Environmental Rules in Erie, PA (2026)
4 verified environmental rules for Erie, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Erie regulates stormwater runoff and land-disturbing construction under Article 946, the Stormwater Quality Management Ordinance. Earth disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more triggers a DEP Erosion and Sediment Control Plan and NPDES permit; smaller disturbances fall under the Bureau of Engineering. Illegal discharges into the storm sewer and unapproved roof-drain connections are banned citywide.
Erie Stormwater Discharge Rules Under Article 946
Some RestrictionsCity of Erie Codified Ordinances, Article 946, Sections 946.14(a)(1) and 946.16(a)
No person in the Municipality shall allow, or cause to allow, stormwater discharges into the Municipality's separate storm sewer system which are not composed entirely of stormwater, except as provided in Subsection (a)(2) below, and discharges allowed under a state or federal permit. ... Any person violating the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a summary offense, and upon convicti...
Erosion Control
Every major subdivision built in the City of Erie needs a soil erosion and sedimentation control plan before grading starts, built to Pennsylvania's Chapter 102 erosion standards and reviewed by the Erie County Soil Conservation District. The Planning Commission can extend the same plan requirement to minor subdivisions, and the plan has to stay in force through the entire construction period, not just at approval.
Erosion and Sediment Control Required for Erie Subdivisions
Some RestrictionsCity of Erie Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (Ord. No. 23-1989), Article X (Construction Requirements) § 1011 (Erosion Control); enforcement § 1106.2(a)
§ 1011. Erosion control. It shall be a requirement of all major subdivisions that the developer shall have a soil erosion and sedimentation control plan and/or permit, prepared in accordance with current state law (Erosion and Sedimentation Control, Chapter 102, Pennsylvania Rules and Regulations, as amended), reviewed by the Erie County Soil Conservation District. The City may also require a l...
Flood Zones
Anyone building, filling, grading or otherwise developing land within Erie's identified floodplain area must first get a permit from the city's Floodplain Administrator. Undertaking construction there without one is unlawful and carries a summary-offense fine.
Erie Floodplain Development Permit Required
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Erie, PA, Article 945, Sections 945.02(b) and 945.03(j)(2)
It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business or corporation to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any construction or development anywhere within the City of Erie unless a Permit has been obtained from the Floodplain Administrator. ... Any person who fails to comply with any or all of the requirements or provisions of this article ... shall be guilty of a summary offense and up...
Flood Elevation Requirements
In Erie's mapped AE, A1-30 and AH flood zones, new construction and substantial improvements must have their lowest floor at or above the Regulatory Flood Elevation, which the code defines as the FEMA base flood elevation plus a mandatory 1.5-foot freeboard safety margin.
Erie Requires 1.5-Foot Freeboard Above BFE
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Erie, PA, Article 945, Sections 945.05(b)(1)(A) and 945.09(b)(32)
In AE, A1-30, and AH Zones, any new construction or substantial improvement shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated up to, or above, the Regulatory Flood Elevation. ... REGULATORY FLOOD ELEVATION — The base flood elevation (BFE) or estimated flood height as determined using simplified methods plus a freeboard safety factor of 1 1/2 feet. The freeboard safety factor also applie...