The Draft Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) Permit Summary and Updates

The Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) Permit has been released in draft form and is currently being revised based on feedback received during the comment period. The permit will be issued by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LA Water Board) and will impact commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities meeting the criteria below:

• Privately owned.
• One of the following sizes:
  • Five or more acres of impervious surface;
  • Unpermitted portions of facilities covered under the Industrial General Permit (IGP) with 5 or more total acres;
  • Facilities with 5 or more acres that have filed a No Exposure Certification (NEC); or
  • Portions of a facility excluded from a Notice of Non-Applicability (NONA) that consist of 5 or more acres.
• Located in the Dominguez Channel/Inner and Outer Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor or the Los Cerritos Channel/Alamitos Bay Watersheds, shown below.

Dominguez Channel/Greater Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor (blue).
Los Cerritos Channel/Alamitos Bay (red).

Draft Permit Requirements

Based on the information presented in the draft permit and various presentations/meetings held by the LA Water Board, sites subject to the CII Permit will need to take the following steps:

1. File a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Storm Water Multiple Application and Report Tracking System (SMARTS).
2. Prepare a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) and Monitoring Implementation Plan (MIP).
3. Choose one of the three Compliance Options identified in the CII Permit:
   1. Option 1: Off-site Compliance Agreement with local watershed management group (Water Board recommended);
   2. Option 2: On-site Compliance Site-Specific Design Standard to reduce storm water runoff; or
   3. Option 3: On-site Compliance Demonstration.
4. Pay the annual permit fee.

Timing of Permit Enrollment

Once the CII Permit is adopted, the schedule for facility enrollment is expected to be as follows:

• Existing CII facilities without IGP coverage:
  • Submit NOI and SWPPP within 1 year of effective permit date; and
  • Submit SWPPP and MIP within 2 years.
• Existing IGP facilities:
  • Submit NOI and SWPPP/MIP within 1 year; and
  • Continue IGP coverage until CII Permit coverage is granted.
• New Dischargers (i.e., newly constructed facilities):
  • Submit NOI, SWPPP, and permit registration documents at least 45 days prior to first storm water discharge from site.

Timing of Permit

A revised draft of the CII Permit is available for comment on the Water Board’s website. All written comments must be received by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 18, 2023. A public hearing to consider issuance of the revised Draft CII Permit will be held on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. at 320 West 4th Street in Los Angeles, CA, in the Carmel Room, and via video and teleconference. The permit would become effective immediately upon Executive Board approval.

Connect with us for more information as it becomes available.