Pesticide NPDES Permit Program

The MPCA finalized four separate National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) / State Disposal System (SDS) Pesticide General Permits on November 16, 2011.

After April 30, 2012, entities that exceed a threshold are required to submit an application for permit coverage — known as a Notice of Intent (NOI) — and pay an application fee. Those that do not exceed the threshold are not required to submit an NOI or an application fee, but are automatically covered by the permit and must comply with basic permit requirements.

News for Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) Aquatic Plant Management (APM) Holders!

The MPCA finds that the APM program administered by the DNR is sufficient to control the discharge of pesticides to meet the conditions of the Clean Water Act and the MPCA’s NPDES/SDS Pesticide General Permit. Therefore, APM Permit Holders do not need to submit an NOI or a permit fee, regardless of size of the activity. The MPCA and DNR finalized an Interagency Agreement so Permit Holder information can be shared between agencies. Please contact the staff listed at the bottom of this page with questions or for more details.

For more information, you can also review the letter below that was sent to potential APM permit holders.

Letter to potential APM permit holders (wq-wwprm9-26)

Mosquito and Other Flying Insect Pest Control Pesticide General Permit — NPDES/SDS General Permit MNG87A000
Forest Canopy Insect Pest Control Pesticide General Permit — NPDES/SDS General Permit MNG87B000
Aquatic Nuisance Animal Pest Control Pesticide General Permit — NPDES/SDS General Permit MNG87C000 — modified to accommodate APM permit holders (see above)
Vegetative Pests and Algae Control Pesticide General Permit — NPDES/SDS General Permit MNG87D000 — modified to accommodate APM permit holders (see above)

The MPCA collaborated with other state agencies to develop the permit and participated in several industry meetings to educate those affected by the permit on the new requirements. This permit will supply the MPCA with information on the types of pesticides used and the frequency of application in Minnesota waters, allowing the agency to make decisions about discharges, pollutants, synergistic effects, and other water-management issues.

Additional references on the MPCA Pesticide General Permit:

Pesticide NPDES Permit Steps to Compliance

Steps to Compliance will help you decide if the permit affects you, learn what your responsibilities are, and show you what records to keep. Click on each Step to find out more. Shortcuts to forms and links to more information are provided in the Quick Links column and at the bottom of the page. For reference, check the Permit Background information and Frequently Asked Questions pages.

Step Number	What Step is About	Quick Links
Step 1	Applicability and Thresholds Learn if this permit affects you, whether you exceed the thresholds, and what to do next.	Applicability flow chart
Step 2	Submit a Notice of Intent Learn how and when to submit a Notice of Intent.	Pesticide Permit Notice of Intent Form
Step 3	Requirements for Pesticide Dischargers Below Thresholds Learn what your requirements are if you are applying pesticides at amounts below Thresholds.	Summary checklist of requirements for pesticide dischargers below thresholds
Step 4	Step 4a – Requirements for Mosquitoes and Other Flying Pests If you are required to submit a Notice of Intent and are treating for mosquitoes or other flying pests, follow these requirements.	Summary checklist of requirements for mosquitoes and other flying pest control
	Step 4b – Requirements for Forest Canopy Insect Pests If you are required to submit a Notice of Intent and are treating for forest canopy insect pests, follow these requirements.	Summary checklist of requirements for forest canopy insect pest control
	Step 4c – Requirements for Nuisance Aquatic Animals If you are required to submit a Notice of Intent and are treating for nuisance aquatic animals, follow these requirements.	Summary checklist of requirements for aquatic nuisance animal pest control
	Step 4d – Requirements for Vegetative Pests and Algae If you are required to submit a Notice of Intent and are treating for vegetative pests or algae, follow these requirements.	Summary checklist of requirements for vegetative pest and algae control
Step 5	Requirements for Large Pesticide Discharges Exceeding the Threshold If you are required to submit a Notice of Intent and considered a Large Entity, you must prepare a Pesticide Discharge Management Plan (PDMP) and submit an Annual Report.	EPA PDMP template MPCA Annual Report form (coming January 2013)
Step 6	Report Adverse Incidents If you discover an Adverse Incident, you must report it immediately to the Minn. Duty officer, and submit a follow-up report to the MPCA within 15 days.	Adverse incident report form
Step 7	Terminating your permit How and when to cancel your permit.	Permit Change Request Form

Resource Links

Minnesota-based resources

Contact information

For more information about this program, contact Elise Doucette at 651-757-2316.