A. 
Upon determination of applicability by the Building/Zoning Official or his or her designee, the erosion and sediment control plan and/or SWPPP shall be prepared by a registered engineer or landscape architect or a certified erosion, sediment and stormwater inspector (by CPESC, Inc) and copies of the plan shall be submitted to the Building/Zoning Official or his or her designee.
B. 
The SWPPP shall include sufficient information about the proposed activities and land parcel(s) to form a clear basis for discussion and review and to assure compliance with all applicable requirements of this section. The SWPPP for proposed activities disturbing a total of one acre or greater shall be prepared in conformance with the requirements for a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP), as provided in the RI Department of Environmental Management's General Permit for Stormwater Discharge Associated with Construction Activity. For sites disturbing less than one acre, the plan shall be consistent with the data collection, data analysis, and plan preparation guidelines in the current Rhode Island Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook, prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, RI Department of Environmental Management and RI State Conservation Committee, and at a minimum, shall contain:
(1) 
A brief narrative describing the proposed land disturbing activity and the soil erosion and sediment control measures, waste management measures, and stormwater management measures to be installed to control erosion and mitigate any change in water quality and quantity that could result from the proposed activity. Supporting documentation, such as a drainage area, existing site, and soil maps shall be provided as required by the Building/Zoning Official or his or her designee.
(2) 
Construction drawings in detail commensurate with the size of the project, sensitivity of the potentially impacted water body and distance to water and/or stormwater system. These drawings will illustrate existing and proposed contours, drainage features, and vegetation; limit of clearing and grading, the location of soil erosion and sediment control and stormwater management measures, detail drawings of measures; stock piles and borrow areas; waste collection and burial areas; concrete truck wash out sites; sequence and staging of land disturbing activities; and other such information needed for construction.
(3) 
A schedule showing the sequence of construction and inspection and maintenance of erosion and sediment control and waste control measures.
(4) 
All applicants shall provide other information or construction plans and details as deemed necessary by the Building/Zoning Official or his or her designee for thorough review of the plan prior to action being taken as prescribed in this section.
(5) 
Withholding or delay of this information in whole or in part may be reason for the Building/Zoning Official or his or her designee to judge the application as deficient and shall serve as grounds for disapproval.
(6) 
If the application is deemed to be incomplete by the Building/Zoning Official or his designee, he shall send a letter of deficiency to the applicant within seven days from the date of submission citing those sections of the application which are incomplete.
(7) 
Erosion and sediment controls. A description, including construction details appropriate to the site, for both vegetative and structural practices. Vegetative BMPs are designed to preserve existing vegetation where attainable and revegetate open areas as soon as practicable after grading or construction. Structural BMPs divert flows from exposed soils, filter runoff, store flows or otherwise limit runoff from coming into contact with exposed, unvegetated areas of the site and to prevent sediments and/or other pollutants from leaving the site.
(8) 
Post-construction stormwater management. A description of measures that will be installed during the construction project to control pollutants in stormwater discharges that will occur at the site after the construction operations have been completed. These measures shall reflect best practices as described in the most recent RIDEM Stormwater Design and Installation Standards Manual. Maintenance activities for these measures shall be described in accordance with § 288-21 below.
(9) 
Other controls.
(a) 
Waste disposal. A description of the other controls, including construction details appropriate for the site, to eliminate the discharge of other construction wastes found on the construction site. All types of waste generated at the site shall be disposed of in a manner consistent with state law and/or regulations.
(b) 
Good housekeeping. Good housekeeping measures to provide for the minimization of exposure of construction debris to precipitation and for the proper disposal of such debris shall be specified.
(c) 
Spill prevention. Areas where potential spills can occur shall be identified. The potential for spills to enter the stormwater drainage system shall be eliminated wherever feasible.
(d) 
Maintenance. A description of procedures to maintain, in good and effective operating condition, vegetation, stormwater control measures, and other protective measures, identified in the site plan.
(e) 
Cost estimate. A description of the cost required to implement all control measures as shown on the plan.
(f) 
Other information. Other information or construction plans and details as deemed necessary by the Building/Zoning Official or his designee for thorough review of the plan prior to action being taken as prescribed in this chapter.
