The Stormwater Report

The Obama administration recently released a national clean water framework to outline responsibilities of several agencies in protecting U.S. waters. It includes a guidance document drafted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers defining which U.S. waterbodies are subject to Clean Water Act regulations. The Water Environment Federation initiated a conference call [...]

Sen. Cardin (D-Md.) will today reintroduce legislation aimed at reducing runoff from highways and roads. The goal of the bill—the Safe Treatment of Polluted Stormwater Runoff (STOPS Runoff) Act—is to decrease water pollution resulting from roadways, which includes contaminants like brake dust, oil, road salts, heavy metals and more. STOPS Runoff would require federally funded highway and [...]

On April 14, the Water Environment Federation co-sponsored a Capitol Hill briefing on U.S. Geological Survey studies about polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from pavement sealcoat. Stormwater washes these PAHs into lakes and streams, where they can pose risks to humans and wildlife. In response to these and similar studies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and localities are [...]

The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF; Alexandria, Va.) has partnered with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to reduce sediment and nutrient delivery to the Chesapeake Bay. With a 6-year grant from the NFWF, WERF will coordinate studies on nutrient and sediment reduction, program management, source controls, monitoring, and receiving water effects. This will [...]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Healthy Watersheds Initiative is a proactive, systems approach to protecting unimpaired U.S. waters. In shaping this initiative, the agency is looking for comments on a draft version of Identifying and Protecting Healthy Watersheds: Concepts, Assessments, and Management Approaches. This document provides “an assessment framework for identifying healthy watersheds, examples of management approaches, sources [...]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a draft Construction General Permit (CGP), which regulates stormwater discharges from construction sites. This is a modified version of the 2008 CGP that contains more provisions for protecting water quality. The new CGP would require all construction sites to implement management practices that prevent pollution and erosion by [...]

In early April, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify barriers and solutions to implementing green infrastructure. WEF will continue working in partnership with the agency on its Green Infrastructure Strategic Agenda and community partnership effort, which was announced April 29. So far, EPA has selected 10 municipalities [...]

Technical sessions and exhibitor information are now available for the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC®) 2011. Visit My WEFTEC Planner to begin scheduling your WEFTEC experience, or find stormwater specific programming here. Related Posts:Registration Opens for WEF’s Inaugural Stormwater CongressSubmit a Stormwater Abstract for WEFTEC 2013WEFTEC Stormwater Wrap-upWEF to Aid Wetland Construction in New Orleans’ City [...]

Four years ago, Commissioner Paula Daniels of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works assembled an interdepartmental team called the Green Streets Committee. The goal was to increase stormwater infiltration in order to improve water quality and simultaneously enhance groundwater recharge within the Los Angeles Basin. While each public works bureau has different objectives to [...]