The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its draft 2026 Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) for stormwater discharges from industrial facilities, where the public comment period ended April 4, 2025. The 2026 MSGP aims to update and strengthen regulations to improve stormwater management and reduce pollution from industrial activities, and is often a leading indicator of state-specific general industrial stormwater permit changes. Key updates to the existing 2021 MSGP include:
- Increased Monitoring and Corrective Action Requirements: The EPA has introduced additional monitoring (quarterly) and corrective action requirements for discharges to impaired waterways, .
- Increased Benchmark Monitoring: Benchmark monitoring is proposed for the first 3 years of coverage (increasing from 1st and 4th years of coverage), with some sub-sectors shifting from “report only” parameters to true benchmark.
- Increased Focus on Climate Change and Resilience: The draft emphasizes addressing increased storm event intensity using “best available data”, requiring facilities to incorporate climate change considerations into their stormwater management plans based on actual events and impacts.
- PFAS Indicator Monitoring: PFAS “indicator monitoring” proposed for the majority of sectors.
The EPA is seeking feedback on the draft, which will be incorporated into the final version before it takes effect. If you have any questions on this permit, or would like to know more about industrial stormwater requirements for your location, please feel free to reach out to Chris Maye or Donna Hegge at CMI.