The contents of the SWPPP shall clearly demonstrate how the principles, outlined below, have been met in the design and are to be accomplished by the proposed development project.
A. 
Pursue low-impact Design (LID) to the maximum extent possible. LID site planning and design strategies must be used to the maximum extent possible in order to reduce the generation of water runoff volumes for both new and redevelopment projects. In the event any of the following LID strategies are rejected as infeasible at a site, the specific rationale for rejection must be provided by the applicant. LID design includes the following:
(1) 
Protect as much undisturbed open space as possible to maintain predevelopment hydrology and allow precipitation to naturally infiltrate into the ground;
(2) 
Maximize the protection of natural drainage areas, streams, surface waters, and wetlands;
(3) 
Minimize land disturbance including clearing and grading;
(4) 
Minimize soil compaction;
(5) 
Provide low-maintenance landscaping that encourages retention and planting of native vegetation and minimizes the use of lawns, fertilizers, and pesticides;
(6) 
Minimize impervious surfaces;
(7) 
Minimize the decrease in the time of concentration from preconstruction to post-construction, where "time of concentration" means the time it takes for runoff to travel from the hydraulically most distant point of the drainage area to the point of interest within a watershed;
(8) 
Infiltrate precipitation as close as possible to the point it reaches the ground using vegetated conveyance and treatment systems;
(9) 
Break-up or disconnect the flow of runoff over impervious surfaces; and
(10) 
Provide source controls to prevent or minimize the use of exposure of pollutants into stormwater runoff at the site in order to prevent or minimize the release of those pollutants into stormwater runoff.
B. 
The site selected shall show due regard for natural drainage characteristics and topography.
C. 
To the extent possible, steep slopes shall be avoided.
D. 
The grade of slopes created shall be minimized.
E. 
Post-development runoff rates should not exceed predevelopment rates, consistent with other stormwater requirements which may be in effect. Any increase in stormwater runoff shall be retained and recharged as close as feasible to its place of origin by means of detention ponds or basins, seepage areas, subsurface drains, porous paving, or similar technique.
F. 
Original boundaries, alignment, and slope of watercourses within the project locus shall be preserved to the greatest extent feasible.
G. 
In general, drainage shall be directed away from structures intended for human occupancy, municipal or utility use, or similar structures.
H. 
All drainage provisions shall be of such a design and capacity so as to adequately handle stormwater runoff, including runoff from tributary upstream areas which may be outside the locus of the project.
I. 
Drainage facilities shall be installed as early as feasible during construction prior to site clearance, if possible.
J. 
Fill located adjacent to watercourses shall be suitably protected from erosion by means of riprap, gabions, retaining walls, vegetative stabilization, or similar measures.
K. 
Temporary vegetation and/or mulching shall be used to protect bare areas and stockpiles from erosion during construction; the smallest areas feasible shall be exposed at any one time; disturbed areas shall be protected during the nongrowing months, November through March.
L. 
During the growing season, April through October, permanent vegetation shall be placed immediately following fine grading.
M. 
Trees and other existing vegetation shall be retained whenever feasible; the area beyond within the dripline shall be fenced or roped-off to protect trees from construction equipment.
N. 
Construction wastes will be managed to reduce the potential for stormwater runoff to mobilize them and contaminate surface water or groundwater. The storage, disposal, or use as fill of material containing asphalt, concrete, construction debris or stumps, even if determined to be nonhazardous, is prohibited.
O. 
All areas damaged during construction shall be resodded, reseeded, or otherwise restored. Where soil compaction has occurred through storage of materials or use of equipment, soil infiltration shall be restored through use of soil amendments or other means. Monitoring and maintenance schedules, where required, shall be predetermined.
P. 
All controls installed or used to achieve compliance with this SWPPP must be properly operated and maintained at all times.
Q. 
Sediment controls, stormwater measures, and other controls shall protect downstream water bodies from adverse water quality and quantity impacts resulting from the construction activities.
R. 
Groundwater recharge. Stormwater must be recharged to maintain baseflow at predevelopment recharge levels to the maximum extent practicable.
S. 
Water quality. Stormwater runoff from a site must be adequately treated before discharge.
T. 
Pollution prevention. All development sites require the use of source control and pollution prevention measures to minimize the impact that the land use may have on stormwater runoff quality.