The erosion and sediment control plan shall be prepared by a registered
engineer, or landscape architect or a Soil and Water Conservation Society
certified Erosion and Sediment Control Specialist, and four copies of the
plan shall be submitted to the Building Official or his/her designee.
The erosion and sediment control plan 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 chapter. 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 US Department of Agriculture,
Soil Conservation Service, RI Department of Environmental Management, RI State
Conservation, and at a minimum shall contain:
A.
A narrative describing the proposed land disturbing activity
and the soil erosion and sediment control measures and stormwater management
measures to be installed to control erosion 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 Official or his/her
designee.
B.
Construction drawings illustrating in detail existing
and proposed contours, drainage features, and vegetation; limits 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;
sequence and staging of land disturbing activities; and other such information
needed for construction.
C.
Other information or construction plans and details as
deemed necessary by the Building Official or his/her designee for thorough
review of the plan prior to action being taken as prescribed in this chapter.
Withholding or delay of such information may be reasons for the Building Official
or his/her designee to judge the application as incomplete and grounds for
disapproval.
The contents of the erosion and sediment control plan 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.
The site selected shall show due regard for natural drainage
characteristics and topography.
B.
To the extent possible, steep slopes shall be avoided.
C.
The grade of slopes created shall be minimized.
D.
Post-development runoff rates should not exceed predevelopment
rates, consistent with other stormwater requirements which may be in effect.
Any increase in storm 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 techniques.
E.
Original boundaries, alignment and slope of watercourses
within the project locus shall be preserved to the greatest extent feasible.
F.
In general, drainage shall be directed away from structures
intended for human occupancy, leaching field areas, municipal or utility use,
or similar structures.
G.
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.
H.
Drainage facilities shall be installed as early as feasible
during construction, prior to site clearance, if possible.
I.
Fill located adjacent to watercourses shall be suitably
protected from erosion by means of rip-rap, gabions, retaining walls, vegetative
stabilization, or similar measures.
J.
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.
K.
Permanent vegetation shall be placed immediately following
fine grading.
L.
Trees and other existing vegetation shall be retained
whenever feasible; the area within the dripline shall be fenced or roped off
to protect trees from construction equipment.
M.
All areas damaged during construction shall be resodded,
reseeded, or otherwise restored. Monitoring and maintenance schedules, where
required, shall be predetermined.
A.
The Building Official and/or his or her designee shall accept plans for existing uses and facilities which by their nature may cause erosion and sedimentation, such as excavation and quarrying operations, provided that this section shall not apply to Article II, § 177-3. Plans or satisfactory evidence to demonstrate that the existing operations accomplish the objectives of the section shall be submitted to the Building Official and/or his/her designee within 120 days from the date of the determination of applicability. Implementation of the plan shall be initiated upon approval of the plan.
B.
When the preexisting use is a gravel extraction operation, the
property owner shall conduct the operation in a manner so as not to devalue
abutting properties; to protect abutting property from wind erosion and soil
erosion due to increased runoff, sedimentation of reservoirs, and drainage
systems; and to limit the depth of extraction so as not to interfere with
the existing nearby water table.
