806.5 Site Inspections and BMP Repair

MoDOT’s state operating permit for land disturbance requires site inspections on a regular basis by a qualified individual for all projects one acre and greater as well as projects that are less than one acre if they are part of a common plan. For projects that are designed and anticipated to break one acre or more of land disturbance or are considered a common plan project, inspections are to begin once land disturbance operations commence. For projects designed to be less than an acre of land disturbance but the contractor’s operations cause land disturbance to exceed the one-acre threshold, inspections shall begin once it is known the disturbance will exceed the acre limit.

Inspections shall follow one of the intervals outlined in EPG 806.8.4 Site Inspections and Reports.

It is acceptable to switch between the 7-day or the 14-day inspection options so long as it is documented in the project specific SWPPP prior to switching. It is not acceptable to mix weekly and post runoff requirements between the options. Changing inspection intervals must be approved by the engineer. The Stormwater Database will require the RE to update the project’s prerequisites to change the inspection interval. The Stormwater Database functionality will require some consideration when making inspection interval changes to ensure proper inspection sequencing can be accounted for through the inspection notification process. Changing from a 14-day inspection to a 7-day must be done within 4 days of the previous inspection. This requirement is to account for the change in the system and keep all inspections current within the permit requirements.

The permit allows for projects that have been temporarily stabilized while other work continues on the project, to be inspected once a month. Temporary stabilization is defined as having erosion controls sufficient to prevent erosion on the areas such as annual vegetation growth, erosion control blanket installation, etc. in areas that are intended or may be disturbed prior to the project reaching final stabilization. It is encouraged to continue using sediment control BMPs during temporary stabilization. When a project that has been temporarily stabilized and has been under once per month inspections is re-disturbed, the project must move back to 7-day or 14-day inspections. This change in frequency must also be documented in the project specific SWPPP and be completed within 4 days of a previous inspection. If construction sequencing does not allow for this schedule, an inspection must be entered in the database prior to changing the inspection frequency from once per month to either 7-day or 14-day inspections.

Any inspector who will conduct storm water inspections or Resident Engineer responsible for certification of land disturbance inspections must attend MoDOT’s land disturbance training. Once trained, inspectors and Resident Engineers must be recertified every four (4) years. Failure to attend the training or be recertified will affect the users access to the Stormwater Database.

Inspectors shall answer all questions on the standard MoDOT Land Disturbance Inspection Checklist. The standard checklist is intended to be a comprehensive guide to ensure all best management practices (BMPs) and other pollution control measures are installed correctly and maintained within the requirements established in the NPDES permit and the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Inspectors shall perform visual site inspections for evidence of erosion or sediment deposition throughout the project limits where any disturbance has occurred and where BMPs have been installed. All receiving streams shall be inspected 50 feet downstream of the outfall when practicable. Any structural BMP or maintenance problem shall be noted as a deficiency in the inspection report. Deficiencies are to be corrected as soon as possible but no more than seven (7) days from the date of the inspection. If conditions are not conducive to correcting the deficiency within seven days from the inspection date, the deficiency may be halted. Deficiencies that are halted require a photo of the field conditions and a narrative explaining why the correction cannot be completed within the seven-day time period. Halts shall be removed as soon as conditions improve to allow work to proceed and corrections should be done as soon as possible.

The project specific SWPPP is the detailed plan that outlines how permit compliance will be achieved. It is the assumption of the permit that the project specific SWPPP [including erosion and sediment control site plans] is sufficient to protect waters of the state. Any deviation from that plan is not considered a deficiency but an alteration to the SWPPP. Alterations to the SWPPP shall be documented in the site plans and incorporated in the project as soon as possible.

MoDOT’s Stormwater database is the official repository for all storm water inspections. All inspections shall be documented in the Stormwater Database by the inspector who conducted the inspection. Each inspector should strive to enter the inspection as quickly as possible to allow contractors the optimal amount of time to schedule the repair of any deficiencies. All inspections shall be entered no later than 48 hours after conducting the inspections in the field. Once the inspection has been entered in the Stormwater Database, the Resident Engineer shall review and certify the inspection report within 48 hours.

Site inspection reports may be required to be printed if requested by DNR or the EPA. If such a request is made, all inspection reports, as well as a log of each inspection, must be provided in a timely manner. The log can be generated from the list of inspections from the database. Inspections are not required to be retained on site, but a current copy of the project specific SWPPP must be available on site when work is being performed. A current copy of the SWPPP must be provided to the contractor(s) responsible for installation, operation, or maintenance of any BMP.

Inspection records and directives to the contractor shall be noted in the inspector's diary, which shall be available for review by MDNR upon request.