General Discharge Permit For Discharges from the Application of Pesticides
Maryland General Permit No. 17-PE
NOTICE - Tentative Determination Draft Published
The Department proposes to reissue the State/NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination system) 17-PE as the new 25-PE. The 25-PE permit applies to discharges to Waters of this State from the application of biological pesticides, chemical pesticides that leave a residue, or colorants, when the application of pesticides or colorants is for Mosquito and Other Flying Insect Pest Control, Weed and Algae Control, Nuisance Animal Control, or Forest Canopy Pest Control.
The draft permit, fact sheet, and a detailed summary of proposed changes are available below.
The public comment period will be open starting on June 27, 2026, and will end on August 13, 2026. A hybrid public hearing will be held on July 27, 2026, beginning at 4:00 PM. The in-person hearing will be held in the Owings Mills Meeting Room at the Owings Mills Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library, located at the County Campus Metro Center at Owings Mills, 10302 Grand Central Avenue, Owings Mills, Maryland 21117.
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 August 13, 2026, by 5:00 PM.
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 17-PE. Proposed new discharges from the application of pesticides 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 the application of pesticides if an applicant meets the 17-PE eligibility criteria and declares intention to operate in accordance with the terms of the Consent Order and 17-PE. 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 17-PE.
Note that existing registrations under the General Permit 17-PE 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.
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.
17-PE Permit Information
On February 14, 2020, the Department published notice of its final determination to reissue the General Permit for Discharges from the Application of Pesticides (Maryland General Permit No. 11-PE, NPDES No. MDG87) with the renewal designation of State Number 17-PE. The 17-PE is effective as of April 1, 2020.
Anyone proposing to use pesticides in or near waters of the State should become familiar with the requirements of the 17-PE permit and should specifically consult Table 1 in Part II of the permit to determine if submission of a Notice of Intent (NOI) is required.
Permit
Forms
Supplemental Information
Contact Info
For more information regarding this permit, please contact the Industrial Stormwater Permits Division at (410) 537-3323.
Additional Information and Related Links
