Erosion & Sediment Control



TOPICS

PURPOSE / OBJECTIVE
Erosion and Sediment Control Best
Management Practices (BMPs) are used to manage Sediment and Stormwater related
water quality problems that are often created during land development. As the
original ground cover of a site is disturbed and removed, the runoff
characteristics of a site are modified. This disturbance will increase the
velocity and volume of runoff that has the potential to leave the site while
carrying sediment with it. This sediment has the capability to affect human life
by filling drainage channels, culverts, navigable channels as well as municipal
and industrial water supply reservoirs. Many animal species are affected as
well. Fish dependant on bottom organisms for food or plant life for refuge are
threatened by sediment laden habitat. The reduction of sunlight from suspended
sediment impairs Sub-aquatic Vegetation from photosynthesizing and may reduce
oxygen levels in the water to a point where aquatic life cannot survive.
WHEN DO I NEED AN
EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL PLAN?
An applicant must submit an Erosion and Sediment
Control Plan to the Cecil Soil Conservation District for review and approval in
any of the following instances:
1.
A Grading Permit is required by
the Cecil County Department of Public Works and/or
2.
5,000 square feet or more of
disturbance is proposed and/or
3.
100 cubic yards or more of earth
movement is proposed.
All Erosion and Sediment Control Plans should be
submitted for review and approval to the following address:
.bmp)
Cecil Soil Conservation District
105
Chesapeake Blvd.
Elkton, MD 21921
Ph.
(410) 398-4411, ext 3
Fx.
(410) 392-6530
HOW DO I OBTAIN A PLAN
TO SUBMIT FOR REVIEW?
An Engineered Erosion and Sediment Control Plan
will be required in all instances when a Standard Erosion and Sediment Control
Plan for Minor Earth Disturbances is not appropriate. Engineered plans must be
signed and sealed by either professional engineers, landscape architects or
professional land surveyors licensed in the state of Maryland.
A standard Erosion and Sediment Control Plan for
Minor Earth Disturbances may be used for projects with disturbances less than
30,000 square feet and 500 cubic yards of earth movement if certain limitations
are met. Contact the CSCD to determine applicability of the standard plan.

CECIL SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT
PLAN REVIEW PROCESS:
In 1983, the Maryland
Legislature designated the local Soil Conservation Districts as the reviewing
and approving agency for all Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plans as enacted
from
The Annotated Code of the Public General Laws of Maryland - Environment - Title
4.
In the time since this
legislature has passed the Cecil Soil Conservation District has adopted a
standard format as to how all Erosion and Sediment Control Plans must be
submitted. Please refer to the links below for the required format for all
Engineered Plan Submissions.

