Fee and Review Schedules

The Clearfield County Conservation District follows a strict review and fee schedule. The schedule determines our prices for reviewing and approving permit applications, as well as dates by which we guarantee our permit application reviews and decisions to be completed by.

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Chapter 102 Fee Schedule

Fees charged by the Clearfield County Conservation District and the PA Department of Environmental Protection vary depending on the nature and type of permit/plan application.

When determining fees dependent upon the disturbed acreage, always round up to the nearest whole number. For example, if the proposed project will disturb 1.2 acres, round up to 2 acres, and determine the applicable fees using the number 2.

Submit the correct payments along with a complete application/plan to:

Clearfield County Conservation District
6395 Clearfield Woodland Highway, Suite 2
Clearfield, PA 16830
 
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Upon submittal of a General NPDES permit application, three payments are required:

1. General NPDES Registration Fee* for $500 made payable to “Clearfield County Clean Water Fund”.
2. E&S Review Fee** for ($1200 for first acre of disturbance + $125 for each additional acre of disturbance) made payable to “Clearfield County Conservation District”.
3. DEP Disturbed Acreage Fee for ($100 per acre of disturbance) made payable to “Commonwealth of PA Clean Water Fund”.

* If proposed construction is to occur in a special protection (High Quality or Exceptional Value) watershed, an Individual NPDES Registration Fee of $1500 takes the place of the General NPDES Registration Fee.

** If you are a resident/individual not associated with commercial, industrial, or municipal development, the E&S Review Fee is reduced to $300 for the first acre of disturbance + $25 for each additional acre of disturbance.

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Upon submittal of an E&S Control Plan for borrow or waste areas, one payment is required:

1. E&S Review Fee for $400 made payable to “Clearfield County Conservation District”.

 
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Upon submittal of an E&S Control Plan for timber harvesting operations  disturbing less than 25 acres, one payment is required:

1. E&S Review Fee for ($300 for first acre of disturbance + $25 for each additional acre of disturbance) made payable to “Clearfield County Conservation District”.

 
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For E&S Control Plans to be used in conjunction with Chapter 105 General Permits, see "Chapter 105 Fee Schedule".

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All other E&S Control Plans do not require review and approval from the Clearfield County Conservation District unless:

1. Inspection of the site reveals a technically deficient or poorly implemented E&S Control Plan, or
2. Municipal ordinance necessitates or the municipality explicitly asks that an E&S Control Plan be reviewed and approved.

The Clearfield County Conservation District reserves the right to charge an E&S Review Fee in the case of the above listed circumstances. This E&S Review Fee is $1200 for commercial, industrial and municipal agencies, and $300 for residents and individuals, as outlined above.

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Technical Assistance Fee: will be charged at a rate of $125 per hour (1 hour minimum). The Clearfield County Conservation District will apply this fee at its discretion. This fee is not intended for those seeking guidance, clarification or simple assistance, but rather those who request in-depth technical assistance for the completion of permits or permit components.

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Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Index: will be charged a flat rate $50 for the PNDI search and assistance (technical assistance fee not included).
 
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Please note the following:

- Fees will be waived for municipalities that are submitting plans for small projects that will be done in-house using their own equipment and manpower. For all other municipal projects, standard E&S fees apply.

- Fees will be waived for the preparation of Conservation Plans for farming related activities.

- If an E&S plan is returned to you as Technically Incomplete or lacking major components, an additional fee of $500.00 will be charged for each re-submission. You will also be responsible for the cost of us returning the plan.

Review Schedule

The NPDES permit application review process is completed in two steps: the completeness review, and subsequently, the technical review. The completeness review's purpose is to ensure that the permit application contains all necessary data and information. The technical review's purpose is to ensure that the permit application's data and information is specific and detailed enough to abide by all Federal and State law.

The District will finish the completeness review within 15 business days from the date of receipt. The District will finish the technical review within 22 business days from the completion of the completeness review.

Timely communication between the District and the applicant is required for expediency.