Opinion ID: 714879
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The JMS Residential Subdivision

Text: 15 In early 1992--when NPDES permits covering storm (rain) water were not available in Georgia--JMS planned to develop its 19.2-acre residential subdivision and for that purpose submitted its plans and specifications to Gwinnett County. In developing these plans and specifications, JMS hired a firm of consulting engineers, who were to supervise the design and control of sedimentation control measures and help ensure that JMS remained in compliance with relevant pollution control requirements. 16 On March 31, 1992, JMS received a permit from Gwinnett County authorizing it to conduct land-disturbing activities. 3 In accordance with requests from state and county officials, JMS spent more than $30,000 installing state of the art sedimentation control devices, including silt fences, check dams, vegetation, sloping, and a sedimentation retention basin. The erosion and sedimentation control measures met or exceeded Gwinnett County's requirements. 17 Prior to beginning construction, JMS had done everything possible to comply with the legal requirements of building a small residential subdivision. On the county level, County Inspector George Michael Fritcher deposed that JMS was in compliance; at the state level, David Word, Chief of EPD's Water Protection Branch, stated that EPD would not (could not) have done anything with respect to an NPDES permit for storm water discharges even if JMS had applied for one prior to beginning the development; and at the federal level resort to the EPA was foreclosed to JMS because, as noted, Georgia's NPDES program exists in lieu of the federal NPDES program. 18 With Gwinnett County's blessing, JMS began to clear, grade, and grub the property for the construction of streets, gutters, and storm sewers. JMS channelled its discharge of rain water as dictated by the county permit requirements. The discharges that occurred, as noted by the district court, were minimal and posed no threat to human health. Further, much of the damage caused by the discharges would have been reversed with the passage of a relatively short amount of time. Within this 19.2-acre subdivision, approximately 4.64 acres were disturbed by actual construction of storm sewers, curb, guttering, and streets. 19 Once all subdivision construction had been completed and the storm sewers, curbing, guttering, and streets had been dedicated or conveyed to Gwinnett County, a plat of the completed subdivision showing approval by Gwinnett County's various agencies was recorded in the land records of Gwinnett County on August 6, 1992. JMS was from this point forward engaged in no further construction or land disturbing activities.