The Department has evaluated the effectiveness of making NPDES certificates of coverage (COC) more readily available to the public for review.

Certificates of Coverage (and supporting documents) placed on public notice, since October 1, 2007, are now available via the NMS Web Inquiry System.  Up-to-date information will be transferred from the NMS database directly to the website. This will include proposed certificates of coverage and individual NPDES permits. The website improvements will also allow the public to search by a variety of criteria such as county, watershed, name, and general permit type.   Information regarding use of the NMS Web Inquiry System can found in the downloadable NMS On-Line Web Inquiry System (OWIS) User Guide.  The user guide can also be located in the help function on the OWIS web site.

The issuance of an NPDES permit or COC does not authorize violation of any federal, state or local laws or regulations, nor does it obviate the necessity of obtaining such permits, including any other DEQ permits, or approvals from other units of government as may be required by law.

Provided below is a list of NPDES general permit categories:

• Ballast Water
• Biosolids
• Hydrostatic Pressure Test Water
• Potable Water Supply Wastewater*
• Noncontact Cooling Water
• Wastewater from Cleanup of Water Contaminated by Gasoline and Related Petroleum Products
• Public Swimming Pools
• Sand and Gravel Mining Wastewater
• Secondary Treatment Wastewater
• Wastewater Stabilization Lagoons
• Storm Water from Industrial Activities
• Storm Water with Required Monitoring
• Storm Water Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s)
• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO)*

*-Facility maps from the CAFO and Water Treatment Plant applications will not be available via the internet, due to homeland security issues. Information regarding facility maps can be obtained by contacting the permit processor.

Comments or objections on the draft COC received by the response date, indicated in the NMS Web Inquiry System, will be considered in the final decision to issue the COC. Persons desiring information regarding the draft COC, and procedures for commenting, or requesting a hearing should contact the individual listed as the permit processor.

Electronic comments may be submitted to the permit processor by clicking on the permit processor's name. Phone numbers can be found on the  Permit Section Staff webpage. Written comments should be mailed to: Permits Section, Water Bureau, Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 30273, Lansing, Michigan 48909 .

Persons desiring additional information regarding public involvement opportunities within the DEQ should download a copy of the DEQ Public Involvement Handbook .