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JOIN TODAY!
KNOW YOUR WEATHER BEFORE BREAKING GROUND!
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NPDES + WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
International Erosion Control Association JOIN TODAY
Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District
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Greetings!
We wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and the best New Year in 2013! |
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Must know's about our training!
- We GUARANTEE our Training! If you don't pass a test when you train with us, you will not pay to re-test!
- For a limited time - you will receive a FREE Field Manual with EVERY registration! This is a $20 value, and is MUST HAVE in the field. Sign up today for any level 1A, 1B, Level II or any re-cert class and get your Field Manual on the day of training ABSOLUTELY FREE!! REGISTER HERE
- We offer training now in Gainesville, Athens, Lawrenceville, Tifton and Cumming in addition to our other training locations throughout the State. Be sure to check out our SCHEDULE OF COURSES for all of our training locations! REGISTER HERE
- We offer PRIVATE COURSES at your location! These are often the same price or reduced price from our regular training! Call today to discuss your training needs. 678-469-5120
- We offer online recert training for all Certification levels that can be done from the comfort of your home or office - 24 hours a day! Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about the online re-cert training. Visit www.geologiconline.com to sign up for an online recert class, or call us with any questions at 678-469-5120
- Want some feedback from our past students? Read reviews from our "Raving Fans"
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DID YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHT TO FISH IS THREATENED!
SUPPORT THE SPORTSMENS ACT OF 2012!
From bass fishing along the Tennessee River to stalking tarpon in the Florida Keys, tremendous fresh and saltwater sportfishing opportunities abound in the Southeast.
However, changes in fisheries management and other efforts, including access restrictions, may significantly affect angling opportunities in the region.
This is of major concern to the region's 10.2 million anglers, who, through their passion for the sport, support $21 billion in economic activity and provide the backbone for fisheries conservation through the purchase of fishing licenses and the excise tax on sportfishing equipment.
Please read more to learn about the current threats to sportfishing in the Southeast and to take action to protect your right to fish.
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WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION THE NEXT 4 YEARS
Who knows, but there's already some plates spinning. We know that the EPA will continue to grapple with several threshold issues regarding the reach and applicability of the Clean Water Act ("CWA").
Chief among these is the scope of CWA jurisdiction over "navigable waters," particularly in the context of wetlands. In an effort to clarify divergent decisions from federal appellate courts on this issue, the Supreme Court issued a decision in 2006, Rapanos v. United States. The failure of that decision  to set out clear standards, however, has created confusion that the courts, EPA, and the Army Corps of Engineers ("Corps") have yet to clarify. In June 2007 and again in December 2010, EPA and the Corps issued joint guidance memoranda on how their respective staff may determine CWA jurisdiction under the tests set forth in Rapanos. In the spring of 2011, EPA and the Corps proposed but never enacted rules on CWA jurisdiction.
Another threshold issue, currently pending before the Supreme Court, is the  question of whether stormwater permits are required for discharges from ditches and culverts on logging roads. The Supreme Court, in a case of significant importance to public and private landowners and businesses throughout forested areas in the United States, is considering a challenge to a Ninth Circuit decision that reversed decades-old EPA policy in holding that such permits are required. While the case has been pending, EPA has proposed revisions to its regulations to specify which, if any, logging road activity requires stormwater permits. On November 9, EPA sent a final rule to the White House for review. The Supreme Court currently was to hear oral argument on December 3, which will likely precede release of EPA's new rule.
 EPA also has stated that it intends to propose a rule to strengthen the national stormwater program by June 10, 2013 and complete final action by December 10, 2014. These new rules are likely to affect industrial facilities and municipalities.
Marten Law
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CONSTRUCTION & NPDES COMPLIANCE
American's Working Together for WATER QUALITY!"
Click Here for
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CHINA's PROGRESS WITH CLEAN WATER
 Water pollution and scarcity due to weak enforcement, drought and over-use are some of the biggest problems facing China today. In 2009, 270 million people in rural China had no access to safe drinking water and more than 4.5 million people were short of water in northern China due to the severe drought. The government is responding to these problems with new policies and major investment projects: China has tripled the number of municipal wastewater plants, initiated the controversial South-to-North diversion project, and planned desalination projects near urban areas. Between 2010 and 2020, US$ 615 billion will be invested in water infrastructure improvements. Better enforcement of existing water laws and new regulations to increase efficiency are also government priorities, but the scale of the problem is so large that even these laudable policies will not suffice.
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CLEAN WATER
It's Common Sense, Isn't It?!
 Does it make sense for a land developer to invest his/her time & money into a project and expect to prosper financially from the risk and the effort? Absolutely, it's the free enterprise system that makes America great!
 On the other side of that coin, does it make sense for a land owner/developer to be held accountable for polluting someone elses water down stream, even if it's unintentional? Absolutely, our legal right to clean water is also what makes America great!
