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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:#C82613;background:white">NEW!
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black;background:white">Freshwater Wetlands Program and Stormwater Construction Permitting Ground-Mounted Solar Array Guidance</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;background:white">The RIDEM Office of Water Resources has published the <u>Freshwater Wetlands Program and Stormwater Construction Permitting Ground-Mounted Solar Array Guidance. </u>The purpose
of this guidance document is to help design professionals prepare applications that are more likely to satisfy all RIDEM permitting standards and requirements, which in turn will facilitate timely and efficient review by RIDEM. Project designers should consult
this guidance document for any project involving a proposal of ground-mounted solar array(s) in Rhode Island. This document is intended to act as supplemental guidance and is not intended to be a substitute for any applicable Rules or Regulations, including
but not limited to the Rhode Island Stormwater Management Design and Installation Rules (Stormwater Rules) (250-RICR-150-10-8) and the Rules and Regulations Governing the Administration and Enforcement of the Fresh Water Wetlands Act 250-RICR-150-15-1).</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">The guidance is available at the following link, as well as the Stormwater Construction Permitting and Freshwater Wetlands Permitting websites. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/permits/ripdes/stwater/pdfs/solar-guidance.pdf">http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/permits/ripdes/stwater/pdfs/solar-guidance.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#0070C0">Chuck Horbert,
</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#0070C0">Deputy Administrator<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Groundwater & Freshwater Wetlands Protection<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">RIDEM Office of Water Resources<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">(401) 222-6820, ext. 77402<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#C00000">New!</span></i></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#C00000"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:blue"><a href="https://www.ri.gov/DEM/wqcsearch/" target="_blank" title="https://www.ri.gov/DEM/wqcsearch/"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Water
Quality Certification and Stormwater Construction Permit Online Search Tool</span></b></a></span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#44546A">Submit Notices for <a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/permits/swcoord/soc.pdf" title="http://dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/permits/swcoord/soc.xlsx"><span style="background:white">Start
of Construction</span></a> and </span><span style="color:#201F1E"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/permits/swcoord/not.pdf" title="http://dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/permits/swcoord/not.xlsx"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;background:white">Termination</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:blue;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#44546A">via
email: </span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:blue"><a href="mailto:DEM.STWConstruction@dem.ri.gov" target="_blank">DEM.STWConstruction@dem.ri.gov</a></span></i><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#44546A">Visit our updated webpage: <span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/water/permits/ripdes/stormwater/construction.php">dem.ri.gov/stormwaterconstruction</a></span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:blue">
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#44546A"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/water/permits/" target="_blank" title="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/water/permits/">ONLINE PERMIT
SEARCH TOOLS</a>: </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#44546A">View Permit Status, Historical Information and download available documents at <a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/water/permits/" target="_blank" title="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/water/permits/">dem.ri.gov/waterpermits</a></span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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