Stormwater Management Bills

General Assembly

“As mentioned in the last newsletter, revisions to the state’s stormwater management laws are getting a top billing at the General Assembly. The House Agriculture Committee overwhelmingly has approved a comprehensive measure that incorporates a number of changes proposed by the various bills that were introduced by delegates. The changes are incorporated into HB 1173 and include the following provisions: 

1. Reciprocity with other states regarding best management practices;
2. Approval of a program with common plan of development conveys to individual parcels;
3. Submission of an agreement in lieu of a permit where land-disturbing activity results from the construction of a single-family residence;
4. Allowance for non-MS4s to opt out of the program and have DEQ manage it; and
5. An emergency clause, meaning the bill would take effect upon passage and signing by the governor, rather than on July 1.

 The Senate Agriculture Committee will consider its various stormwater bills next Thursday; it is expected that its bill will look similar to the House version, but perhaps provide MS4 localities with greater flexibility to meet water quality standards. The full House will take up its measure early next week.”

~Writes David Blount TJPDC Legislative Liaison

Polluted Runoff Report

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

“So just where exactly do stormwater fees go you ask? Try rain gardens, streambeds, ponds, and other job-creating projects that not only improve our water quality, but beautify our communities, too! Learn more in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s special investigative report on polluted runoff”

Click here for the report

General Assembly to Address Stormwater Management

General Assembly

“More than a dozen bills have been submitted to the 2014 General Assembly that address stormwater management. It is likely that the various House and Senate bills will be lumped into a comprehensive piece of legislation in each chamber that addresses many of the issues raised in the individual bills. The likely vehicles for the revised provisions are HB 261 and SB 423. As introduced, these bills authorize the State Water Control Board to adopt regulations that create a procedure for approving permits for individual parcels in a common plan of development, provide a General Permit for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities that omits unneeded information on post-construction water quality standards, and provide reciprocity with other states regarding certification of best management practices. These bills also allow the submission of an agreement in lieu of a permit where land-disturbing activity results from the construction of a single-family residence, but neither provides any delay of the July 1, 2014 requirement for local management of stormwater programs (these final two items are positions taken by the TJPD Legislative Program). Four introduced bills would provide a one year delay in the requirement. Another, HB 1173, allows any locality that does not operate a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) to opt out of establishing its own stormwater management program.”

~Writes David Blount of the Thomas Jefferson PDC

Stomwater Act could devastate growth across the Northern Neck

Northern Neck

“Tiny droplets of rain could soon cost area residents big money if state legislation comes to pass.

Nearly 10 years in the making, the New Virginia Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (SWPP) has officials concerned, citing dire consequences to growth in rural communities if the act passes through and becomes commonwealth law.

According to new SWPP regulations, in accordance with the Chesapeake Bay Protection Act program, any land disturbance of more than 2,500 square feet will incur fees, planning and annual dues that could put an abrupt halt to new construction, renovations, upgrades and home improvements statewide.

As of July 2014, in the Commonwealth’s attempt to improve the quality of local rivers, bays and their tributaries, any party–from a multi-conglomerate building an office park in Fredericksburg to a homeowner in Warsaw looking to put in a driveway–will be subject to fees that will require engineer contracts, stormwater drainage field construction and annual dues with inspections and the costs they involve, all on the taxpayers dime.”

~Writes the Northern Neck News

Click here to learn more

Bay group: Stormwater runoff must be reduced

Chesapeake Bay

“Localities and lawmakers must do more to keep polluted runoff from fouling Virginia’s rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. That’s the gist of a report released Monday by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which calls for tens of millions of dollars more from state legislators to help pay for stormwater runoff reductions. ‘This is clearly a problem that demands local solutions for local benefits. It’s time for all of us to reduce polluted runoff,’ CBF President Will Baker said Monday in a conference call with reporters.”

~Writes Rusty Dennen of the Free Lance–Star

Click here to learn more

King George fracking presentation moved to Feb. 4

King George County

“State officials will talk to the King George board about drilling regulations, the region’s geology and deposits in the area, according to a spokesman from the state department.

For three months, the King George supervisors have said they want to look at their ordinances and see what they can or cannot allow in terms of fracking. That’s another term for hydraulic fracturing, a process that injects chemicals into the ground to fracture rocks, which then release oil and natural gas.

A Texas-based company has leased more than 84,000 acres in the Taylorsville Basin area, including 10,443 acres in King George, to do some preliminary drilling for oil and gas.”

~Writes Cathy Dyson of the Free Lance–Star

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Training Opportunities for Environmental Planners

Virginia Environmental Professionals Organization

The following information is provided for all environmental professionals and interested parties throughout Virginia.  To contribute announcements to the weekly VAEPO news bulletin, please email info@vaepo.org.  All compiled information is also available on our web site at http://vaepo.org.

Upcoming ASCE Webinars from Wetlands Studies and Solutions, Inc.
Stream Restoration: What Works and What Doesn't Work – Jan. 22 (2:00-3:00pm)

Public Outreach Video Series from Excal Visual LLP
This video series discusses illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) for municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4). It's designed to allow MS4s to use multiple media to reach out to the public on IDDE.  The series can be used for community TV public service announcements (PSAs), for loading on city web sites and for disk copies that can be distributed to schools, public service organizations and others.  View the video series.

This information is courtesy of the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC):

Water Quality Improvement Plan Public Meeting -- Jan. 28 (6:30 PM) -- Fries, VA
A draft water quality improvement plan for reducing agricultural and residential sources of bacteria in Cripple Creek (Smyth & Wythe Counties) and Elk Creek (Grayson County) will be presented at this meeting. To learn more, please see the meeting details or contact Patrick Lizon with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality at Patrick.Lizon@deq.virginia.gov or 276-676-4803.