As a young US Marine in the 70s, I remember visiting countries where the people suffered greatly because of contaminated rivers they were forced to drink from because there was no other water available. As a matter of fact, I drank water that I thought was clean  but turned out to be contaminated, and got very sick from it. I'll never forget the diarrhea, vomiting and nausea that came from it...I thought I was going to die! We cannot take our eyes off of countries like Haiti, Indonesia, China and scores of others, where millions of people have no legal right to clean water, and therefore suffer daily. Although China is making headway, they have a lot of work before they can boast the same water quality that We in the United States have!
What is it that takes the common sense out of the answer to a simple question like..."Would you drink the water downstream that carries the stuff you put into it upstream?" The answer seems so simple and straight forward! Why do people I normally consider intelligent and reasonable, continue to battle over the issue of clean water?! Is it really all that complicated? The evidence of what happens to our water when we do nothing about regulating it, is in our nations recent past. Let's not forget!
 America's quality of life is the envy of the world! People are willing to die (and sometimes do) to live in the United States of America. Our water quality has come at a great expense and we must all remember that it takes a lot of money to clean up the rain water that picks up our pollution and carries it to our waterways. The Clean Water Act's permitting system for clean water is NPDES. It provides the tools necessary to prevent our waters from being polluted and also makes people accountable for their actions when they damage or pollute our waterways.
This Christmas, let's not forget the importance of a strong healthy economy (ie private enterprises making a profit) to pay for Clean Water Act compliance! America has proven that the Clean Water Act WITH a strong economy working together, have been very successful in providing clean water over the last 40 years!
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GEORGIA WATER AUDITS!
WATER AUDITS DUE TO THE EPD
BY MARCH 2013
The Water Stewardship Act of 2010 is a landmark, multifaceted approach to water conservation and requires specific action by water providers serving over 3,300 in population. Approximately 250 water providers are affected by the Act's new water loss control requirements. Specifically:
- Public water systems serving over 3,300 in population must conduct an annual water system audit.
- Public water systems serving over 3,300 in population must implement a water loss detection program.
- Public water systems serving greater than 10,000 individuals (or population served) must submit the initial water audit to EPD no later than March 2012.
- Public water systems serving greater than 3,300 individuals (or population served) and up to 10,000 individuals (or population served) must submit initial audits to EPD no later than March 2013.
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We customize our MS4 courses around your training needs. One or two day trainings available! Our 2-Day Training is awesome and combines classroom with field in a great way!
We also help you with your reporting. Have a difficult time organizing all of those records and submitting that Annual Report to the EPD? Not only do we provide MS4 Training for cities, counties, DOTs and universities, we also get you connected with a cost effective solution for your MS4 Annual Reporting Requirements! The MS4 Web and Desktop program is a customizable, state of the art software that can make annual reporting less expensive, much simpler, and a lot easier!
"What is a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)?" A MS4 is a conveyance, or a system of conveyances, that is owned by a state, city, town, village, military base, or other public entity (e.g., University) that discharges stormwater to waters of the United States. A MS4 collects or conveys stormwater (including storm drains, pipes, ditches, etc.). It is not a combined sewer system, and it is not part of a publicly owned treatment works (POTW). MS4s must report annually to the State administering the MS4 permit or the US EPA, and that's where we can help! Call us at 678-469-5120. |
BMP CORNER
FLEXAMAT
A great website for a great product!  Flexamat is a "Tied Concrete Block Mat".
(Tied Concrete Block Mat is a generic term for Flexamat.)
Flexamat consists of concrete shapes, locked together with a high strength, polypropylene geogrid. There are openings around each concrete block that give Flexamat the flexibility and enable it to be packaged in rolls. The openings also allow vegetation to grow through the mat. Eventually, vegetation will completely cover Flexamat. It can be manufactured with various backings such as non-woven fabric to stop vegetation growth or a TRM (turf re-enforcement mat) depending on the soil conditions and other factors.
There's a wide range of applications where Flexamat is utilized, but it is most commonly used for erosion control. Flexamat is used to control erosion in channels, outlet protection, on slopes, for shoreline protection and many other applications.
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 This Newsletter is intended to be a useful tool for all individuals involved in land disturbing activities and stormwater management. It's important that we sacrifice a little to give our future generations an equally great place to work, live, fish, hunt, and enjoy. As construction picks back up, let's remember the importance of having a healthy economy; a strong construction sector that is mindful of stormwater runoff impacts to America's watersheds.Before the Clean Water Act was passed, sediment, sewage, and chemicals caused America's rivers, like the Chattahoochee River, to be void of fish. As Americans, we cannot take our eyes off of the importance of water quality. Respecting our neighbors downstream is what the Clean Water Act is all about! There is a lot happening today with water regulations that affect a diverse community of public and private entities. If you have areas of interest that you would like included in this newsletter, please contact us at 678-469-5120.
Sincerely,
T. Luke Owen, PG
Principal, NPDES Stormwater Training Institute
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