Why a Major Amendment?
An application for a major amendment of an existing permit is required if the modification results in one of the following:
- You are increasing the number of Disturbed Project Acreage by 10% (or more) of the original permitted area.
- You are adding additional point(s) of interest.
- You are constructing new/additional impervious surfaces that are not already controlled by your initially approved stormwater plan.
- You are submitting an additional phase not already covered under the initial permit.
- You are changing the E&S and/or PCSM design standards identified in the original application or NOI is considered a Major Amendment. For E&S BMPs, the design standards are contained in the E&S Manual; for PCSM BMPs, the design standards are identified in 25 Pa. Code § 102.8(g).
Major Amendments for General NPDES permits require a $500 administrative filing fee. Individual NPDES permits require a $1500 administrative filing fee.
All 102 Major Amendments require a $100/disturbed acre fee, rounded to nearest whole acre, for new disturbed acreage associated with the Major Amendment. (As an example, if the previous acreage was 7.9 and the new acreage is 8.3, both of these round to 8, so no new disturbed acreage fee is needed.)
Please use the fee calculator to determine the service fee based on newly disturbed acreage and stormwater GI credits. Expedited options are available.
Payments made online through MuniciPAY (a secure site for credit card or e-check transactions) are preferred. However a SINGLE paper check, payable to Allegheny County Conservation District, is an option. Please send a check via USPS regular mail and enclose a transmittal or note as to what project the check is for.
Expedited Reviews
Expedited permits are reviewed on an accelerated schedule faster than standard permit submission, provided that all application components are complete and meet the legal permit guidelines. Beginning December 1, 2025, ACCD is requiring pre-application meetings for any projects proposing to submit expedited for new and major amendment Chapter 102 permits.
The first step with a major amendment permit application is administrative review. ACCD will perform an administrative review of the materials within 5 business days, once payment and project files are received.
The second step is a completeness review, once the administrative review is satisfied. The completeness review of the application will occur within 5 business days.
The third step is a technical review of the application, which will occur within 10 business days of the application being marked complete.
Please see below chart summarizing these timelines compared to standard review. Please note review times are business days, and response times are calendar days.
| NPDES & Major Amendment Review Process | Standard | Expedited |
| Administrative Review & Entry | 5 | 5 |
| Completeness Review - Initial | 15 | 5 |
| Response Time for Applicant | 60 | 60 |
| Completeness Review of Response | 15 | 5 |
| Technical Review - Initial | 22 | 10 |
| Response Time for Applicant | 30 | 30 |
| Technical Review of Response | 17 | 10 |
All fees are nonrefundable.
Why a Minor Amendment?
- You are increasing the number of Disturbed Project Acreage by less than 10% with a maximum of 2.4 acres of the original disturbed area.
- You are realigning/relocating the location of BMPs without changing calculations.
- You are not affecting rate, volume, or water quality.
- You are submitting a partial Notice of Termination.
ACCD assesses a flat fee of $500 for Minor Amendments. Expedited review option is available for $1,500.
Minor Amendments require a $100/disturbed acre fee, rounded to nearest whole acre, for new disturbed acreage associated with the Minor Amendment. (As an example, if the previous acreage was 7.9 and the new acreage is 8.3, both of these round to 8, so no new disturbed acreage fee is needed.)
Payments made online through MuniciPAY (a secure site for credit card or e-check transactions) are preferred. However a SINGLE paper check, payable to Allegheny County Conservation District, is an option. Please send a check via USPS regular mail and enclose a transmittal or note as to what project the check is for.
Expedited Reviews
Expedited Minor Amendments are reviewed on an accelerated schedule faster than standard Minor Amendments submissions.
The first step with Minor Amendment application is administrative review. ACCD will perform an administrative review of the materials within 5 business days, once payment and project files are received.
The second step is a technical review of the application, which will occur within 10 business days of the application being marked complete. Any follow-up technical review will also occur within 10 business days of ACCD receiving revised plans and documents from initial technical review comments.
Please see below chart summarizing these timelines compared to standard review.
| Minor Amendment NPDES Review Process | Standard | Expedited |
| Administrative Review & Entry (Business Days) | 5 | 5 |
| Initial Technical Review (Business Days) | 22 | 10 |
| Response Time for Applicant (Calendar Days) | 30 | 30 |
| Review of Technical Response (Business Days) | 17 | 10 |
All fees are nonrefundable.
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Submit a Minor Amendment
Submit a Major Amendment
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