The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is providing public notice on the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit, permit number DE 0051241, for the application of Aquatic Pesticides. This notice is for the General Permit itself. Once a General Permit is issued, an applicant can obtain coverage under this General Permit by submitting a completed Notice of Intent and Pesticide Discharge Management Plan, if applicable, for DNREC review and approval. 

An Aquatic Pesticides permit is a point source permit authorized by the Federal Clean Water Act that is required by Federal and State regulations for operators that apply biological or chemical pesticides that leave a residue directly to Waters of the State or indirectly to systems that discharge into Waters of the State. In the State of Delaware, DNREC implements the Aquatic Pesticides NPDES program.  The purpose of the Aquatic Pesticides permit is to regulate activities involving the application of pesticides near and on Waters of the State and to help improve and maintain the quality of Waters of the State.

On the basis of a preliminary staff review and application of lawful standards and regulations, DNREC proposes to issue general Aquatic Pesticides permit coverage to the applicable operators, subject to certain effluent limitations and conditions in this permit.

A public hearing on the above draft permit will NOT be held unless the Secretary of DNREC determines that a public hearing is in the public interest or if a written meritorious objection to the application is received by 4:30 p.m. January 16, 2020.  A public hearing request shall be deemed meritorious if it exhibits a familiarity with the application and provides a reasoned statement of the action’s probable impact.

Copies of the Draft Fact Sheet and Draft Permit are available at dnrec.delaware.gov/water/surface-water/npdes/aquatic-pesticides/ or by contacting:

Lydia Smith
Surface Water Discharges Section
89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901
(302) 739-9946