SWANC Policy Initiatives

SWANC is dedicated to collaborating with state and federal regulators to advance the most effective and cost-efficient MS4 programs in North Carolina. The organization is actively engaged in several key policy initiatives, including:

CONSTRUCTION STORMWATER PROGRAM

A primary concern within the MS4 community is Minimum Control Measure 4, Construction Stormwater, commonly referred to as Erosion and Sediment Control in North Carolina. The North Carolina Sediment Pollution Control Act (SPCA), which predates the MS4 program by more than two decades, remains the foundation for regulating construction projects across the state. Under the SPCA, construction project review, approval, and enforcement may be managed by:

• The local community (21 MS4s)
• The county or a neighboring community (48 MS4s)
• The NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) (48 MS4s)

There is ongoing discussion at both the state and local levels regarding the possibility of discontinuing the option for MS4 communities to rely on DEQ for implementing the Construction Stormwater program within their jurisdictions, as this is a federal MS4 program requirement. To illustrate the potential impact of this change, SWANC has developed an MS4 Erosion and Sediment Control Dashboard.

AUDIT PROCESS AND CONSISTENCY

SWANC is partnering with DEQ to promote consistency in audit processes and to help ensure that notices received by MS4 permittees are clear and equitable. Additional updates will be provided as this initiative progresses.