Cavechat.org

Where can I get information on the laws that construction companies have to abide by when they encounter a cave.
I did several searches on here but nothing came up. Thanks in advance.

Hi, Anthony,

I doubt there are any specific laws about this. In general, encountering a cave during construction is seen as a real inconvenience usually. As word spreads interested parties might force a study to see if artifacts or endangered species mgiht be at risk, etc.

Best bet? Ask your local zoning board or county government. It starts as a local issue, normally.

anthonytsi wrote:Where can I get information on the laws that construction companies have to abide by when they encounter a cave.
I did several searches on here but nothing came up. Thanks in advance.

I'm not a Chattanooga grotto member but know several members. I'm pretty sure that several of them are pretty active in the construction industry.

Like Phil says, I'm pretty sure the "rules" vary from city to city, county to county and state to stats.

Thanks guys.

Construction covering more than 1 acre require NPDES storm water construction permits. Part of getting a permit requires a SWPPP (storm water protection prevention plan), in which case the cave should have been noted before construction began and actions taken to keep storm water from getting into the cave and potentially ground water. If the cave is discovered after construction began, the SWPPP should be updated and actions taken accordingly.

If you are finding violations and would like to report it as a concerned citizen, you can contact TDEC WPC (if in TN) or Chattanooga's storm water department (if in Chattanooga). If the construction is under 1 acre, which would normally be exempt, it can still be reported if it is polluting groundwater.