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ECAR
Fact Sheet for Indiana Regulations BACK to VIRTUAL TOUR The following fact sheet was prepared by the ECAR Center staff. Once prepared, each ECAR Center fact sheet undergoes a review process with the applicable state environmental agency(ies). You can check on the status of the review process here. Please read the disclaimer on the status page. While we have tried to present a summary of the essential information on this topic, you should be aware that other items, such as local regulations, may apply to you. What You Need to Know Wastewater is often generated by operations such as the rinsing of parts, and the washing down of engines or dirty tools. If water becomes mixed with oil, antifreeze, solvents, or other liquids, it is important that it be properly treated and contained prior to discharge. If your wastewater is currently just going down an unregulated drain, you've got a problem. Even if your activities have gone unnoticed for years, there is an increasing chance that you will be inspected. The federal EPA and the states are starting to look much more carefully at sources of water pollution that have so far remained unidentified, and they have (rightly or wrongly) decided that auto recyclers are a significant problem area. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has prepared a guidance document to help auto recyclers manage wastewater. Much of the information is included in this fact sheet or you can visit IDEM's website for the complete Compliance Manual for Auto Salvage Facilities. If a facility generates industrial wastewater, there may be requirements it must meet in order to ensure that the wastewater is properly managed. There are two situations in which a facility might be required to obtain a permit for wastewater generated by the facility, depending upon how the wastewater is ultimately disposed. These two situations are discharges to waters of Indiana and discharges to a publicly owned treatment works (POTW). Discharges to waters of Indiana. If a facility discharges industrial wastewater via a "point source" (such as a pipe, etc.) directly to waters of Indiana, it will be required to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Waters of Indiana include (but are not limited to) ground water, storm drains, rivers, streams, lakes and ditches. NPDES permits can be either general or individual permits. A general permit is a "one size fits all" type of permit and is issued for specific types of discharges such as storm water runoff, non-contact cooling water or stone quarry discharges. An individual permit is site-specific and unique to a facility. Rule 6 storm waters permits are considered NPDES general permits. Permits contain limits on the quantity, discharge rate and concentrations of pollutants in the water that are discharged from a point source into waters of the state. There are permit fees associated with these permits. The amount of the fee is dependent upon the type of permit issued. Discharges to a POTW. If your facility discharges industrial wastewater into a municipal sewer connected to a POTW, you may need to obtain a pretreatment permit. In order to discharge to the POTW, you must meet standards set by the receiving POTW. This may require that you treat your wastewater prior to discharging it to the sewer. In Indiana, 45 municipalities implement U.S. EPA approved pretreatment permit ordinances. A list of those municipalities is available by clicking on IDEM's Compliance Manual for Auto Salvage Facilities. If your facility is located in one of these municipalities and you wish to discharge industrial wastewater into the POTW, you will need to contact the local POTW program coordinator to obtain a permit. If you wish to discharge into a municipal sewer in a location other than those listed above, you must first submit an Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment Permit application to IDEM so that it can be determined whether a permit is required. Depending upon the type and level of contaminants in your facility's wastewater, the wastewater may be considered a hazardous waste. When hazardous waste enters the sanitary sewer, it is no longer regulated by the hazardous waste rules, but is regulated by IDEM and the POTW receiving the wastewater. If this situation applies to you, you may need to submit a one-time notification to IDEM's Office of Land Quality/Industrial Waste Branch. *Wastewater that meets the local POTW's standards may be hauled directly to the POTW. If your facility's wastewater does not meet the POTW's standards, but does meet the standards of another permitted POTW, wastewater may be hauled to that POTW. If your facility disposes of its wastewater in a manner other than sending it to a POTW, it will need to determine whether it is a hazardous waste. If your wastewater is a hazardous waste, you will need to ensure that the tank storing this wastewater meets the requirements contained in the hazardous waste rules. In addition, you must ensure that it properly manages its wastewater upon removing it from the tank. See the ECAR Hazardous Waste Fact Sheet for more information. Discharges to holding tanks. If you discharge wastewater to a holding tank, you may need to obtain a construction permit from IDEM's Office of Water Quality prior to installation of the tank. In addition, different regulations apply to wastewater removed from the tank, depending on the contents of the tank and the method of disposal used. Links to the Regulations and Forms. Use the following links to view the regulations and permit forms pertaining to wastewater. Industrial NPDES Permit Applications Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment (IWP) Applications Federal Safe Drinking Water Act Requirements When an inspector comes to your facility, there are certain things he or she checks to see if you are in compliance with environmental regulations. It makes good sense for you to perform a "self-audit" and catch and correct problems before they result in penalties. Also, there are some compliance incentives associated with self-audits (see Audit Policy Page). Use the following list to audit your wastewater management activities.
Best Management Practices (BMPs) Most regulations tell you what you have to do to be in compliance, but they don't explain how to do it. That's where "best management practices" come into play. BMPs are proven methods that help you to get into compliance and stay there. The following BMPs are recommended for wastewater management.
Related ECAR Fact Sheets Other Relevant Resources
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