Good use of silt fence as inlet protection and matting for erosion control.
We have a substitute blogger for this week. Jan is out of the country and hopefully enjoying herself. This blog will focus on an environmental compliance issue that is of concern to the construction industry in Virginia and beyond. Stormwater management can be a major headache in the planning process for new construction, and new legislation is being considered right now in the Virginia General Assembly. You all need to know what you need to do.
Stormwater is a major pollutant of our nation’s groundwater. A lot of that pollution comes directly from construction sites. Sediment, suspended solids, nutrients, oil and grease, pesticides and metals are all common pollutants from stormwater runoff. These things end up in our drinking water! I don’t think I want to pour a glass of iced “Roundup” rather than iced water. Yuck!
So, what does a construction company need to know? Well, first off, you need a permit. But only if the area of disturbed land is equal to or greater than one acre. Now if you are in an area subject to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, and your disturbance area is equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet, then you need a permit. Check these in the planning stage of work.
The most important part of this permit is the requirement for a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Your SWPPP outlines how you will comply with the permit. This document serves as your “bible” in ensuring the protection of groundwater from pollutants in your site’s area. The Department of Conservation & Resources deals with the permits and, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, may perform inspections of your site.
Basically, you need your permit and your SWPPP before you start work, and you need to follow that SWPPP as closely as possible to avoid citations. Remember, you wouldn’t want to be drinking in metals and oils on a hot summer day, so do your part to protect our drinking water!
Refer to http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil_and_water/vsmp.shtml for more info on Stormwater Management.
