Phone: 919-560-0735 E-Mail: engineering@co.durham.nc.us

Fax: 919-560-0740 Internet: www.co.durham.nc.us/ceng

WHAT DO WE DO?

Issue Land-Disturbing Permits

1. A land-disturbing permit is required on any privately funded, non-agricultural project with a disturbed area greater than 12,000 sq./ft.

2. A sedimentation and erosion control plan is required when the disturbed area exceeds 1 acre, except in certain water quality areas, where the plan requirement starts at 12,000 sq./ft.

3. A Surety is required when the disturbed area exceeds 5 acres.

SEDIMENTATION & EROSION CONTROL PLAN SUBMITTAL

A complete plan submittal has:

1. Three copies of the sedimentation and erosion control plan, including details and calculations, and signed/sealed plan submittal checklist

2. A Financial Responsibility/Ownership Form (FRO) properly executed and notarized.

3. The Plan Review Fee of $75.00 per disturbed acre. (Do not round this to the nearest acre)

We will forward one copy of the plan to the Soil & Water Conservation District for comments and recommendations, as required by state law. They are allowed 20 days to respond. Initial plan reviews must be completed within 30 days, which includes the 20 days allowed at the Soil & Water Conservation District.

NOTICE OF PLAN APPROVAL

Upon plan approval, a letter will be sent to the financially responsible person that is identified within the FRO. This letter will:

1. Ensure the validity of the address.

2. Provide the financially responsible person with any approval stipulations or conditions.

3. Inform the financially responsible person of actions to be completed to obtain a land-disturbing permit.

WHY ARE PLANS DISAPPROVED?

Deficiencies often noted on disapproved plans are:

1. Grading outside of the owner’s property line. Offsite grading requires written authorization from the adjoining property owner.

2. Inadequate groundcover information.

- Re-vegetation is the most effective way of controlling erosion and must be accomplished within 21 calendar days of the completion of any phase of grading..

- Seasonal seeding schedules for both temporary and permanent ground cover are required and must include rates for seed, mulch and fertilizer.

3. Lack of some or all construction details. Details must be provided for all proposed measures.

- Haybales, strawbales or burlap silt fence is not allowed.

- Silt fence placement on wooden posts is not allowed.

4. Lack of supporting calculations for sediment and erosion control measures such as basins, swales, velocity dissipators, etc.

5. Inadequate or missing Construction Sequence.

- The sequence must be site specific. Indicate when measures are to be installed and when they are to be removed.

6. Stream crossings are not adequately addressed.

- Describe how they will be crossed during the construction activity clearing.

- How are pipes/culverts to be installed?

- Is a diversion and/or a temporary piped crossing necessary?

7. Conceptual flaws. The plan will not work. The goal is to retain sediment on site during all phases of the project clearing to completion. The plan must be able to be implemented. Whenever possible, it is advantageous to divert offsite clear water away from the land disturbing activity.

NOTICE OF PLAN DISAPPROVAL

A letter of disapproval listing all deficiencies will be sent, generally to the financially responsible person that is identified on the FRO. A copy of the Disapproval Letter is also sent to the designer. Re-submittals must be reviewed by the Sedimentation & Erosion Control staff within 15 calendar days of receipt, and a fee of 50% of the original plan review fee will be required.

To facilitate re-review, please cloud or highlight changes made to the plans and/or list corrective actions made in response to each item in the letter of disapproval.

LAND-DISTURBING PERMITS

In general, to obtain a land-disturbing permit the following items must be

completed:

1. An approved sedimentation and erosion control plan.

2. A flat fee of $235.00 is required for areas of disturbance that are greater than 12,000 sq./ft., but less than an acre. A permit fee of $490.00 per disturbed acre must be paid (Do not round this to the nearest acre) for areas of land disturbances.

3. A Surety must be furnished if the disturbed area exceeds 5 acres.

4. A Zoning Compliance Form must be received from the Planning Department.

TRACKING YOUR PLAN

How best to track your project in our office:

1. All projects are assigned a job control number, which consists of four numerals, followed by a dash and two more numerals (XXXX-XX).

2. Please refer to it in any written or verbal inquiries regarding your project.

SUMMARY

Please remember that the sedimentation and erosion control plan and/or stormwater plan review process is separate from your subdivision and/or site plan review process. The Planning Department does not forward plans to this office for sedimentation and erosion control plan reviews, so submittals must be made directly to us. The plan review process may run concurrently with your planning review. Any changes required by the planning process should be reflected on your erosion control and stormwater plans and should be resubmitted to this office as a plan addendum.