Preparing NPDES permit applications requires gathering technical data from multiple sources, cross-referencing EPA regulations, and ensuring compliance with state-specific requirements. Environmental attorneys and paralegals spend 6-8 hours manually extracting facility information, compiling discharge data, and formatting applications to meet regulatory standards.
NPDES permit applications require extensive technical documentation, discharge characterization data, treatment system specifications, and regulatory compliance analysis across multiple federal and state requirements. Environmental attorneys and compliance professionals spend 20-30 hours gathering facility data, analyzing effluent limitations, preparing water quality assessments, and assembling comprehensive application packages that satisfy EPA and state permitting authorities.
CaseMark automates NPDES permit application drafting by analyzing your facility documents, discharge monitoring data, and treatment system specifications to generate complete applications with discharge characterization, effluent limitation analysis, monitoring programs, and all required certifications. The platform ensures compliance with Clean Water Act requirements, applicable effluent guidelines, and state-specific regulations while organizing supporting documentation for immediate submission.
This workflow is applicable across multiple practice areas and use cases
In-house corporate counsel at manufacturing facilities and industrial operations need to prepare and maintain NPDES permits as part of ongoing regulatory compliance and operational licensing requirements.
Manufacturing and industrial corporations regularly require NPDES permits for facility operations, making this a core compliance function for corporate legal departments managing environmental obligations.
Energy facilities including power plants, refineries, and natural gas processing facilities require NPDES permits for cooling water discharge, process wastewater, and stormwater runoff management.
Energy sector facilities are major point-source dischargers requiring NPDES permits, and energy law practitioners regularly handle Clean Water Act compliance alongside other environmental permitting requirements.
During M&A due diligence and asset purchases involving industrial facilities, attorneys must review existing NPDES permits and prepare new applications for permit transfers or modifications post-transaction.
Environmental permits like NPDES are critical assets and liabilities in transactions involving manufacturing facilities, wastewater treatment plants, and industrial operations requiring comprehensive permit analysis and transfer documentation.
Commercial real estate transactions involving industrial properties require NPDES permit review and preparation for property transfers, development projects, and tenant improvements that affect wastewater discharge.
Industrial and commercial property transactions must address existing environmental permits and compliance obligations, with NPDES permits being a key consideration in property due diligence and development approvals.
You'll need facility operational data, discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) showing historical effluent quality, site plans with outfall locations, and laboratory analytical reports. CaseMark also benefits from existing permits (for renewals), treatment system specifications, and receiving water quality information. The AI extracts relevant data from these documents to populate all application sections including discharge characterization, treatment system descriptions, and monitoring programs.
Yes, CaseMark generates applications for both new NPDES permits and renewals of existing permits. For renewals, the platform analyzes your current permit to extract limitations, special conditions, and compliance history, then incorporates updated operational data and monitoring results. The system automatically identifies changes in discharge characteristics or treatment systems that need to be documented in the renewal application.
CaseMark incorporates federal EPA requirements under 40 CFR Parts 122-125 and recognizes state-specific variations for all authorized NPDES states. The platform identifies your permitting authority (EPA regional office or state agency), applies applicable effluent limitation guidelines for your industry category, and formats applications according to jurisdiction-specific forms and submission requirements. All regulatory citations reference both federal and applicable state regulations.
Yes, CaseMark performs reasonable potential analysis by comparing your discharge pollutant concentrations to applicable water quality criteria with appropriate dilution factors. The platform identifies pollutants requiring water quality-based limits more stringent than technology-based standards, evaluates mixing zone considerations, and addresses TMDL allocations for impaired waters. This analysis ensures your application demonstrates compliance with both technology-based and water quality-based requirements.
CaseMark generates a complete, submission-ready NPDES permit application in approximately 15-20 minutes after you upload your facility documents. This includes discharge characterization for all outfalls, treatment system descriptions, effluent limitation analysis, monitoring program specifications, and organized supporting documentation. The platform reduces what typically requires 24+ hours of manual work to under 20 minutes of automated processing.