Environmental Engineering Office

The Environmental Permits Section is responsible for conducting reviews of environmental data and project plans, preparing permit applications, coordinating with state and federal regulatory agencies during the permits processing and public notice periods, and acquiring and distributing water quality permits for construction. Water quality permits for impacts to wetlands, streams and rivers are obtained from federal and/or state environmental agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Permit application requirements include using information from the Ecology Section to identify and locate on construction plans the proposed impacts to jurisdictional water resources; describing the extent of the construction–related impacts and any required mitigation for the proposed project impacts; and providing other necessary information for permit processing.

The Environmental Permits Section is also responsible, on a statewide basis, for obtaining coverage under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction Stormwater Permit from TDEC, for all transportation projects that will disturb one acre or more of land during construction. This program, regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and delegated to TDEC, requires that construction projects incorporate appropriate erosion prevention and sediment controls (EPSC) and the preparation of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).