Delaware County, PA — There is far more to creating a quality residential development than grading a property and putting up homes. Conservation design looks at natural features, site constraints, and stormwater management — long before construction begins.

When Trilogy Investments bought one of the last remaining large parcels of property in Thornbury Township, they envisioned building 458 residential units on large lots throughout the tract–exactly what the township’s zoning allowed. When Trilogy’s President John Lynch saw that the township had other hopes and concerns–and was willing to be flexible in finding a solution that was beneficial to all–he realized it was a whole new game. The Cherry Creek cluster development became a model of conservation design that preserved woodlands, wetlands, and fields — and ended up holding 241 homes.

Says John Lynch:

I guess there’s a question of whether I’m doing this type of development for altruistic reasons or not. The answer is I’m not. First and foremost it’s a business. So normally when I  get involved in new projects, I look at them pretty analytically–what are my rights under law–and I then try to do better. When there are people on the other side of the table who share the goal of doing something better, so that there’s a win-win scenario, then it’s all green lights and I will pursue that with more vigor and more gusto than you can imagine…

The video is also available on the StormwaterPA YouTube Playlist and will be StormwaterPA.org with more project details soon. Check it Out and add it to your Site!

admin Low Impact Development buffers, clean water, environmental site design, flood control, infiltration, LID, non-structural BMPs, rain garden, rainwater collection, stormwater best management practices, stormwater runoff, water quality, watershed protection, wetlands

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts has unveiled its 2009 Annual Legislative Report, the result of discussions held at a strategic planning meeting last summer.  PACD will utilize the report in various capacities to showcase conservation district activities.  PACD plans on sharing the project with the Governor and his staff, various state agencies, and all members of the PA General Assembly.  PACD believes the report will show lawmakers how vital conservation districts are to their communities.

To read the full report, go to PACD Legislative Report.

Upcoming Events

2010 NACD Annual Meeting - Registration is open for the National Association of Conservation Districts 64th annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, January 31 - February 2, 2009. The meeting theme is “Committed to Conservation”. Information here.

Listening Session Webcast - EPA will hold a “virtual” listening session as a webcast on February 3, 2010 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm Eastern time to discuss the proposed national rulemaking to strengthen the national stormwater program.  After a presentation from EPA, this webcast will allow members of the public to call in and give brief (3 minute) statements. Audience members will be able to listen to the webcast and all public statements using their computer speakers. Click here to register.

For more information on this proposed rulemaking and these listening sessions, the potential rule and instructions for submitting written comments, see last week’s Blog entry.

From the Rooftop to the Bay: Implementing Stormwater Management Strategies in the
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
March 9-11, 2010 (Registration deadline is February 5, 2010)
Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Staunton, VA

Click here for more information.

Online Resources…

For interested readers, remember to visit US EPA’s website for stormwater training resources and archived webcasts:

§  Public Education and Public Involvement;

§  Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination;

§  Construction; Post-Construction;

§  Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping;

§  Green Infrastructure;

§  Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations;

§  Combined Sewer Overflows; Aquatic Pesticides;

§  Pretreatment; and

§  General NPDES.

admin General conservation district, stormwater legislation

A recent article published by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay suggests that it is possible since proposed actions are backed up by regulations, funding and consequences.

The hope stems from two new initiatives the federal government is undertaking. One is the total maximum daily load, better known as a TMDL, which is being developed by the EPA this year and will set limits for how much pollution a waterway can accept from stormwater, sewage treatment plants, agricultural runoff and other sources. The other is a multi-agency response to President Barack Obama’s executive order, which declared the Bay a “national treasure” and called for a strategy to restore and protect the Bay, its watershed and resources-all while providing more public accountability than in the past.

You can find the full article written by Karl Blankenship online at the Bay Journal.

admin Chesapeake Bay, Stormwater Regulations Chesapeake Bay, clean water, Nonpoint source pollution, stormwater legislation, TMDL, water quality, watershed protection, wet weather, wetlands

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) Pennsylvania Office has called on the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to dramatically strengthen the stormwater permit governing major urban and suburban areas in the Commonwealth. This permit, known as the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit, is required by the federal Clean Water Act, and is a critical vehicle for achieving pollution reductions in the Chesapeake Bay.