All Erosion and Sediment Control Plans must at a
minimum be designed to be in conformance with the most current
Maryland Erosion and Sediment Control Standards and Specifications. A link to
the most current Maryland Erosion and Sediment Control Standards and
Specifications has been provided below:
1994 Maryland
Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control
Draft
2010 Maryland Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control
PLAN SUBMITTAL PROCESS:
When submitting plans for review the following
must be included in order for plans to be checked into the CSCD system and begin
the review process:
1st
Submission
1.
Application Fee: The
Application Fee must be submitted with the first submission in order to begin
the review process. Only the application fee should be submitted at this time.
The review fee will be calculated and included in the approval letter once the
plan has obtained approval.
2.
Application: The CSCD
Application for Erosion and Sediment Control Plan Review must be fully completed
and submitted with all plan submissions.
3.
Checklist: The Erosion and
Sediment Control Plan Checklist must be fully completed and included with all
plan submissions.
4.
E&S Plan Set(s): One
(1) plan set is needed with the initial submission unless the plan is
large enough that match lines are utilized, in which case Two (2) sets of
plans are required.
5.
Computations: If Sediment
Basins or Sediment Traps have been utilized on the plan, the computations used
to size these practices must also be submitted.
Subsequent Submissions
1.
Application: The CSCD
Application for Erosion and Sediment Control Plan Review must be fully completed
and included with all plan submissions.
2.
Checklist: The Erosion and
Sediment Control Plan Checklist must be fully completed and included with all
plan submissions.
3.
Resubmittal Letter: The
resubmittal letter must state where and how each item was addressed and how the
plan was revised accordingly.
4.
E&S Plan Set(s): One
(1) plan set is needed with all subsequent submissions unless the plan is
large enough that match lines are utilized, in which case Two (2) sets of
plans are required.
5.
Computations: If Sediment
Basins or Sediment Traps have been utilized on the plan, the computations used
to size these practices must also be submitted.
Submission for Approval (ONLY ONCE
APPROVED AND REQUESTED)
1.
Application: The CSCD
Application for Erosion and Sediment Control Plan Review must be fully completed
and included with all plan submissions.
2.
Checklist: The Erosion and
Sediment Control Plan Checklist must be fully completed and included with all
plan submissions.
3.
Resubmittal Letter: The
resubmittal letter must state where and how each item was addressed and how the
plan was revised accordingly.
4.
E&S Plan Set(s): Six
(6) plan sets are needed with the final submission unless the additional
plan sets are needed by the owner, in which case the CSCD will sign up to twelve
(12) plan sets.
5.
Computations: If any
changes have been made to the Computations since the last submission then the
new computations used to size these practices must also be submitted.
Submission for Restamp
1.
Application: The CSCD
Application for Erosion and Sediment Control Plan Review must be fully completed
and included with all plan submissions. If the plan is being submitted for
Restamp, the title shown on the application should be followed by “RESTAMP”.
2.
Checklist: The Erosion and
Sediment Control Plan Checklist must be fully completed and included with all
plan submissions.
3.
Explanation Letter: The
explanation letter must state where the project is in the development process.
4.
E&S Plan Set(s): One
(1) plan set is needed with the initial submission for Restamp.
Submission for Revisions
1.
Application: The CSCD
Application for Erosion and Sediment Control Plan Review must be fully completed
and included with all plan submissions. If the plan is being submitted for a
Revision, the title shown on the application should be followed by “REVISION”.
2.
Checklist: The Erosion and
Sediment Control Plan Checklist must be fully completed and included with all
plan submissions.
3.
Explanation Letter: The
explanation letter must state where the project is in the development process
and why there is a need for a revision.
4.
E&S Plan Set(s):
One (1) plan set is needed with the initial submission for a Revision
unless the plan is large enough that match lines are utilized, in which case
Two (2) sets of plans are required.
Copies of the Cecil Soil
Conservation District forms mentioned above can be found at the links below:
CSCD E&S Application
(pdf file 26KB)
CSCD E&S Checklist
(pdf file 26KB)
CSCD Fee Schedule
(pdf file 20KB)
Additional Notes and Details needed for
Engineered Erosion and Sediment Control Plans:
CSCD 2005 Addendum #1
(pdf file 11KB)
Owner/Developer’s
Certification and Design Certification
(pdf file 18KB)
CSCD and Technical
Requirements Signature Blocks
(pdf
file 14KB)
Standard Notes for
Utility Installation
(pdf file 14KB)
25 Standard Erosion
and Sediment Control Notes
(pdf file
31KB)
Cecil COMAR Highly Erodible Soils (HES) List (pdf file
43KB)
Note: If you need the free reader, you can download it from Adobe Acrobat

WHAT KIND OF CONTROLS WILL BE SHOWN ON MY
EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL PLAN?
Each site and proposed disturbance is
different. The use of sediment controls is dependant on the characteristics of
each site and the size of a proposed disturbance. Examples of commonly used
sediment controls have been provided below.






HOW LONG ARE PLANS VALID?
All plans
that are approved by the Cecil Soil Conservation District have a designated
lifetime. All Plans are generally valid for two (2) years unless specified
otherwise. Mining and Landfill plans may be valid for five (5) years.
RESTAMP
If a project is going to take longer to
construct than the lifetime of the plan, the plan may be eligible for a
“Restamp” which will give the plan another 2 or 5 year approval. In order to be
eligible for a “Restamp” a plan must be submitted to the Cecil Soil Conservation
District before the originally approved plan expires. Once a plan has
expired it is no longer eligible for “Restamp”. Once Erosion and Sediment
Control Plans have expired the planning process must start over and all plans
will be subject to a new review and all applicable application and review fees
associated with the review process. Additionally, in order for a plan to be
eligible for restamp there must not be any outstanding issues on the site
pertaining to Erosion and Sediment control. When a plan is submitted for
restamp, a copy of the originally approved plan must be submitted. All original
signatures must be present on the plan for a plan to be eligible. The plan must
be accompanied by an application, checklist, a letter explaining the condition
of the site and the progress of the project, as well as the application fee.
REVISIONS
During the construction process some
plans may need to be revised. A revision should be considered a “small
change” to the plan. Typical revisions are changes such as new phone
numbers, moderate sequence changes, moving construction staging areas, etc.
When submitting a revision, the plans must be submitted without any signatures.
Revised plans will not be valid until new signatures have been obtained.
The revision process does not apply
to redesigned plans. Plans are considered redesigned when the original intent
of the plan has changed. The district reserves the right to determine this
threshold on a site by site basis. When a plan is submitted for a revision, the
plan should be submitted with all changes highlighted. The plan must also be
accompanied by an application, application fee, checklist, and a letter
explaining the condition of the site, progress of the project, as well as the
need for the revision. Without all of the above components, plans can not be
accepted.
INSPECTIONS
The applicant must notify the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) (410)
901-4020 and the Cecil County Department of Public Works (CCDPW) (410) 996-5265
or at
http://www.ccgov.org/dept_works/sediment_stormwater.cfm at least 48
hours prior to beginning any site work in order to request a preconstruction
meeting.
WHEN IS SMALL
POND APPROVAL REQUIRED?
Submit all pond plans for a determination if a
complete pond review is required. Small pond approvals are administered by the
Cecil Soil Conservation District. All pond designs must be developed in
accordance to Pond Code 378.
http://efotg.nrcs.usda.gov/references/public/mw/md378_00.pdf
All pond designs are to be submitted to the
following offices along with the respective Stormwater Management Plan
submissions:
·
Pond designs within Elkton and
Charlestown are to be submitted to the Cecil Soil Conservation District in care
of Ann Baldwin for review.
·
Pond designs within the remainder
of Cecil County are to be submitted with your Stormwater Management Plan
submission to the Cecil County Department of Public Works (410) 996-5265.
Visit their website at the following link:
http://www.ccgov.org/dept_works/Plans_Review_Branch.cfm

