This newsletter provides Tennessee’s small businesses with updates, reminders, tips, and resources related to environmental topics that may affect them.

You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the TN Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Small Business Environmental Assistance (SBEAP) newsletter. SBEAP provides free and confidential assistance to Tennessee’s small businesses to help them understand and comply with environmental regulations. The content of this newsletter is provided for informational purposes only.

If you have an Industrial Stormwater General Permit, aka, the Tennessee Multi Sector Permit (TMSP), you may need to collect a stormwater runoff sample depending on your facility’s sector and activity.

To determine if a stormwater runoff sample is needed, first review the Notice of Coverage (NOC) to see what the applicable sectors for the facility are. Once the sectors are determined, search for the sectors in Part 9 of the TMSP, Sector-Specific Requirements for Industrial Activity. In Part 9, a table with the Standard Industrial Classification Code (SIC Code) indicates if a facility is required to sample and for what the facility needs to sample. The image below is an example of what tables will look like in Part 9 of the TMSP. 

Part 5, Monitoring of the TMSP discusses how and when the annual stormwater runoff sample should be collected.

Part 7, Reporting and Records of the TMSP describes how the stormwater monitoring results should be submitted electronically using NetDMR. For help with NetDMR, click the button below.

If you have an Industrial Stormwater General Permit, aka, the Tennessee Multi Sector Permit (TMSP), you must conduct a Comprehensive Facility Inspection once per year. Part 4 of the TMSP outlines what should be inspected and what to look for during an inspection. It also includes what documentation needs to be included in an annual report. The annual report must be signed and kept with the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. Click the button below to view the TMSP web page.

📞 Call 800-734-3619

📧 Email BGSBEAP@tn.gov

The Division of Water Resources is in the process of updating the Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Handbook from the 2012 version. It will be updated on a more frequent basis moving forward. The handbook provides comprehensive and standardized guidance for erosion and sediment control on construction sites.

Your input is needed! Join the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Division of Air Pollution Control (APC) in discussing potential fee changes for certain Non-Title V permitted air sources. To understand the potential fee changes and how you can get involved, visit APC’s web page and find the section Upcoming Engagement Opportunities and look under TDEC Resources. The resources include a flyer, a PDF presentation, and previously recorded meetings which explain the need and process of the potential fee changes.

To be actively engaged, you can:

November 29th marked Small Business Saturday, a day to recognize the vital role small businesses play in our economy. Nationally, they generate two-thirds of net new jobs, contribute 40% of economic output, and drive innovation. In Tennessee, small businesses make up 99.5% of all businesses and employ 41.5% of the workforce. 

While celebrating them is important, the most impactful way to support small businesses is by shopping locally or by using a local service. This not only boosts the local economy and supports neighbors, but also reduces transportation-related pollution, making it a more sustainable choice.

Do you have questions about environmental regulations?
Give us a call at 800-734-3619 or send us an email at BGSBEAP@tn.gov.

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