2009 North Carolina Code
Chapter 113A - Pollution Control and Environment.
§ 113A-54.1. Approval of erosion control plans.

§ 113A‑54.1.  Approval of erosion control plans.

(a)        A draft erosion and sedimentation control plan must contain the applicant's address and, if the applicant is not a resident of North Carolina, designate a North Carolina agent for the purpose of receiving notice from the Commission or the Secretary of compliance or noncompliance with the plan, this Article, or any rules adopted pursuant to this Article. If the applicant is not the owner of the land to be disturbed, the draft erosion and sedimentation control plan must include the owner's written consent for the applicant to submit a draft erosion and sedimentation control plan and to conduct the anticipated land‑disturbing activity. The Commission shall approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove a draft erosion and sedimentation control plan for those land‑disturbing activities for which prior plan approval is required within 30 days of receipt. The Commission shall condition approval of a draft erosion and sedimentation control plan upon the applicant's compliance with federal and State water quality laws, regulations, and rules. Failure to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove a completed draft erosion and sedimentation control plan within 30 days of receipt shall be deemed approval of the plan. If the Commission disapproves a draft erosion and sedimentation control plan or a revised erosion and sedimentation control plan, it must state in writing the specific reasons that the plan was disapproved. Failure to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove a revised erosion and sedimentation control plan within 15 days of receipt shall be deemed approval of the plan. The Commission may establish an expiration date for erosion and sedimentation control plans approved under this Article.

(b)        If, following commencement of a land‑disturbing activity pursuant to an approved erosion and sedimentation control plan, the Commission determines that the plan is inadequate to meet the requirements of this Article, the Commission may require any revision of the plan that is necessary to comply with this Article. Failure to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove a revised erosion and sedimentation control plan within 15 days of receipt shall be deemed approval of the plan.

(c)        The Commission shall disapprove an erosion and sedimentation control plan if implementation of the plan would result in a violation of rules adopted by the Environmental Management Commission to protect riparian buffers along surface waters. The Director of the Division of Land Resources may disapprove an erosion and sedimentation control plan upon finding that an applicant or a parent, subsidiary, or other affiliate of the applicant:

(1)        Is conducting or has conducted land‑disturbing activity without an approved plan, or has received notice of violation of a plan previously approved by the Commission or a local government pursuant to this Article and has not complied with the notice within the time specified in the notice;

(2)        Has failed to pay a civil penalty assessed pursuant to this Article or a local ordinance adopted pursuant to this Article by the time the payment is due;

(3)        Has been convicted of a misdemeanor pursuant to G.S. 113A‑64(b) or any criminal provision of a local ordinance adopted pursuant to this Article; or

(4)        Has failed to substantially comply with State rules or local ordinances and regulations adopted pursuant to this Article.

(d)        In the event that an erosion and sedimentation control plan is disapproved by the Director pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the Director shall state in writing the specific reasons that the plan was disapproved. The applicant may appeal the Director's disapproval of the plan to the Commission. For purposes of this subsection and subsection (c) of this section, an applicant's record may be considered for only the two years prior to the application date.

(e)        The landowner, the financially responsible party, or the landowner's or the financially responsible party's agent shall perform an inspection of the area covered by the plan after each phase of the plan has been completed and after establishment of temporary ground cover in accordance with G.S. 113A‑57(2). The person who performs the inspection shall maintain and make available a record of the inspection at the site of the land‑disturbing activity. The record shall set out any significant deviation from the approved erosion control plan, identify any measures that may be required to correct the deviation, and document the completion of those measures. The record shall be maintained until permanent ground cover has been established as required by the approved erosion and sedimentation control plan. The inspections required by this subsection shall be in addition to inspections required by G.S. 113A‑61.1. (1989, c. 676, s. 2; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 776, s. 4; 1998‑221, s. 1.11(a); 1999‑379, s. 1; 2005‑386, s. 7.1; 2006‑250, s. 1.)