Site Inspection and Enforcement
Site Inspection and Enforcement
All construction projects in The Town of Mount Pleasant may be subject to a series of inspections for stormwater infrastructure, road construction, NPDES, tree and buffer, building, final, end-of-warranty, and long-term maintenance. NPDES Inspection Requirements
All projects should be performing some type of self-inspection to ensure that there is minimal stormwater pollution runoff from the job site. In addition, the Town may perform inspections on your project site. Use the following chart to determine what type of self-inspection should be performed on your construction project and what type of Town inspection you should expect. ALL projects permitted under the 2006 Construction General Permit will be required to update their permit information with SCDHEC as noted in the 2012 CGP, this will include revising all inspection schedules to a 7-day schedule. SCDHEC and the Town may also implement additional inspection requirements for projects under the 2012 CGP. Please review the new State permit and direct questions to SCDHEC. Inspection and Maintenance standards must follow the applicable DHEC BMP Manual or DOT specifications as provided on the plans or in the appropriate manuals.| Project Type | Self- Inspection |
Town-Inspection | Additional Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Project (Signed Certificate of Compliance) | Frequency: Regular inspections should be completed to prevent polluted runoff from site |
Frequency: Random |
SCDHEC-OCRM may require regular self-inspections by a CEPSCI-certified inspector if NPDES permit was required for project |
| Water Quality Approved Project |
Frequency: Completed by CEPSCI-certified inspector. Performed : Every 7 days - it is recommended that additional inspections are conducted within 24 hours of a storm event that produced ≥0.5 inches rain |
Frequency: At least monthly |
For LCP projects - all smaller lot (residential) sites are required to meet permit compliance and should be inspected during weekly SWPPP inspections especially for material management* |
| * Projects that are required to have weekly inspections and do not have their SWP3 logs MUST produce the logs within 30 minutes of request by any enforcement agency. If electronic copies are being produced they must be provided to all responsible parties to ensure that site issues are being addressed in a timely manner. Failure to complete reporting or falsification of reporting is considered a violation. | |||
ALL small project inspections should ensure that all silt fence is maintained, site is trash free, construction materials are properly disposed of, and streets are swept and clean. Small sites may be required to implement weekly CEPSCI inspections, if self-inspections and housekeeping methods are not achieving compliance goals. Some small projects (residential home sites) may fall under a larger NPDES permit if they are a part of a Larger Common Plan of Development (LCP). Property owners and contractors should check with SCDHEC for determination of State Permitting requirements for small sites. All sites must maintain compliance with their Town Certificate of Compliance form that was completed with their building permit application.
Water Quality approved project inspections should ensure that all erosion controls, tree protection, and BMPs are installed and performing per the approved SWPPP. All projects must maintain a record of SWPPP inspections performed by their CEPSCI-certified inspector. These should be available for review by Town staff at all times. To see what your inspector should be checking for at your job site, download an example SWPPP report form here.
To find out more information on the Certified Erosion Prevention and Sediment Inspector (CEPSCI) program, please contact Clemson Extension.
Enforcement:
Sites may require DAILY housekeeping by contractors and sub-contractors to maintain compliance.
Any deficiencies or problems identified during a Town inspection will be reported to the project contractor and/or engineer and a maximum 7-day time frame will be given to address. Fines may be assessed for non-compliance. Some corrective measures may require immediate, 48-hour, or 72-hour timeframes depending upon the nature of the violation.
Measures that have frequent failures can be required to be replaced with alternative control methods. All changes should be communicated with Town Stormwater staff and documented in the OS-SWPPP.
Failure to address concerns or implement any corrective measures may result in warnings, re-inspection fees, stop-work orders, or fines. To find out more information on the enforcement of the construction inspection program, see the Town of Mount Pleasant Ordinance Chapter 153.
Sites with repeat violations may be subject to additional compliance actions, special schedules, inspections, or programs as determined and communicated by Stormwater staff.