OLD SOUTH DIRT PIT Stormwater Outfall, Harvest, Alabama | Industrial Mining Runoff Management

OLD SOUTH DIRT PIT is a stormwater outfall located at 532 Orville Smith Rd., Harvest, Alabama, in Madison County. As a stormwater outfall, it manages runoff from industrial activities associated with NAICS codes 212323, 212325, 212390, and 212399, which cover sand/gravel mining and other nonmetallic mineral mining. The facility is operational and falls under the regulatory scope of the US Clean Water Act and EPA's NPDES MS4 program. In Alabama, stormwater outfalls like this one are typically permitted under Phase II MS4 general permits for small municipalities or industrial stormwater permits. The facility likely handles runoff from mining operations, which can include sediment, metals, and other pollutants. Standard best management practices include sedimentation basins, vegetated swales, and erosion controls to mitigate impacts on receiving waters. The environmental significance of this outfall lies in its potential discharge to nearby water bodies, which may include streams feeding into the Tennessee River basin. Proper management of stormwater from mining sites is critical to prevent sedimentation and contamination of local waterways, supporting water quality goals under the Clean Water Act.

The outfall is located in an industrial catchment dominated by mining activities, which can generate sediment, heavy metals, and other pollutants in stormwater runoff. Discharge from this facility may enter local streams that are part of the Tennessee River watershed, a region with sensitive aquatic habitats. Regulatory oversight under the NPDES program aims to control pollutant loads through site-specific stormwater pollution prevention plans.