July 2nd, 2008 10:35am PST
Sediment: The Number One Polluter or Not?
Posted By Brant D. Keller
Several
years back, I wrote an editorial for Stormwater titled “The Dust Bowl,
Clean Water Act, and Sediment TMDLs: What Do They All Have in Common?” The
subject matter dealt with sediment loading and the lack of progress over the
years to effectively limit sediment from entering our streams and rivers. The
USEPA is currently developing Effluent Limitation Guidelines. There have been
major challenges...continue reading
July 2nd, 2008 10:35am PST
Sediment: The Number One Polluter or Not?
Posted By Brant D. Keller
Several
years back, I wrote an editorial for Stormwater titled “The Dust Bowl,
Clean Water Act, and Sediment TMDLs: What Do They All Have in Common?” The
subject matter dealt with sediment loading and the lack of progress over the
years to effectively limit sediment from entering our streams and rivers. The
USEPA is currently developing Effluent Limitation Guidelines. There have been
major challenges along the way to issue these limits.Sediment
is one of the nation’s largest contributors of pollution. Total maximum daily
loads (TMDLs) are written and implementation plans are starting to take place.
What I have found in several states is that local government is being held
responsible for meeting reduction limits with little or no regulatory support to
accomplish these measurable goals. State and national associations have done an
excellent job on lobbying for their particular groups’ interests.
In
the end, local governments are faced with being the bad actor in enforcement and
being charged with costing the development community money. Local professionals
are continuously under fire from their councils and commissions that we are
extremely harsh on enforcement and are creating issues for growth in the local
community.
States
write regulations that have bare minimum coverage of the subject matter in
relation to support for local professionals, and we are directed to enforce only
what is on the books. Many times we lack the ability to achieve the goals of
NPDES permitting.
I
would like to hear from others on this subject. Maybe I am missing the
boat.