The definitions contained in Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s ("Ohio EPA") Construction General Permit entitled "Authorization for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Construction Activity under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System" in effect at the time a permit is applied for under this chapter shall apply to this chapter, and the following definitions shall also apply. For purpose of this regulation, the following terms shall have the meaning herein indicated:
(a) “Abbreviated erosion and sediment control plan” means the written document that sets forth the plans and practices to be used to meet the requirements of this regulation for sites disturbing one-tenth (0.1) to one (1) acre of land.
(b) “Acre” means a measurement of area equaling 43,560 square feet.
(c) “Administrator” means the person or entity having the responsibility and duty of administering and ensuring compliance with this regulation.
(d) “Community” means throughout this regulation, this shall refer to the City of Parma Heights, its designated representatives, boards, or commissions.
(e) “Construction entrance” means the permitted points of ingress and egress to development areas regulated under this regulation.
(f) “Construction general permit” means the most recent General National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for authorization of storm water discharges associated with construction activities issued by Ohio EPA (Ohio EPA Permit #OHC000005 and its successors).
(g) “Critical area” means any area the disturbance of which would cause soil erosion and sediment runoff and damage to private properties, water courses, storm sewers or public lands due to topography, soil type, hydrology, or proximity to a water course. These areas include, but are not limited to, riparian areas, wetlands, and highly erodible soils.
(h) “Development area” means a parcel or contiguous parcels owned by one person or persons, or operated as one development unit, and used or being developed for commercial, industrial, residential, institutional, or other construction or alteration that changes runoff characteristics.
(i) “Dewatering volume” see current Ohio Rainwater and Land Development Manual.
(j) “Discharge” means the addition of any pollutant to surface waters of the state from a point source.
(k) “Disturbance” means any clearing, grading, grubbing, excavating, filling, or other alteration of land surface where natural or man-made cover is destroyed in a manner that exposes the underlying soils.
(l) “Disturbed area” means an area of land subject to erosion due to the removal of vegetative cover and/or soil disturbing activities such as grading, excavating, or filling.
(m) “Drainage” means (1) the area of land contributing surface water to a specific point. (2) The removal of excess surface water or groundwater from land by surface or subsurface drains.
(n) “Drainage way” means a natural or manmade channel, ditch, or waterway that conveys surface water in a concentrated manner by gravity.
(o) “Erosion” means the process by which the land surface is worn away by the action of wind, water, ice, gravity, or any combination of those forces.
(p) “Erosion and sediment control” means the control of soil, both mineral and organic, to minimize the removal of soil from the land surface and to prevent its transport from a disturbed area by means of wind, water, ice, gravity, or any combination of those forces.
(q) “Erosion and sediment control plan” means the written document meeting the requirements of this regulation which sets forth the plans and practices to be used to minimize soil erosion and prevent off-site disposal of soil sediment by containing sediment on-site or bypassing sediment-laden runoff through a sediment control measure during and after land development.
(r) “Grading” means the excavating, filling, or stockpiling of earth material, or any combination thereof, including the land in its excavated or filled condition.
(s) “Grubbing” means removing or grinding of roots, stumps, and other unwanted material below existing grade.
(t) “Impervious” that which does not allow infiltration.
(u) “Landscape architect” means a professional landscape architect registered in the State of Ohio.
(v) “Major and minor subdivisions” see Ohio Administrative Code 711.001 for definition.
(w) “Parcel” means a tract of land occupied or intended to be occupied by a use, building or group of buildings and their accessory uses and buildings as a unit, together with such open spaces and driveways as are provided and required. A parcel may contain more than one contiguous lot individually identified by a 'Permanent Parcel Number' assigned by the Cuyahoga County Auditor's Office.
(x) “Percent imperviousness” means the impervious area created divided by the total area of the project site.
(y) “Person” means any individual, corporation, firm, trust, commission, board, public or private partnership, joint venture, agency, unincorporated association, municipal corporation, county or state agency, the federal government, other legal entity, or an agent thereof.
(z) “Phasing” means clearing a parcel of land in distinct sections, with the stabilization of each section before the clearing of the next.
(aa) “Pre-construction meeting” means a meeting between the City of Parma Heights and all principal parties, prior to the start of any construction, at a site that requires a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.
(bb) “Pre-winter stabilization meeting” means a meeting between the City of Parma Heights and all principal parties, prior to October 1, in order to plan winter erosion and sediment controls for a site that requires a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.
(cc) “Runoff” means the portion of rainfall, melted snow, or irrigation water that flows across the ground surface and is eventually conveyed to water resources or wetlands.
(dd) “Sediment” means the soils or other surface materials that are transported or deposited by the action of wind, water, ice, gravity, or any combination of those forces, as a product of erosion.
(ee) “Sedimentation” means the deposition or settling of sediment.
(ff) “Sediment storage volume” see current edition of Rainwater and Land Development.
(gg) “Soil disturbing activity” means clearing, grading, excavating, filling, grubbing or stump removal that occurs during clearing or timber activities, or other alteration of the earth’s surface where natural or human made ground cover is destroyed and that may result in, or contribute to, erosion and sediment pollution.
(hh) “Soil & water conservation district” means an entity organized under Chapter 940 of the Ohio Revised Code referring to either the Soil and Water Conservation District Board or its designated employee(s). Hereafter referred to as Cuyahoga SWCD.
(ii) “Stabilization” means the use of BMPs, such as seeding and mulching, that reduce or prevent soil erosion by water, wind, ice, gravity, or a combination of those forces.
(jj) “Stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWP3)” means the written document that sets forth the plans and practices to be used to meet the requirements of this regulation.
(kk) “Stormwater” means storm water runoff, snow melt and surface runoff and drainage.
(ll) “Surface outlet” means a dewatering device that only draws water from the surface of the water.
(mm) “Temporary stabilization” means the establishment of temporary vegetation, mulching, geotextiles, sod, preservation of existing vegetation, and other techniques capable of quickly establishing cover over disturbed areas to provide erosion control between construction operations.
(nn) “Topsoil” means the upper layer of the soil that is usually darker in color and richer in organic matter and nutrients than subsoil.
(oo) “Unstable soils” means a portion ofland that is identified by the City Engineer as prone to slipping, sloughing, or landslides, or is identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service methodology as having a low soil strength.
(pp) “Water resource also surface water of the state” means any stream, lake, reservoir, pond, marsh, wetland, or waterway situated wholly or partly within the boundaries of the state, except those private waters which do not combine or affect a junction with surface water. Waters defined as sewerage systems, treatment works or disposal systems in Section 6111.01 of the Ohio Revised Code are not included.
(qq) “Watershed” means the total drainage area contributing runoff to a single point.
(rr) “Wetland” means those areas, that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions, including swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas (40 CFR 232, as amended).
(Ord. 2023-77. Passed 1-8-24.)