What’s to Become of PA DEP and Stormwater in the Wake of Budget Cuts?
In the wake of PA DEPs new budget cutbacks, our understanding is that PA DEP officials are still evaluating how the massive budget cuts are going to impact specific DEP programs. A revised detailed budget hasn’t been released by DEP, and many critical questions remain.
StormwaterPA is not clear, for example, what the apparent deletion of the “stormwater” line item means for the total stormwater program. Are we looking at the elimination of any 167 planning matches, or something far more severe? We have been told that optional projects such as the BMP Manual Revision Committee, which has been described and discussed in this blog in recent weeks, are no longer being supported by PA DEP staff, offices, and budgets, although sub-group meetings are continuing (more discussion on this below).
In the midst of so many stormwater-related program changes from Chapter 102 to MS4/NPDES Phase II to the BMP Manual itself, impacts of budget cutbacks and staff reductions would seem especially dangerous…
Status of the BMP Manual Revision and Activities of sub-group Committee
The nine sub-groups designated by PA DEP as part of the Manual Revision Committee will continue to meet, though in an unofficial capacity with no guarantees that any of their work or recommendations will have an impact on the Manual as it currently reads.
StormwaterPA welcomes any news that results from these efforts and is more than happy to provide a forum for discussion. Write to us, Sub-Group Scribes, so we can keep all stakeholders informed! You can email us at info@stormwaterpa.org
As an example of what may come out of these meetings: we attended the recent (October 27) Capture and Re-Use sub-Group meeting outside of Allentown (Newton Engineering Group offices) ,where the discussion was far-reaching and explored the concept of adding another technology, spray irrigation, to this BMP itself or to the broader BMP list.
The DEP regional office and other sub-group members described extensive use of spray irrigation as a technique for stormwater volume control, especially in areas such as super-sensitive mined lands where infiltration BMPs for volume control could entail serious groundwater problems (i.e., increased acid mine drainage). Clearly, Pennsylvania has large areas where such groundwater sensitivities exist and where a spray BMP could provide a useful stormwater management answer. Though the Capture and Re-Use Sub-Group has yet to compile its recommendations for forwarding to DEP, this is an interesting example of adding to the Manual and making it more comprehensive…
