Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Issues 2025 NPDES Multi-Sector General Permit

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (MSGP 3-9003) on July 14, 2025. The final permit is available for review on the DEC Vermont.gov MSGP Landing Page.

Major Changes to MSGP 3-9003

Substantial changes have been made to the MSGP 3-9003 that include but are not limited to:

• Reports and submittals are to be submitted electronically via the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Online Services Portal (ANR Online),
• Updates to the copper, selenium, and aluminum benchmark monitoring parameters to align with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) 2021 MSGP,
• Requirements for each facility’s Notice of Intent (NOI) and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to be posted to the Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB) by the DEC for a public comment period,
• Updates to the monitoring requirements for facilities discharging to impaired waters,
• Additional control measures for benchmark monitoring exceedances,
• Permittees must consider structural improvements or develop strategies for their pollution prevention measures to minimize the impact of a major storm event (hurricane, flood event, etc.) as follows:
  • This new subpart requires that the permittee must consider Part 2.1.A. when selecting and designing control measures to minimize pollutant discharges via stormwater. This subpart does not require nor prescribe specific control measures to be implemented; however, the permittee must document in their SWPPP the considerations made to select and design control measures at their facility to minimize pollutants discharged via stormwater.
• Sector-specific updates:
  • Adding discharge from uncontaminated spray down or intentional wetting of logs at wet deck storage areas as an allowed non-stormwater discharge for Sector A,
  • Removing coverage for earth disturbing activities for Sector G and H,
  • Adding construction permit requirements for Sector J,
  • Adding requirements for deicing operations for Sector S, and
  • Creation of a new industrial sector (Sector AD-1) for facilities that produce biogas through the anaerobic digesting and processing of organics.

What Actions do you Need to Take?

If your facility has coverage under this permit, the electronic NOI (eNOI) and an updated SWPPP must be submitted via ANR Online by January 10, 2026 to ensure the facility’s stormwater coverage is uninterrupted. If your facility will become a new discharger of industrial stormwater, then coverage must be approved prior to commencement of discharge.

Facilities with a Conditional Exclusion for No Exposure (NOX) of the industrial activities at their site must submit a No Exposure Certification via ANR Online by January 10, 2026 to ensure the facility’s stormwater coverage is uninterrupted.

If you have any questions regarding what your next steps should be to apply for coverage or to maintain for coverage under the MSGP 3-9003, please reach out to me at jfantone@all4inc.com. ALL4 is here to help with any of the above actions your facility may need to take, along with any other aspects of stormwater compliance your facility may need.