankments, land development, agricultural plowing or tilling, operation of animal heavy use areas, timber harvesting activities, road maintenance activities, oil and gas activities, well drilling, mineral extraction, and the moving, depositing, stockpiling, or storing of soil, rock or earth minerals.”

Any time earthmoving activities result in an area of disturbance of 5000 square feet to 0.99 acres, a written erosion control plan is required. An erosion control plan is a site-specific plan consisting of both drawings and a narrative that identifies erosion control best management practices (BMPs) to minimize accelerated erosion and sedimentation before, during and after earth disturbance activities. If your project is located in a special protection watershed – an area that drains to a waterbody designated as High Quality or Exception Value – a written erosion control plan is required regardless of the area of disturbance.

When earthmoving activities result in an area of disturbance of 1 acre or more, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is required. This permit is for the discharge or potential discharge of stormwater into waters of this Commonwealth from construction activities, including clearing and grubbing, grading and excavation activities involving 1 acre or more of earth disturbance activity or an earth disturbance activity on any portion, part, or during any stage of, a larger common plan of development or sale that involves 1 acre or more of earth disturbance activity over the life of the project.

If your project is close to, crosses or involves a stream, wetland or other waterbody, please contact the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection at 412.442.4000 to discuss possible permitting requirements.

Before beginning any earthmoving project, please contact Heather Knupsky at 724.438.4497 to discuss what permitting might be required.