1. (a) The department may issue a general APDES permit written to cover one or more categories or subcategories of discharges or facilities, except those covered by individual permits, within a geographic area. The area covered by a general permit should correspond to existing geographic or political boundaries, including the following:

   1. (1) a designated planning area under 33 U.S.C. 1288 and 33 U.S.C. 1313;
   2. (2) a sewer district or sewer authority;
   3. (3) a city, borough, or state political boundary;
   4. (4) a state highway system;
   5. (5) a standard metropolitan statistical area as defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget of the Executive Office of the President;
   6. (6) an urbanized area as designated by the United States Census Bureau, according to criteria in 67 Fed. Reg. 11663 (March 15, 2002); 67 Fed. Reg. 54630 (August 23, 2002); and 67 Fed. Reg. 70045 (November 20, 2002);
   7. (7) any other appropriate division or combination of boundaries.

2. (b) The department may use a general permit to regulate one or more categories or subcategories of discharges within an area described in (a) when the sources within a covered category or subcategory of discharges are either

   1. (1) storm water point sources; or

   2. (2) point sources other than storm water point sources if the sources within each category or subcategory all

      1. (A) involve the same or substantially similar types of operations;
      2. (B) discharge the same types of wastes;
      3. (C) require the same effluent limitations or operating conditions;
      4. (D) require the same or similar monitoring; and
      5. (E) in the opinion of the department, are more appropriately controlled under a general permit than under individual permits.
3. (c) A general permit that covers a source within a specific category or subcategory of dischargers must make that source subject to any applicable water quality-based limitations under 18 AAC 83.430.
4. (d) A general permit must clearly identify the conditions applicable to each category or subcategory of discharges covered by the permit. The general permit may exclude specified sources or areas from coverage.

(Eff. 7/29/2006, Register 179)

Authority: AS 44.46.020, AS 46.03.020, AS 46.03.100, AS 46.03.010, AS 46.03.050, AS 46.03.110