EPA-New England, is issuing this Draft General Permit for hydroelectric generating facilities (Draft HYDROGP), which discharge non-contact cooling water (NCCW), contact cooling water, equipment and floor drain water, maintenance-related water from sump dewatering, and/or discharges from flood/high water events and equipment-related backwash strainer waters to all waters of the States of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, unless otherwise restricted. The Draft HYDROGP establishes effluent limitations and requirements, standard conditions and best management practices (BMP) plan requirements for these facilities.

EPA has published a Notice of Availability for this Draft General Permit in the Federal Register on August 20, 2018. The Draft General Permit, Fact Sheet, and supporting information are provided in the links below. The public comment period will be sixty (60) days.

The HYDROGP was first issued on November 10, 2009 and expired on December 7, 2014. The 2009 HYDROGP provided coverage for 60 facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and all of these facilities are expected to seek coverage under the reissued GP. This HYDROGP will replace the expired HYDROGP.

Operators seeking authorization to discharge must submit a complete and accurate Notice of Intent (NOI) in accordance with Appendix 4 – Part 1 as follows:

• Operators of existing discharges must submit a NOI within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this general permit.
• Operators of new discharges must submit a NOI at least thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of discharges.

All NOIs received by EPA that EPA proposes to authorize will be posted on EPA’s NPDES HYDROGP website, https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/npdes-permits/draft-general-permit-hydroelectric-generating-facilities-hydrogp-massachusetts-new, for a minimum of thirty (30) days. Following this 30-day period, EPA will either grant authorization, request additional information, or deny authorization under this permit and require submission of an application for an individual NPDES permit. A facility will be authorized to discharge under the terms and conditions of this permit upon receipt of the written notice of authorization from EPA.

You may need a PDF reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more.

Notices of Intent

Notices of Intent (NOI) will be posted on this page after EPA receipt for a minimum of 30 days. Please contact Shelly Puleo (alternate, Glenda Velez) if you have any questions regarding NOIs. See the table below for a chronological listing of NOIs. Older NOIs are listed in the Hydro NOI archive.

An operator will be authorized to discharge under the HYDROGP upon the effective date indicated in the authorization to discharge provided by EPA in writing.

The Draft HYDROGP is available through the links below.

Draft HYDROGP Documents

• Federal Register Notice (PDF) (5 pp, 1.2 MB)
• Draft HYDROGP (PDF) (37 pp, 299 K)
• Appendix 1 – Summary of Endangered Species Act Listings Essential Fish Habitat Designations (PDF) (1 pg, 119 K)
  • Table 1 to Appendix 1 (PDF) (2 pp, 280 K)
  • Table 2 to Appendix 1 (PDF) (2 pp, 271 K)
• Appendix 2 - Endangered Species Act Guidance and Eligibility Criteria (PDF) (10 pp, 417 K)
• Appendix 3 - National Historic Preservation Act Screening Process (PDF) (5 pp, 143 K)
• Appendix 4 - Suggested Notice of Intent (NOI) format and instructions (PDF) (13 pp, 353 K)
  • Appendix 4 – NOI - fillable (PDF) (9 pp, 466 K)
• Appendix 5 - Notice of Termination (NOT) instructions and suggested format (PDF) (3 pp, 127 K)
• Appendix 6 - NPDES Part II – General Conditions (PDF) (22 pp, 339 K)
• Appendix 7 - Best Management Practices Plan (PDF) (6 pp, 273 K)
• Appendix 8 - Notice of Change (NOC) Instructions and Suggested Format (PDF) (5 pp, 232 K)
• HYDROGP Fact Sheet (PDF) (42 pp, 660 K)
• Fact Sheet Attachment 1 - Hydroelectric Facilities General Permit (HYDROGP) List (PDF) (2 pp, 2 K)
• Fact Sheet Attachment 2 – HYDROGP – Map of Massachusetts Facilities (PDF) (1 pg, 1.6 MB)
• Fact Sheet Attachment 3 - HYDROGP – Map of New Hampshire Facilities (PDF) (1 pg, 1.5 MB)

EPA Contacts

Technical Contacts
George Papadopoulos (papadopoulos.george@epa.gov), 617-918-1579; Alternate: Robin Johnson (johnson.robin@epa.gov), 617-918-1045

Administrative Contacts
Shelley Puleo (puleo.shelly@epa.gov), 617-918-1545; Alternate: Glenda Velez (velez.glenda@epa.gov), 617-918-1677

State Contacts

MassDEP
Jennifer Wood (Jennifer.Wood@state.ma.us), 617-654-6536

NH DES
Hayley Franz (Hayley.Franz@des.nh.gov), 603-271-0671