Soil Erosion and Sediment Control (SESC)

The Chicago District, Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) administers a permit program under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates various activities in waters of the United States, including wetlands. As a condition of permit issuance, the Corps requires appropriate soil erosion and sediment control measures to be implemented and maintained until the construction site is re-vegetated and stabilized. It is a requirement of the Corps permitting program that an applicant submitting a joint application for work to develop a Soil Erosion and Sediment Control (SESC) plan for the proposed project. The applicant is required to utilize SESC measures at the project site to control soil erosion and to ensure that sediment is not transported to waters of the U.S. during construction. The approved SESC measures shall be implemented prior to initiating clearing, grading, excavating or filling activities and shall be maintained throughout the construction period and until the site is stabilized. The submitted SESC plans should be prepared by a knowledgeable entity and installed and maintained in a serviceable condition throughout the duration of the project.

Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD)/
Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC)

The Corps currently has an Interagency Coordination Agreement (ICA) with the local Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD's) and with Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (LCSMC) to review a project's SESC plans that are submitted to this office for permit issuance. Here is a sample ICA.

The intent of the ICA is to utilize the technical expertise of the SWCD's and the LCSMC to review an applicant's soil erosion and sediment control (SESC) plans and determine if the plans meet technical standards. An applicant is required to provide the SWCD/LCSMC with the information necessary to conduct an adequate technical review of the SESC constructions for the site. The SWCD/LCSMC will attend preconstruction meetings, periodically inspect the site during construction, monitor the sites implemented SESC measures and formulate site inspection reports that are submitted to the Corps for review. This Corps retains the final decision about soil, water and the other natural resources, and any issues, opinions, findings, or actions resulting from the ICAs.

The following chart contains a listing of the SWCD's and the LCSMC, the areas that they cover and a link to a web site for additional information on their program.

Northern Cook County
(North of Cermack Avenue / 22nd Street)

North Cook Soil and Water Conservation District

DuPage County

Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District

Kane County

Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District

Lake County

Lake County Stormwater Management Commission
McHenry-Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District

McHenry County

McHenry-Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District

Will and Southern Cook County (South of Cermack)

Will/South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District

 

Independent SESC Inspector (ISI)

As part of the SESC process for projects not utilizing the SWCD or SMC (such as IDOT or Illinois Tollway), you are required to retain a qualified Independent SESC Inspector (ISI) to review the project's SESC plans. An applicant is required to provide the ISI with the information necessary to conduct an adequate technical review of the SESC plans for the site. The ISI shall provide to the Corps a copy of the SESC plans for the project accompanied by a detailed narrative describing the SESC measures to be implemented at the site. The ISI will attend preconstruction meetings, periodically inspect the site during construction to ensure proper installation and regular maintenance of the approved methods. The inspection report shall include a SESC checklist and photographs that represent current conditions of the site which shall be submitted to the Corps for review The Corps retains the final decision about soil, water and the other natural resources, and any issues, opinions, findings, or actions resulting from the ISI process. This office retains the final decision about soil, water and the other natural resources, and any issues, opinions, findings, or actions resulting from the ISI process.

Additional Information