Region 1 Final Hydroelectric Generating Facilities General Permit for Facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire

EPA Region 1 is issuing the Final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Hydroelectric Generating Facilities General Permit (HYDROGP) for eligible facilities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (MAG360000) and the State of New Hampshire (NHG360000). This Final HYDROGP establishes effluent limitations and requirements, effluent and ambient monitoring requirements, reporting requirements, and standard conditions for discharges of equipment cooling water, equipment and floor drain water, equipment backwash water, certain maintenance related waters and backwash strainer water.

Dates

Permit Issuance Date: February 14, 2023
Permit Effective Date: April 15, 2023

Operators seeking authorization to discharge must submit a complete and accurate Notice of Intent (NOI) in accordance with Appendix 4 as follows:

• Operators that are covered under the 2009 HYDROGP must submit a NOI within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this general permit, or by June 14, 2023.
• Operators of new discharges must submit a NOI at least thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of discharges, or as soon as practicable.

Final Permit Documents

• Final NPDES General Permits for Hydroelectric Generating Facilities, MAG360000 and NHG360000 (pdf) (1 MB)
• Response to Comments (pdf) (1.7 MB)
• Draft General Permit for Hydroelectric Generating Facilities in Massachusetts & New Hampshire
• Appendix 4 - Suggested Notice of Intent (NOI) Format and Instructions - Fillable Electronic Format (pdf) (410 KB)
• Appendix 5 - Notice of Termination (NOT) Instructions and Suggested Format - Fillable Electronic Format (pdf) (191 KB)
• Appendix 8 - Notice of Change (NOC) Instructions and Suggested Format - Fillable Electronic Format (pdf) (210 KB)

EPA Contacts

Technical Contacts
George Papadopoulos (papadopoulos.george@epa.gov), 617-918-1579

Administrative Contacts
Glenda Velez (velez.glenda@epa.gov), 617-918-1677

State Contacts

MassDEP
Jennifer Wood (Jennifer.Wood@state.ma.us), 617-835-9886

NH DES
Hayley Franz (Hayley.Franz@des.nh.gov), 603-271-0671

Notices of Intent

Notices of Intent (NOI) will be posted on this page after EPA receipt for a minimum of 30 days. Following this period, EPA will either grant authorization, request additional information, or deny authorization under this permit and require submission of an application for an individual NPDES permit. A facility will be authorized to discharge under the terms and conditions of this permit upon receipt of the written notice of authorization from EPA.

Please contact Glenda Velez if you have any questions regarding NOIs. See the table below for a chronological listing of NOIs. Older NOIs are listed in the Hydro NOI archive.