5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Madison County, Alabama.
Verified from official government sources
Any land disturbance in unincorporated Madison County that discharges construction stormwater to a water of the state needs an NPDES permit before work begins. ADEM administers the permit under the Alabama Water Pollution Control Act.
Ala. Code § 22-22-9(i)(3)
Every person, prior to discharging any new or increased pollution into any waters of this state, shall apply to the commission in writing for a permit and must obtain such permit before discharging such pollution.
Clearing or grading one acre or more in unincorporated Madison County makes the site a regulated NPDES construction site under ADEM Chapter 335-6-12. The operator must register and install erosion and sediment controls before disturbing the ground.
Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-6-12-.02(m)
An NPDES Construction Site is construction that disturbs 1 acre or greater or will disturb less than 1 acre but is part of a larger common plan of development or sale whose total land disturbing activities total 1 acre or greater.
Coastal development rules do not apply in Madison County. It sits in the inland Tennessee Valley of North Alabama, roughly 300 miles from the Gulf, so the Alabama Coastal Area Management Act reaches nothing here.
Alabama authorizes Madison County to manage flood-prone land so property qualifies for the National Flood Insurance Program. The county's flood damage prevention rules require a floodplain development permit before building or filling in a mapped special flood hazard area.
Ala. Code § 11-19-2
It is the declared purpose of this chapter to provide in each county of this state a comprehensive land-use management plan by: (1) Constricting the development of land which is exposed to flood damage in the flood-prone areas; (2) Guiding the development of proposed construction away from locations which are threatened by flood hazards; (3) Assisting in reducing damage caused by floods; and (4...
Grading that disturbs one acre or more in unincorporated Madison County falls under ADEM's construction stormwater program, Chapter 335-6-12. Smaller earthwork is exempt from state registration, but drainage that damages a neighbor still creates civil liability.
Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-6-12-.03(3)
Unless specifically required by this Chapter or required in writing by the Director, construction sites and associated areas that are less than one (1) acre in size that are not otherwise considered a defined or designated NPDES construction site, are not required to register under this Chapter.
1 cities in Madison County have their own environmental rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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