Active Construction Area: Construction areas where soil-disturbing activities have
already occurred and continue to occur or will occur during the ensuing 21 days. This may include areas where soils have been
disturbed as well as areas where soil disturbance has not yet occurred.
Antecedent Moisture:
Amount of moisture present in soil prior to the application of a soil stabilization product.
Best Management
Practice (BMP): Any program, technology, process, citing criteria, operating method, measure, or device that
controls, prevents, removes, or reduces pollution.
Construction Activity: Includes clearing,
grading, or excavation and contractor activities that result in soil disturbance.
Construction Site:
The area involved in a construction project as a whole.
Contamination: An impairment of
the quality of the waters of the state by waste to a degree that creates a hazard to the public health through poisoning or
through the spread of disease including any equivalent effect resulting from the disposal of waste, whether or not waters
of the state are affected.
Contractor: Party responsible for carrying out the contract
per plans and specifications. The Standard Specifications and Special Provisions contain storm water protection requirements
the contractor must address.
Degradability: Method by which the chemical components of
a soil stabilization product are degraded over time.
Discharge: Any release, spill, leak,
pump, flow, escape, dumping, or disposal of any liquid, semi- solid or solid substance.
Disturbed Soil
Areas (DSAs): Areas of exposed soil subject to erosion, including stockpiles, that are within the construction
limits and that result from construction activities.
Drying Time: Time it takes for a soil
stabilization product to dry or cure for it to become erosion control effective.
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA): Agency that issued the regulations to control pollutants in storm water runoff discharges (The
Clean Water Act and NPDES permit requirements).
Erosion: The wearing away of land surface
primarily by wind or water. Erosion occurs naturally as a result of weather or runoff but can be intensified by clearing,
grading, or excavation of the land surface.
Erosion Control Effectiveness: The ability
of a particular product to reduce soil erosion relative to the amount of erosion measured for bare soil. Percentage of erosion
that would be reduced as compared to an untreated or control condition.
Exempt Construction Activities:
Activities exempt from the General Permit, including routine maintenance to maintain original line and grade, hydraulic capacity,
or original purpose of the facility; and emergency construction activities required to protect public health and safety. Local
permits may not exempt these activities.
Existing vegetation: Any vegetated area that has
not already been cleared and grubbed.
Fair Weather Prediction: When there is no precipitation
in the forecast between the current calendar day and the next working day. The National Weather Service NOAA Weather Radio
forecast shall be used. The contractor may propose an alternative forecast for use if approved by the Resident Engineer.
Feasible: Economically achievable or cost-effective measures, which reflect a reasonable degree
of pollutant reduction achievable through the application of available non-point pollution control practices, technologies,
processes, site criteria, operating methods, or other alternatives.
General Permit: The
General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Construction Activity (Order No. 99-08-DWQ, NPDES Permit CAS000002)
issued by the State Water Resources Control Board.
Good Housekeeping: A common practice
related to the storage, use, or cleanup of materials, performed in a manner that minimizes the discharge of pollutants.
Local permit: An NPDES storm water permit issued to a District by the RWQCB having jurisdiction
over the job site. Requirements of the local permit are generally similar to, but supersede the requirements of the General
Permit.
Longevity: The time the soil erosion product maintains its erosion control effectiveness.
Mode of Application: Type of labor or equipment that is required to install the product or
technique.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit: A permit issued
pursuant to the Clean Water Act that requires the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States from storm water
be controlled.
Native: Living or growing naturally in a particular region. Compatibility
and competitiveness of selected plant materials with the environment.
Non-active Construction Area:
Any area not considered to be an active construction area. Active construction areas become non-active construction areas
whenever construction activities are expected to be discontinued for a period of 21 days or longer.
Non-Storm
Water Discharge: Any discharge to a storm drain system or receiving water that is not composed entirely of
storm water.
Permit: The California Statewide NPDES Permit (see Statewide Permit),
General Construction Permit, or local permit, whichever is applicable to the construction project.
Pollution:
The man-made or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological, and radiological integrity of water. An
alteration of the quality of the water of the state by waste to a degree, which unreasonably affects either the waters for
beneficial uses or facilities that serve these beneficial uses.
Rainy Season: The dates
of the rainy season shall be as specified: use dates in the local permit if a local permit is applicable to the project site
and rainy season dates are specified therein.
Receiving Waters: All surface water bodies
within the permit area
Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB): California agencies
that implement and enforce Clean Water Act Section 402(p) NPDES permit requirements, and are issuers and administrators of
these permits as delegated by EPA. There are nine regional boards working with the State Water Resources Control Board.
Residual Impact: The impact that a particular practice might have on construction activities
once they are resumed on the area that was temporarily stabilized.
Runoff Effect: The effect
that a particular soil stabilization product has on the production of storm water runoff. Runoff from an area protected by
a particular product may be compared to the amount of runoff measured for bare soil.
Sediment:
Organic or inorganic material that is carried by or suspended in water and that settles out to form deposits in the storm
drain system or receiving waters.
State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB): California
agency that implements and enforces Clean Water Act Section 402(p) NPDES permit requirements, is issuer and administrator
of these permits as delegated by EPA; Works with the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards.
Storm
Drain System: Streets, gutters, inlets, conduits, natural or artificial drains, channels and watercourses,
or other facilities that are owned, operated, maintained and used for the purpose of collecting, storing, transporting, or
disposing of storm water.
Storm Water: Rainfall runoff, snowmelt runoff, and surface runoff
and drainage excluding infiltration and runoff from agricultural land.
Storm Water Pollution Prevention
Plan (SWPPP): A plan required by the Permit that includes site map(s), an identification of construction/contractor
activities that could cause pollutants in the storm water, and a description of measures or practices to control these pollutants.
It must be prepared and approved before construction begins.
Temporary Construction Site BMPs:
Construction Site BMPs that are required only temporarily to address a short-term storm water contamination threat.
For example, silt fences are located near the base of newly graded slopes that have a substantial area of exposed soil.
Then, during rainfall, the silt fences filter and collect sediment from runoff flowing off the slope.
Waste
Discharge Identification Number (WDID): The unique project number issued by the SWRCB upon receipt of the notice
of intent (NOI).
Water Pollution Control Program (WPCP): A plan similar to the SWPPP in
an abbreviated format.
