No land-disturbing activity subject to the control of this article shall be undertaken except in accordance with the following mandatory standards:
(a) Standard buffer. No land-disturbing activity during periods of construction or improvement to land shall be permitted in proximity to a lake or natural watercourse unless a buffer zone is provided along the margin of the watercourse of sufficient width to confine visible siltation within the 25 percent of the buffer zone nearest the land-disturbing activity.
(1) Projects on, over or under water. This subdivision shall not apply to a land-disturbing activity in connection with the construction of facilities to be located on, over, or under a lake or natural watercourse.
(2) Buffer measurement. Unless otherwise provided, the width of a buffer zone is measured horizontally from the edge of the water to the nearest edge of the disturbed area, with the 25 percent of the strip nearer the land-disturbing activity containing natural or artificial means of confining visible siltation.
(b) Graded slopes and fills. The angle for graded slopes and fills shall be no greater than the angle that can be retained by vegetative cover or other adequate erosion control devices or structures. In any event, slopes left exposed will, within 14 calendar days of completion of any phase of grading, be planted or otherwise provided with temporary or permanent ground cover, devices, or structures sufficient to restrain erosion. The angle for graded slopes and fills must be demonstrated to be stable. Stable is the condition where the soil remains in its original configuration, with or without mechanical constraints.
(c) Fill material. Unless a permit from the Department's Division of Waste Management to operate a landfill is on file for the official site, acceptable fill material shall be free of organic or other degradable materials, masonry, concrete and brick in sizes exceeding 12 inches, and any materials which would cause the site to be regulated as a landfill by the State of North Carolina.
(d) Ground cover. Whenever land-disturbing activity that will disturb more than one acre is undertaken on a tract, the person conducting the land-disturbing activity shall install erosion and sedimentation control devices and practices that are sufficient to retain the sediment generated by the land disturbing activity within the boundaries of the tract during construction upon and development of said tract, and shall plant or otherwise provide a permanent ground cover sufficient to restrain erosion after completion of construction or development. Except as provided in Section 14-688(b)(5) of this article, provisions for a ground cover sufficient to restrain erosion must be accomplished within 15 working days or 21 calendar days following completion of construction or development, whichever period is shorter.
(e) Prior plan approval. No person shall initiate any land-disturbing activity that will disturb more than one acre on a tract unless, 30 or more days prior to initiating the activity, a plan for the activity is filed with and approved by Johnston County. The County shall forward to the Director of the Division of Water Resources a copy of each plan for a land-disturbing activity that involves the utilization of ditches for the purpose of de-watering or lowering the water table of the tract.
(f) The land-disturbing activity shall be conducted in accordance with the approved erosion and sedimentation control plan.
(Ord. of 6-3-2013)