WHAT OTHER PLANS
AND/OR PERMITS WILL I NEED?
Depending on the type, size and location of the disturbance of a proposed
project, other permits may be needed. Please contact the following agencies to
see what permits may be applicable to a project.
Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) – General Permit to discharge
storm water associated with construction - (NOI)
Click here for link
Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) – Joint Federal/State application
for the Alteration of any Floodplain, Waterway, Tidal or Nontidal Wetland in
Maryland
Click here for link
Cecil County Department of Public Works (DPW) – Sediment and Stormwater
Branch – Stormwater Management and Grading Permits.
Click here for link
FOREST HARVEST PLANS
Click link below to see a blank Forest Harvest
Plan
Forest Harvest Plan
(pdf file 38KB)
In order to remove trees from a property in an
area in excess of 5,000 square feet, a Standard Erosion and Sediment Control
Plan for Forest Harvest Operations is required. The
forest harvest plan is to be used when the property is to be selectively cut for
the sale of timber in accordance with a forest management plan. All tree
cutting related to the development of a property please refer back to the
“Engineered Plan”. If a parcel has started the subdivision process, all tree
cutting must be addressed in the “Engineered” Erosion and Sediment Control Plan
for the subdivision as the parcel will not be eligible for a Forest Harvest
Plan. The
Forest Harvest Plan will show what erosion controls will be used while trees are
being removed from the property. The location of harvest areas, skid trails,
landing areas, no cut buffers and other controls must be shown on a plan view of
the property. If a stream is located on or adjacent to the property to be
harvested, a buffer management plan is required to be submitted with the
application. All forest harvest applicants are reminded that the forest
harvest application is reviewed by the Cecil Soil Conservation District for soil
erosion and sediment control only. Approval of a Forest Harvest Plan
does
not relieve the applicant of any applicable regulations such as but not limited
to the following:
The Forest Conservation Act
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/programapps/newFCA.asp
Local Planning and Zoning Regulations
http://www.ccgov.org/dept_planning/index.cfm or at 410-996-5220
Critical Area Regulations
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/criticalarea
For more forestry related information courtesy
of Maryland Department of Natural Resources please refer to the following link:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests
.
For any additional information or to discuss
design criteria for Forest Harvests please contact Mari Markkula by email at
marimarkkula@cecilscd.com or at
the Cecil Soil Conservation District at 410-398-4411 x 3.

CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions or comments regarding
Erosion and Sediment Control please contact the Cecil Soil Conservation District
at 410-398-4411 x 3 or by the links below:
Chris Brown – Soil Conservationist
chrisbrown@cecilscd.com
Mari Markkula – Soil Conservationist
marimarkkula@cecilscd.com
WHERE CAN I RECEIVE "RESPONSIBLE PERSONNEL
TRAINING FOR EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL” (aka Green Card)
Please contact Mr. Richard Trickett at the
Maryland Department of Environment (410)-537-3543 or check for details at
the following link:
MDE Green Card

RESOURCES:
1994 Maryland Standards and Specifications for
Soil Erosion and Sediment Control
Maryland’s Waterway
Construction Guidelines
LINKS:
The Center of
Watershed Protection
The Association of Watershed and
Stormwater Professionals
