Road salts commonly used in the winter to melt ice and keep roads clear are not being effectively absorbed by mitigation measures, allowing the salt to reach groundwater and wells, according to Joel Snodgrass, professor and head of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.). “Current stormwater management practices don’t […]
Better management of roadside ditches could help improve water quality in the Chesapeake region, according to a workshop report from the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee, which provides guidance to the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) on measures to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay. The workshop, “Re-plumbing the Chesapeake Watershed: Improving roadside ditch management to […]
Detroit-based Parjana Distribution LLC is partnering with Lawrence Technological University (LTU) on a pilot project that involves testing a new stormwater drainage system for parking lots that is expected to significantly reduce stormwater runoff volumes. The technology, named energy-passive groundwater recharge products (EGRPs), includes 31.75mm-diameter hydrophobic, polyethylene tubes composed of five chambers and open channels […]
A new $3.5 million, 121-ha (300-ac) stormwater park in South Brevard County, Fla., will help protect the Indian River Lagoon ecosystem by filtering runoff from a 8500-ha (21,000-ac) watershed and limiting pollutants from entering the St. Sebastian River, which feeds into the lagoon. The Wheeler Stormwater Park includes a series of settling ponds with the […]
Particle size distribution (PSD) significantly affects stormwater controls that rely on settling to remove sediment. A new study by researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey Wisconsin Water Science Center demonstrates the importance of knowing PSD for properly sizing these stormwater controls. Published Jan. 6 in the open-access journal Water, “The effect of particle size distribution […]
On August 3, The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) released a draft Chloride Management Plan (CMP) and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report that seeks to protect surface and groundwater resources in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area from chloride pollution. The report also recommends restoring 37 surface waters in the metro area. Created in partnership […]
In response to mounting research, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D–Texas) introduced the Coal Tar Sealants Reduction Act of 2012 (H.R. 4166), along with four co-sponsors. The legislation specifies that, after enactment, manufacturing of coal tar sealants would phase out during the course of 1 year, distribution would stop after 1.5 years, and all sales would […]
According to a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study, a ban on coal-tar sealants may be the most cost-effective means of controlling polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution in runoff. EPA showed that concentrations of PAHs in runoff from coal-tar sealants are 100 to 1,000 times greater than other sealants tested, and most PAHs are […]
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 […]
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