“The draft permit proposed by DEP falls far short of the requirements of both Pennsylvania law and the federal Clean Water Act,” said Matthew Royer, CBF’s Pennsylvania attorney. “Not only is the permit long overdue, what has been proposed thus far fails to adequately reduce stormwater pollution to our local rivers and streams.”

Read the complete article in the January edition of Bay Bound, CBF’s monthly e-newsletter.

admin NPDES / MS4, Stormwater Regulations Chesapeake Bay, clean water, Clean Water Act, MS4, Nonpoint source pollution, PA DEP, stormwater legislation, stormwater runoff, watershed protection

EPA has issued a Federal Register Notice (PDF) seeking stakeholder input to help EPA shape a program to reduce stormwater impacts.  Input will be provided through both written comments and during a series of public listening sessions.  As described in the FR Notice, EPA seeks input on the following preliminary regulatory considerations:

• Expand the area subject to federal stormwater regulations
• Establish specific requirements to control stormwater discharges from new development and redevelopment
• Develop a single set of consistent stormwater requirements for all MS4s
• Require MS4s to address stormwater discharges in areas of existing development through retrofitting the sewer system or drainage area with improved stormwater control measures
• Explore specific stormwater provisions to protect sensitive areas

Written comments must be submitted on or before February 26, 2010 to the address specified in the Federal Register notice.

The public listening sessions will offer a chance for the public to provide input on regulatory actions that EPA is considering.  Brief oral comments (three minutes or less) will be accepted at the sessions, and written statements will be accepted.  The dates and locations of the listening sessions are as follows:

January 19, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at EPA Region 5 Office, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604

January 20, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at EPA Region 9 Office, 75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, CA 94105

CLOSED - January 25, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at EPA Region 8 Office, 1595 Wynkoop Street Denver, CO 80202-1129

January 26, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at EPA Region 6 Office, 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 Dallas, Texas 75202

January 28, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at EPA HQ Office, Ariel Rios Building 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004

Interested individuals must register to attend by January 15, 2010. To register, click on the link above or visit www.epa.gov/npdes/training.  For individuals who cannot attend a specific listening session, EPA will make a conference call line available.  EPA encourages anyone who cannot attend one of the five listening sessions to sign up for the “virtual” listening session webcast below. However, if you would like to listen to a specific session via conference call, please contact Amber Marriott (amber.marriott@tetratech.com) for the conference call information.

Listening Session Webcast

EPA will hold a “virtual” listening session as a webcast on February 3, 2010 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm Eastern time. After a presentation from EPA, this webcast will allow members of the public to call in and give brief (3 minute) statements. Audience members will be able to listen to the webcast and all public statements using their computer speakers. Click here to register for the Listening Session Webcast.

MS4 Survey to Gather Data to Inform the Process

EPA also is proposing to disseminate a survey to owners, operators, developers, and contractors of developed sites, owners and operators of municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), and states and U.S. territories, which is designed to inform this rulemaking to strengthen stormwater regulations.  EPA is proposing to require three separate questionnaires focusing on gathering data about current stormwater management practices, including those used at newly developed and redeveloped sites.  EPA’s proposed survey would gather data from three groups: 1) the owners, operators, developers, and contractors of newly and redeveloped sites; 2) the owners and operators of municipal separate storm sewer systems; and 3) states and territories.  The draft survey would require detailed information about stormwater management and control practices, local regulations, and baseline financial information.

On October 26, 2009, EPA signed a Federal Register notice announcing its intent to submit a Information Collection Request (ICR) for the three questionnaires to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  EPA is requesting comments on the proposed Information Collection Request, including the associated burden estimate, but is NOT requesting completion of questionnaires at this time. The proposed ICR will be open for public comment for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.

EPA has already issued policy statements in 2009 for federal projects including:

1. Requirements for stormwater sampling and monitoring during construction.

2. Requirements for treating stormwater VOLUME as a water quality pollutant.

These requirements have not yet been extended to private development at the state and local level, however many states and local agencies are drafting similar requirements.

For more information on this proposed rulemaking and these listening sessions, the potential rule and instructions for submitting written comments, go to http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/rulemaking

It’s going to be interesting to see how this process synchs with what’s happening at the State level (or not…)

What are your thoughts?

admin NPDES / MS4, National, Stormwater Regulations clean water, federal stormwater regulations, land develeopment, MS4, Nonpoint source pollution, NPDES, stormwater, stormwater legislation, stormwater runoff, TMDL, US EPA, volume control, water quality