A. Site development or redevelopment activities approved under an existing unexpired development permit prior to the effective date of this code. These activities shall instead meet the requirements of the code in place at the time of development permit approval.

B. Site development or redevelopment permit applications that have been deemed a complete application prior to the effective date of this code. These applications shall instead meet the requirements of the code in place at the time the application was deemed complete.

C. Commercial agriculture and forest practices regulated under WAC Title 222, except for Class IV General Forest Practices that are conversions from timber land to other uses.

D. Development that is undertaken by the Washington State Department of Transportation in state highway rights-of-way and is regulated by Chapter 173-270 WAC, the Puget Sound Highway Runoff Program.

E. Road construction and/or maintenance activities, including the creation of wetland mitigations sites and storm ponds, undertaken by the Gig Harbor public works department shall be exempt from the administrative requirements of this code, but shall comply fully with the technical requirements contained herein.

F. An excavation below finished grade for basements and footings of a building, retaining wall, or other structure authorized by a valid building permit. This shall not exempt the placement of any fill material removed from such an excavation, and shall not exempt any excavation beyond the limits of the basement or footing excavations nor exempt excavations having an unsupported height greater than four feet after the completion of such a structure.

G. Agricultural crop management outside of critical drainage areas limited to the preparation of soil by turning, discing, or other means endorsed by the local conservation district.

H. Excavation for cemetery graves.

I. The disposal of solid waste, wood waste, problem waste and demolition waste authorized pursuant to Chapter 70.95 RCW, and regulations presently enacted or as may be amended or as specifically approved by the Pierce County health district.

J. The on-site stormwater management for mining, quarrying, excavating, processing, and/or stockpiling of rock, sand, gravel, aggregate, or clay where established and provided by law, and a permit for said activity has been issued by the state of Washington or the federal government, provided such operations do not exceed the minimum requirements of this code at the discharge location to the MS4.

K. Exploratory excavations under the direction of a qualified professional engineer.

L. Grading activities already approved by separate permit granted by any governing authority; provided, that the activities meet the minimum requirements of this code.

M. Emergency sandbagging, diking, ditching, filling, pumping, eductor truck work, or similar work during or after periods of extreme weather conditions when done to protect life or property.

N. Discharges of regulated effluent from any commercial or municipal facility holding a valid state or federal wastewater discharge permit.

O. Discharges from acts of nature not compounded by human negligence.

P. Discharges from properly operating on-site domestic sewage systems.

Q. Discharges from properly applied agricultural chemicals or materials. (Ord. 1169 § 2, 2009).