Staying on Top of Permits &
Public Comments
Policy Track: Sunday, February 28, 2010 4-5:30 pm
Permit & Public Comment Resources
1. Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM)
List90 email list: List90@adem.state.al.us
permitsmail@adem.state.al.us
2. Alabama Surface mining Commission (ASMC)
Email list: Nancy.Stockman@asmc.alabama.gov
3. Local newspaper legal classifieds
4. Municipal government
5. County government
7. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Email list: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/listserv.html
8. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Email list: dll-cesam-rd-pn@sam.usace.army.mil
Include the following information in your email:
Name, Email address, Mailing address, Phone #, Agency Name (If applicable)
9. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Public Notice list: denise_rowell@fws.gov
10. Regulations.gov http://www.regulations.gov
11. Federal Register http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr
eFile
http://www.adem.alabama.gov
http://edocs.adem.alabama.gov/eFile
Enforcement Notices
http://www.adem.alabama.gov/compInfo/adminOrders.cnt
Public Notices & Permits
http://www.adem.alabama.gov/newsEvents/publicNotices.cnt
Permit Applications
http://www.adem.alabama.gov/MoreInfo/permitApps.cnt
Permit Wizard
http://www.adem.alabama.gov/PermitWizard/default.aspx
Alabama Environmental Regulations & Laws
http://www.adem.alabama.gov/alEnviroRegLaws/default.cnt
Water Quality
http://www.adem.alabama.gov/programs/water/waterquality.cnt
Public Participation in the ADEM Rulemaking & Permitting Process
http://www.adem.alabama.gov/newsEvents/pubs/Permit1004.pdf
Public Hearings & Meetings
http://www.adem.alabama.gov/newsEvents/pubHearings.cnt
EPA
Region IV
http://www.epa.gov
http://www.epa.gov/region4
Water Discharge Permits (PCS)
http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/pcs/pcs_query.html
Enforcement & Compliance History Online (ECHO)
http://www.epa-echo.gov/echo
Envirofacts Data Warehouse
http://www.epa.gov/enviro/index.html
Surf Your Watershed
http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm
USFWS
http://www.fws.gov
Alabama Ecological Services Field Office (Daphne)
http://www.fws.gov/daphne
Daphne Special Agent
http://www.fws.gov/southeast/law/SA/daphne.htm
Montgomery Special Agent
http://www.fws.gov/southeast/law/SA/montgomery.htm
USACE
http://www.usace.army.mil
Mobile District
http://www.sam.usace.army.mil
Planning & Environmental
http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/pd/Pd1.htm
Regulatory Program
http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/RD/reg/
Public Notices
http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/RD/reg/public.htm
http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/pd/Pd1.htm#Public_Notices
http://www.adph.org
Fish Consumption Advisories
http://www.adph.org/tox/Default.asp?id=1360
ADEM Public Comment Guidelines
Persons wishing to comment may do so, in writing, to the Department's named contact above within
30 days following the publication date of this notice. COMMENTERS SHOULD IDENTIFY THE
APPROPRIATE NPDES NUMBER ON THE FIRST PAGE OF THEIR COMMENTS. In order to
affect final decisions, comments must offer technically substantial information that is applicable to the
proposed permit.
A written request for a public hearing may also be filed within that 30-day period and must state the
nature of the issues proposed to be raised in the hearing. The Director shall hold a public hearing
whenever it is found, on the basis of hearing requests, that there exists a significant degree of public
interest in the permit application or draft permit. The Director may also hold a hearing if he
determines that it would clarify one or more issues involved in the permit decision.
After consideration of all written comments, review of any public hearing record, and consideration of
the requirements of the Alabama Water Pollution Control Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
and applicable regulations, the Department will make a final determination. The Department will
develop a response to comments, which will become part of the public record and will be available to
persons upon request. Notice will be sent to any person requesting notice of the final action.
Russell A. Kelly, Chief
Permits and Services Division
ADEM
PO Box 301463
Montgomery, AL 36130-1463
(334) 271-7714
File Review Instructions:
ADEM eFile
 Open your internet browser and navigate to
http://edocs.adem.alabama.gov/eFile
 On the search page put a check mark in the box for
“Water” next to the heading “Media Area”
 In the box next to the heading “Permit Number” type
in the permit number of a facility as it is given to you
 Leave all of the other search options blank and click on
“Search” at the bottom of the page
File Review Instructions:
Getting Started
 After you click “Search” the eFile server will display the files
that ADEM has made available to the public at the bottom
of the page, with up to 10 search results listed per page
 Depending on the size, importance, and age of the facility,
there might be only one or two pages (10 to 20 documents)
of search results, or there might be up to around 20 pages
(200 documents)
 The documents will be listed with several columns giving
the Facility Name, Permit Number, Date of the Document,
Type of Document, and File Name
 To view a particular document, simply click the link to
“Download” it in the left column of the search results
File Review Basics:
What Are the Different Types of Documents?
 Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMR) – Self-generated
reports detailing the concentrations and quantities of
pollutants in the discharges from the facility
 Inspection Reports (IR) – Reports generated by ADEM after
an inspection will often indicate if there are any problems
with the facilities operations or discharges
 Toxicity Reports (TOX) – Analyses of samples taken by the
facility to determine if their discharges have the potential
to kill or disrupt the life-cycles of fish
File Review Basics:
What Are the Different Types of Facilities/Permits?
 Individual Permits
 Municipal – Water/Waste Water Treatment Plants and
Lagoons
 Industrial
 Mining – Quarries/Coal Mines
 General Permits* – Usually smaller industrial facilities that
fit within a certain category and do not need individual
coverage
 State Indirect Discharge (SID) Permits – Permit to
discharge to municipal waste water collection system,
rather to surface water
 Underground Injection Control (UIC) Permits – Permit to
inject water into the ground via well, instead of to surface
water
ADEM Records Review
 Azure D. Jones
ADEM Permits & Services
(334)271-7712
Ajones@adem.state.al.us
records@adem.state.al.us
 ARA River Protection Essential –
How to Check a Company’s Pollution Record
http://www.alabamarivers.org/River%20Resources/rpeadem-file-review-brochure
Grassroots Water Advocacy Resources
 Alabama Rivers Alliance
http://www.alabamarivers.org
 River Network
http://www.rivernetwork.org
 American Rivers
http://www.americanrivers.org
 Clean Water Network
http://www.cleanwaternetwork.org
Nelson Brooke
(205) 458-0095
nbrooke@blackwarriorriver.org
www.blackwarriorriver.org