TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1-1 FOREWORD This document is one of five training modules developed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Water Enforcement and Permits to introduce the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program to new inspectors. The information in each module is useful for training an inspector unfamiliar with the NPDES program. The modules address the following topics: The Overview module presents an overview of the entire NPDES program and briefly The Legal Issues module discusses the legal issues which must be addressed during an inspection and provides legal information to assist inspectors in performing their duties The Biomonitoring module outlines the principles of biomonitoring and the role of biological testing in the inspection program The Sampling Procedures module details procedures to be used when conducting sampling inspections The Laboratory Analysis module outlines procedures and information necessary to perform an effective evaluation of a permittee's laboratory. The modules are best used in a classroom setting where there is discussion between instructors and students and where questions can be asked. Yet, they can also stand alone as reference sources. Additional discussion of the topics covered in these modules appears in EPA's 1988 NPDES Compliance Inspection Manual. These training modules were developed primarily for in-house training of Regional and State NPDES Inspectors. However, they are available as well to other interested parties such as attorneys, other Government program offices, facility owners and operators, and members of the general public. Regional and State personnel are encouraged to provide EPA Headquarters with suggested changes or information which instructors or managers believe would improve these modules. The content of the V |