Southampton, NY Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Chapter 285 requires every stormwater pollution prevention plan to include an erosion and sediment control component designed to the current New York State Standards and Specifications for Erosion and Sediment Controls, known in the trade as the Blue Book, under Section 285-8A(2); a design that departs from that manual has to be shown equivalent to it. Section 285-9B(1) spells out what the erosion and sediment control piece of the plan must contain at minimum: a project description, a site map showing disturbed and undisturbed areas, soil types, a construction phasing plan, the specific erosion and sediment control practices for each phase with a schedule for how long each stays in place, and a temporary and permanent soil stabilization plan running through final stabilization.

Once construction starts, Section 285-10C requires a qualified inspector, a licensed engineer, a certified professional in erosion and sediment control, or another NYSDEC-endorsed professional, to inspect the site at least once every seven calendar days while soil disturbance is ongoing, and at least twice every seven days, separated by two full calendar days, once the project is authorized to disturb more than five acres at once. Sites can drop to a 30-day inspection cycle only after temporary stabilization is applied during a shutdown, such as a winter suspension, and inspections can stop altogether once final stabilization is certified. The Town's Stormwater Management Officer can halt construction outright if a project falls out of compliance with its approved erosion and sediment control plan.