Ohio EPA General Permit OHC000006: Stormwater discharges associated with construction activity
Administered locally by Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
This page summarizes the rule for homeowners and is not legal advice. Confirm your specific job with the authority above.
The Ohio EPA stormwater permit
Ohio EPA's general permit OHC000006 authorizes stormwater discharges from construction activity under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. It took effect April 23, 2023 and expires April 22, 2028. Part I.B says that, for the purposes of the permit, construction activities include "any clearing, grading, excavating, grubbing and/or filling activities that disturb one or more acres."
Sites that will disturb less than one acre are also eligible if they are part of a larger common plan of development or sale that will ultimately disturb one or more acres, and the threshold counts the entire area in the common plan.
How coverage is requested
Under Part I of the permit, someone seeking initial coverage submits a Notice of Intent application, the fee and, in certain watersheds, a stormwater pollution prevention plan, at least 21 days before construction begins. The lead time is 45 days in the Big Darby Creek watershed and parts of the Olentangy River watershed. The permit text is the source for these dates, and the fee schedule is on the Ohio EPA site.
On a building project, the owner, builder or engineer normally handles this. We do not file permits for you.
What we have not verified
We read the permit's eligibility language, not Ohio EPA's guidance on every possible situation. We do not claim whether clearing by itself, with no later construction, is covered in every case, and we do not claim a fee figure. If your project clears an acre or more, ask Ohio EPA or your engineer whether the permit applies to your plan.
Zoning is local in Richland County
The Richland County Regional Planning Commission zoning page says zoning in the county is administered by the local political subdivisions, and that all the municipalities and 13 of the 18 townships are zoned. It lists a zoning inspector for the City of Mansfield, City of Ontario, City of Shelby, Village of Lexington, Village of Bellville and Village of Butler, among others, and notes that its interactive map is for reference only and the governing jurisdiction decides.
We did not read any city, village or township code text on tree removal or land clearing, so we cannot tell you whether a given jurisdiction requires a zoning permit to clear. Call the inspector for your parcel before work starts.
What to do next
Work out roughly how much ground your project will disturb, identify which jurisdiction the parcel is in, and ask that jurisdiction's zoning inspector about clearing. If the area is one acre or more, read the permit above or ask Ohio EPA. This page summarizes published documents and is not legal advice.