Brookhaven, NY Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Section 86-7 sets the technical bar for every erosion and sediment control practice installed under Chapter 86: designs that follow the New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual or the New York Standards and Specifications for Erosion and Sediment Control, prepared by the Empire State Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, are presumed to meet the Town's standards. If a contractor's approach departs from those manuals, § 86-7B requires the applicant to prove equivalence to the Stormwater Management Officer's satisfaction, and that proof has to come from a New York State registered landscape architect, a certified professional in erosion and sediment control, or a licensed professional engineer.

Section 86-7C adds a water-quality backstop: no land development activity may cause turbidity that creates a substantial visible contrast to natural conditions in state surface waters. Upstream of the design standard, § 86-6A(1) caps active disturbance at five acres at any one time unless the site is working under an approved SWPPP with post-construction controls, and § 86-9 requires a qualified professional to inspect and document erosion and sediment control practices at least once every seven days for smaller projects, or twice every seven days for the largest disturbances, with reports kept in an on-site logbook available on request. The applicant must notify the Stormwater Management Officer 48 hours before installing controls, clearing the site, rough grading, or closing out the construction season.