Reminder: California Stormwater Annual Reports Due on July 15!

Is your business required to maintain a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)? To refresh your memory, all dischargers regulated under the California Stormwater Industrial General Permit (IGP) are required to submit their Annual Reports using SMARTS (Stormwater Multiple Application and Report Tracking System) by July 15^th every year. What is the Annual Report? The Annual Report is a list of questions for dischargers to either a) verify that they are addressing all applicable IGP requirements for the reporting year or b) explain any areas not in compliance. The Report also includes a certification that the Annual Comprehensive Facility Compliance Evaluation (Annual Evaluation) was completed. The Annual Report must be submitted through SMARTS. It can be entered by any SMARTS user that is linked to the facility but can only be certified and submitted by the facility’s Legally Responsible Person (LRP) or Duly Authorized Representative (DAR) as long as they have a valid eAuthorization form on file. If the LRP or DAR have changed, whether because they are no longer with the company or will not be available to submit the report by July 15^th, it is very important to assign a new LRP or DAR and submit the eAuthorization form to the Water Board for processing as soon as possible. Consultants or other SMARTS users who have a Data Entry Role will NOT be able to certify and submit on your behalf. What do I need to complete the Annual Report? The first step is to conduct an annual evaluation (the “Annual Comprehensive Site Compliance Evaluation,” or ACSCE), typically included in your SWPPP as an attachment or appendix. This evaluation includes a comprehensive review of:

• All stormwater records, including monthly visual and sampling observations and inspections;
• Drainage areas, industrial activity areas, and potential pollutants identified in your SWPPP as well as any that are new or were missed;
• The effectiveness of current Best Management Practices (BMPs) and availability of equipment needed for their implementation;
• Overall site compliance and needs for SWPPP revision.

In addition, you will also want to make sure you have entered and certified all of your “ad hoc” reports in SMARTS to document analytical testing for samples collected during qualifying stormwater events for the reporting year. When you are ready to begin, log in to SMARTS, select “reports” from the Main Menu, search the 2018–2019 reporting period, select your facility then follow the “report ID” link. You will be asked a series of questions regarding implementation of your SWPPP. In general, you will answer either “yes” (indicating you have complied with applicable requirements) or “no,” in which case you can explain why the condition was not met. Some questions request additional information. Once all questions have been answered, you can upload any applicable documentation and identify any errors using the “Perform Completion Check” button. After any errors have been corrected, the Annual Report is ready for certification by the LRP or DAR. The final step, once the report has been certified, is to print a copy of the report for your records using the link from the certification confirmation screen. That’s all there is! Need help? Have questions? The ACTenviro EMS team is at the ready! Contact us with any stormwater-related inquiries at [email protected].