Applying for Coverage under the Aquaculture General Permit TXG130000

The following steps will help you determine if you qualify for authorization under this general permit before discharging into or adjacent to water in the state of Texas.

Step 1.

Read the Aquaculture General Permit (TXG130000) and fact sheet to make sure it applies to your situation.

• If the general permit does not apply, you may need to obtain an individual permit.
• If the general permit does apply, continue with step 2.

Step 2.

Review your facility's compliance history ranking.

• If your facility has a ranking of “high performer”, “satisfactory performer,” or "inadequate information," continue with step 3.
• If the compliance history ranking is “unsatisfactory performer,” then your facility is not eligible for coverage under a general permit. You must apply for an individual permit instead.

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Step 3.

Determine if a Notice of Intent (NOI) is required to obtain authorization under the general permit.

Level II, Level III, Level IV, and Level V facilities must complete and submit an NOI to TCEQ

Level I facilities are not required to submit an NOI. Level I facilities must complete Attachment 1 of this general permit and keep it on site. Level I facilities must comply with all applicable provisions of the general permit and include discharges from the following:

• retail bait dealers;
• production of crawfish with rice farming;
• ponds used as pay lakes;
• closed ponds systems;
• public or commercial aquariums, and their suppliers;
• live fish hauling tanks;
• some cages or other enclosures used production of aquatic species, 10,000 pounds or less harvest weight per year (excludes Level V facilities); or
• facilities that temporarily hold and do not feed aquatic species (excludes Level IV and Level V facilities).

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Step 4.

To apply for coverage under this general permit, submit a notification package, which includes: 

• A Notice of Intent (TCEQ-20283)
• A Core Data Form (TCEQ-10400) -  Instructions (TCEQ-10400-inst)
  
  
• Mail the completed package to:
  Industrial Permit Team MC 148
  Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
  P.O. Box 13087
  Austin, Texas 78711-308
  
  
• Submit an application fee ($100):
  
  Pay online by ePay
  
  Or
  
  

  Mail to:
  Financial Administrative Division, Revenue Section MC 214
  Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
  P.O. Box 13088
  Austin TX 78711-3088

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Step 5.

If you qualify for coverage under this general permit but would rather have an individual permit, you may request that coverage instead.

Provisional coverage under the general permit begins 48 hours (about 2 days) after the NOI is postmarked for delivery to TCEQ.

We will review the NOI and will take one of the following actions:

• If everything is acceptable, we will send you an acknowledgment letter to authorize your coverage.
• If any information is incomplete or missing, we will send you a letter requesting the necessary information. You will have 30 days (about a month) to respond to this request.
• If coverage has been denied, we will send you a denial letter.

You must keep a copy of the NOI and the acknowledgement certificate onsite.

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Step 6.

After obtaining coverage under the Aquaculture General Permit, you must:

• Adhere to the requirements of the Aquaculture General Permit.
• Submit the Discharge Monitoring Reports online or submit an approved Discharge Monitoring Report form (DMR) (EPA Form 3320-1).
• Pay the annual fee within 30 days of receipt of the invoice (there is no annual fee for a Level I facility).
• You must submit a Notice of Termination   (NOT) when all discharges authorized by the permit are eliminated, completed, or if the operator or owner changes.

NOTE: Coverage continues to be active until the permittee submits a Notice of Termination. An annual water quality fee of $100 will accrue on September 1st of each year that the permit is active. TCEQ will mail an invoice for the annual fees each year to the billing contact identified in your application.

Contact us if you have questions.

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