EPA’s Long-Term Vision for TMDL Program
The 303(d) Program requires states to develop lists of impaired waters, establish priority rankings for waters on the lists, and develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for these waters. This new program vision enhances overall efficiency of the 303(d) program, and encourages attention to priority waters.  It provides states flexibility in using available tools beyond TMDLs to attain water quality restoration and protection. Accountability will be ensured through a new CWA 303(d) program measure for FY 15 for tracking success in implementing these efforts that restore and protect the nation’s streams, rivers and lakes. Whereas the vision provides a new framework for implementing the CWA 303(d) program, it does not alter state and EPA responsibilities or authorities under the CWA 303(d) regulations. To learn more, visit the EPA's web site.

Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute (VNRLI) Regional Sessions --

     Registration deadline: Feb. 27; Institute: Apr. 23-25 -- Southwest Virginia
     Registration deadline: Apr. 10; Institute: Jun. 4-5 -- Charlottesville

This program is for emerging leaders confronted with pressing natural resource issues who seek new skills in conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving. Includes a mix of mini-lectures, experiential exercises, stakeholder panel discussions and field trips. Please visit VNRLI's web site  or register here. For more information, contact Melissa Herlitz at  434-924-6569 or mak2ye@virginia.edu. VNRLI is a partnership between the University of Virginia’s Institute for Environmental Negotiation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science Discovery Labs -- Gloucester Point, VA
Each lab focuses on a specific topic through a series of stations that provide hands-on activities for kids and adults. Discovery Labs are free, but registration is required.  Registration forms are available for the current month's lab only.

Feb. 18 -- Deep Sea
Mar. 18 -- Wetlands
Apr. 15 -- Antarctica
Jun. 10 -- Horseshoe Crabs
Jul. 15 -- Turtles
Aug. 19 -- Scallops
Oct. 21 -- Mad Lab

To learn more or to register, see the VIMS web site . For more information, contact Sarah Nuss at mcguire@vims.edu or 804-684-7878.

Nominations Sought: National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) Awards -- Nominations due: Jan. 31; Conference: Apr. 28-May 2 -- Cincinnati, OH
Awards will be presented at the 2014 NWQMC Conference.  Individual recognitions will be given through the Elizabeth Fellows and Barry Long Awards.  Group recognition will be given through the Vision Award.  To learn more about these awards, visit NWQMC web site and click the links to the right under “Awards.” For more information, contact Cathy Tate at cmtate@usgs.gov.


*** Don't forget to officially join VAEPO: Please take the time to review the attached fee structure and join us as we work together to build a better future for all Virginians! ***

1on1: Virginia Stormwater Management Permit program

City of Harrisonburg

“The state is mandating localities to implement a Virginia Stormwater Management Permit program beginning this July. Harrisonburg City Engineer Dan Rublee explains the program.”
~Reports Bob Corso WHSV – ABC3

Click here to watch this video

Albemarle undecided on how to fund expanded stormwater program

Albemarle County

“The Albemarle Board of Supervisors is keeping three options on the table to pay for a state mandate to expand the scope of its water resources protection program. The county is expected to increase spending on the program from $414,000 in the next fiscal year to $1.23 million in 2019 to comply with changes to the Virginia Stormwater Management Program… The additional money will pay for inspectors and reviewers to look over blueprints for how development projects will mitigate the velocity of stormwater created after undeveloped land is disturbed.”

~Writes Sean Tubbs of Charlottesville Tomorrow

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Video on Stormwater Runoff

Focused Topic 

Richmond Times-Dispatch environmental writer Rex Springston discusses the effects of stormwater runoff.

                                   

Click here to learn more

Gloucester supervisors seek delay of new environmental regulations

Gloucester County

“In one of its first acts of 2014, the Board of Supervisors pushed back, albeit ever so diplomatically. With new members Mike Winebarger, Phil Bazzani and John Meyer aboard, the board voted unanimously to direct County Administrator Brenda Garton draft a letter to state legislators asking to delay by a year the implementation of a state-mandated storm water management program that critics say will prove costly to home builders, homeowners, businesses and taxpayers.

The storm water management program is billed as protecting Chesapeake Bay through the development and implementation of corralling storm water to ensure sediment, nutrients and pollutants don't wash into the bay and its tributaries. Counties are supposed to enact the new regulations by July 1.

The program is anticipated to cost Gloucester County $126,000 a year for a six-year period beginning in 2014. The program comes with added ordinances and requirements — and for applicants higher fees for permits and increased costs for engineering and construction — to install infrastructure to ensure storm water doesn't overwhelm local tributaries.”

~Writes Matt Sabo of the Daily Press

Click here to learn more

Fracking issues to get airing in King George

King George County

“Residents in King George clearly expect fracking issues to be at the forefront of public discussion during 2014. Resident Mary Trout commented on the topic during the Dec. 17 meeting of the Board of Supervisors, which spawned remarks from several elected officials, all expressing concerns.

Trout raised the issue of how hydraulic fracturing – fracking – might affect landowners on private roads should natural gas mining take place on neighboring property. She also raised the issue of noise from the industrial activity and noted that environmental and legal issues need to be considered.

Hydrofracking is a process whereby chemicals and water are forced deep into the ground to fracture the shale rock strata to release natural gas. This fracking process consumes large amounts of water, and the chemicals can pollute aquifers. King George’s entire water supply is dependent on wells fed from underground aquifers.”

~Writes Phyllis Cook of The Journal

Click here to learn more