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Know Your
Weather!
LAKE LANIER
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NPDES + WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
International Erosion Control Association
Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District
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Greetings!
 How are you about learning from others mistakes? In its latest annual assessment of the state of pollution, China's Ministry of Environmental Protection acknowledged that nearly half of the water in the country's rivers was unsafe for human consumption. A recent diesel oil spill announced just before Christmas, threatens millions of people who depend on drinking water from the Yellow River.
 China's population of approximately 1.3 Billion is roughly 900 million people more than our US population of 307 Million. However, while China is now limiting the number of newborns to 1 per family, Americans are adding on average 2 to 3 times that number per family. In other words, our rate of growth has surpassed China's! This begs the question.....What are we willing to do to keep our water from getting polluted as we grow.
The Clean Water Act and the Clean Drinking Water Act have helped rescue our water resources. The passage of these important pieces of legislation serve to prepare us for the massive population increase that we are all witness to. There is little doubt that the NPDES program is tough and warns of stiff penalties for violating its requirements. HOWEVER, without established rules to protect our water, the future of millions of Americans living today and those that are yet to be born would be damaged.
As the United States get back on its feet economically, let's remember that both compliance and enforcement professionals need to work together so that we become a healthy nation economically without sacrificing our natural resources. We all live downstream! |
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$60,000 Penalty for Unpermitted Fill Activity
 (January 4, 2011) - A private construction company hired by the Iowa Department of Transportation to work on a section of Interstate 35 in Clarke County has agreed to pay a $60,000 civil penalty to the United States for performing unpermitted fill activities that impacted a section of a nearby stream and three acres of adjacent wetlands.
Manatt's approached the owner of private land adjacent to the I-35 construction project to seek permission to use material from the construction site to fill in approximately 1,000 linear feet of an unnamed tributary of White Breast Creek. Although the landowner agreed to the proposed activity, neither the landowner nor Manatt's obtained a permit from the Corps of Engineers to allow the work within the stream and wetlands, as required by the federal Clean Water Act.
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We ALL Live Downstream, So Let's Work Together! 
Assisting the NPDES
Compliance and Enforcement Community |
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SILT FENCE INSTALLATION
( A COMMON SENSE ACTIVITY NOT COMMONLY PRACTICED)
 One of the problems that plague silt fencing is improper installation and maintenance. The bottom may dislodge from the trench or heavy equipment may run over it, and no one reinstalls it before the next weather event. On one hand, while the actual costs of sediment and erosion control are increasing in line with other construction-related products, the efficiency of the products is bringing a better return on the investment, experts say. |
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DID YOU KNOW THAT GEORGIA IS INTO
RAINWATER HARVESTING?
Two states, Georgia & Texas, are capitalizing on their area's rainwater catchment possibilities, including expanded permitting and-in some cases-rainwater harvesting requirements. In the last decade, both states have created manuals designed to encourage widespread use of rainwater catchment systems in homes and businesses.
In Georgia, where border disputes and a year-long drought has severely impacted state water supplies, rainwater harvesting has become par for the course. In 2009, the state published a set rainwater harvesting guidelines that modified international plumbing codes and set about standards designed to "assist all parties involved in the design, construction, inspection, and maintenance of rainwater harvesting systems."
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Remember that your site is not the only one getting rained on. IT ALL GOES TO THE CREEK! So the next time you finish a responsible construction project, take a drive, go for a hike, catch a fish or celebrate a successful hunt.....take a moment to think a grateful thought, make a difference somewhere with someone, and give thanks and honor to the United States of America and the sacrifice our past and present military men and women have provided so we can enjoy the liberty and freedom we share, and so easily take for granted! This Newsletter is intended to be a useful tool for all individuals involved stormwater management, especially those on construction sites. There is a lot happening now with water regulations! If you have areas of interest you would like to discuss, or areas of concern you would like included in this newsletter, please contact us at 678-469-5120.
Sincerely, 
T. Luke Owen, PG
Principal Trainer, NPDES Stormwater Training Institute
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