General Discharge Permit

General Discharge Permit For Discharges from Marinas including Boat Yards and Yacht Basins
Maryland General Permit No. 16-MA

NOTICE - Tentative Determination Draft Published

The Department proposes to reissue the State/NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination system) 16-MA as the new 25-MA. The 25-MA permit applies to discharges of stormwater and certain wastewater from marinas, boat yards, and yacht basins in the State of Maryland.

A hybrid public hearing will be held on December 02, 2026, beginning at 6:00 PM. The in-person hearing will be held in the Queen Anne's County Library Kent Island Branch, 200 Library Cir, Stevensville, MD 21666.

The virtual event may be joined via Google Meet. To participate online, you MUST register using the following link: https://mdewwp.page.link/PublicMeetings.

If you would like to provide written comments, please submit them to the Maryland Department of the Environment, Water Management Administration, 1800 Washington Blvd., Ste. 455, Baltimore, MD 21230-1708, Attn: Paul Hlavinka, Industrial Stormwater Permits Division, or by email at [email protected]. Comments must be submitted on or before December 09, 2026, by 5:00 PM. Fax comments to (410) 537-3163, attention Paul Hlavinka.

The draft permit, fact sheet, and a detailed summary of proposed changes are available below.

NOTICE - New Online Service Center

The Department now has the online Environmental Service Center, which applicants can use to easily submit new NOIs, modification requests, notice of terminations, and pay permit fees.

Permit Training

The Department offers free training opportunities for several of its general permits. Visit the WPPRP Training Website to sign up for an upcoming training event or to download information from past training events.

Change in Required Documentation

In recognition that the permit is beyond its five-year term, and in recognition that NPDES permits have a maximum duration of five years, the Department is discontinuing the acceptance of new registrations under permit 16-MA. Proposed new discharges from marinas, including boat yards and yacht basins, submitted will not be allowed to obtain general permit coverage until a new permit is issued.

In place of permit coverage under the expired permit, the Department has issued an Order to cover proposed new discharges from marinas, including boat yards and yacht basins, if an applicant meets the 16-MA eligibility criteria and declares intention to operate in accordance with the terms of the Consent Order and 16-MA. The applicant should submit a Declaration of Intent and complete the registration/certification process in accordance with the requirements otherwise set forth for registrations under permit 16-MA.

Note that existing registrations under the General Permit 16-MA continue to be covered under the existing administratively extended permit (per the terms of the permit). Please check back here for updates as progress is made towards that end or sign up for our newsletter. Once a draft of the new permit has been proposed to open the public participation process, the Department will take comments prior to arriving at a final permit.