Erosion and sediment control plan preparation and contents

A. Plan preparation. The erosion and sediment control plan shall be prepared by a registered professional engineer or landscape architect or a Soil and Water Conservation Society certified Erosion and Sediment Control Specialist. Five copies of the plan shall be submitted to the Director of Planning and Redevelopment or his/her designee.
B. Plan contents. The erosion and sediment control plan shall include sufficient information about the proposed activities and land parcels to form a clear basis for discussion and review and to assure compliance with all applicable requirements of this article. The plan shall be consistent with the data collection, data analysis, and plan preparation guidelines in the current “Rhode Island Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook,” prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, R.I. Department of Environmental Management, and R.I. State Conservation Committee. At a minimum, the plan shall contain:
- (1) A narrative describing the proposed land-disturbing activity and the soil erosion and sediment control measures and stormwater management measures to be installed to control erosion that could result from the proposed activity. Supporting documentation, such as a drainage area, existing site, and soil maps, shall be provided as required by the Director of Planning and Redevelopment or his/her designee.
- (2) Construction drawings illustrating, in detail, existing and proposed contours, drainage features, and vegetation; limits of clearing and grading, the location of soil erosion and sediment control and stormwater management measures, detail drawings of measures; stockpiles and borrow areas; sequence and staging of land-disturbing activities; and other such information needed for construction.
- (3) Other information or construction plans and details as deemed necessary by the Director of Planning and Redevelopment or his/her designee for thorough review of the plan prior to action being taken as prescribed in this article. Withholding or delay of such information may be reasons for the Director of Planning and Redevelopment or his/her designee to judge the application as incomplete and grounds for disapproval.
C. Performance principles. The contents of the erosion and sediment control plan shall clearly demonstrate how the principles, outlined below, have been met in the project design and are to be accomplished by the proposed development.
- (1) The site selected shall show due regard for natural drainage characteristics and topography.
- (2) To the extent possible, steep slopes shall be avoided.
- (3) The grade of slopes created shall be minimized.
- (4) Post-development runoff rates should not exceed predevelopment rates, consistent with other stormwater requirements that may be in effect. Any increases in storm runoff shall be retained and recharged as close as feasible to its place of origin by means of detention ponds or basins, seepage areas, infiltration chambers, subsurface drains, porous paving, or similar techniques.
- (5) Original boundaries, alignment, and slopes of watercourses within the project locus shall be preserved to the greatest extent feasible.
- (6) In general, drainage shall be directed away from structures intended for human occupancy, municipal or utility use, or similar structures.
- (7) All drainage provisions shall be of such a design and capacity so as to adequately handle stormwater runoff, including runoff from tributary upstream areas, which may be outside the locus of the project.
- (8) Drainage facilities and controls shall be installed as early as feasible during construction, prior to site clearance, if possible.
- (9) Fill located adjacent to watercourses shall be suitably protected from erosion by means of rip-rap, gabions, retaining walls, vegetative stabilization, or similar measures.
- (10) Temporary vegetation and/or mulching shall be used to protect bare areas and stockpiles from erosion during construction; the smallest areas feasible shall be exposed at any one time; disturbed areas shall be protected during the non-growing months, November through March.
- (11) Permanent vegetation shall be placed immediately following final grading.
- (12) Trees and other existing vegetation shall be retained whenever feasible; the area within the dripline shall be fenced or roped off to protect trees from construction equipment.
- (13) All areas damaged during construction shall be resodded, reseeded, or otherwise restored. Monitoring and maintenance schedules, where required, shall be predetermined.
- (14) All construction wastes shall be handled, stored, and disposed of in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws.