Bethlehem, PA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

14 of Article 925, the City's stormwater ordinance, bars any Regulated Earth Disturbance activity in Bethlehem, whether in Lehigh or Northampton County, from starting until the City approves an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan for the construction work. The rule applies regardless of how much land is disturbed and regardless of the status of construction on the site: the City Engineer can find erosion control deficient on any parcel, including where it is creating or threatening sinkholes offsite, and can order corrective action taken 'in an expeditious manner,' with a hard deadline of no later than 10 days from the date of notification.

If the City Engineer determines erosion control is deficient during construction, the ordinance lets the Engineer pull every construction permit issued by the City for the project and, apart from corrective erosion-control work itself, stop the job entirely until the deficiencies are adequately corrected. The section layers City review on top of state permitting: subsection B requires an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan under 25 Pa. 4(b) for any earth disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more, subsection C requires a DEP NPDES Construction Activities permit under 25 Pa.

Code Chapter 92, and subsection D requires proof of any needed DEP or County Conservation District permit before ground is broken. Subsection E requires a copy of the approved plan and any DEP permit to stay on site at all times.