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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!
"The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this; a creation can only be loved after it's constructed, but a thing constructed is loved before it's created."
Charles Dickens
Whether you build homes for people to live in, buildings for people to work in, or cabinets for people to store things in...it's amazing to see how our human imagination can be captured for a moment in time in the things we build. We humans like to build things......the hard part is cleaning up after ourselves! I cooked an incredible meal the other day with shrimp, salmon and vegetables followed up with a delicious German chocolate cake. Man it was a sight to see and even better to eat! However, the damage to my kitchen was also a sight to behold! I didn't want to clean it up! After all, I didn't wake up in the morning with a dream of cleaning up my mess, but I did it anyway because I owned it!
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Nice House, Big Mess!
Who Owns It? |
Builders are no different than anyone else! It's not fun to pay for E&S installation and maintenance or clean up sediment, but who's going to? People relying on clean abundant water downstream shouldn't have to. Should they? That's where we, in America stand out as a nation among other nations. In our country, citizens have the legal right to clean water and protected property values. Our laws help ensure that someone who contaminates our water is accountable. How we go about it can be expensive which is where the battle begins between the creators and the protectors. By the way, getting certified helps you learn how to be both and still make money! NPDES is a system of permits that help Americans prosper in a clean environment!
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NPDES TRAINING INSTITUTE
Where People Learn and Pass! |
Sign up for one of our classes and you'll find a professional training provider that knows how to properly communicate the often complicated regulations in a way that "helps it all make sense!" Visit us at www.npdestraining.com or www.erosiontraining.com |
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WITH MORE RAIN..
WE SHOULD BE SEEING
MORE ENFORCEMENT
Under authority of the Water Quality Control Act (including Surface Water Allocation) :
Facility:
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Foster Memorial Park project site; order issued to T. W. Phillips Grading, Inc.
| Location: | Towns County | Order Number: | EPD-WQ-5438 | Date of Issue: | February 15,2013 | Cause of Order: | Failure to obtain Notice of Intent for coverage under General NPDES Permit/improper erosion and sediment controls; sediment to waters of the state | Requirement(s) of Order: | Take all necessary measures to achieve/maintain compliance with conditions of Permit, at site | Settlement Amount: | $7000.00 |
Were they ordered to clean up their mess, or just start complying with their permit?
Looking at the big picture with erosion.....
- Should Municipalities pay for violations like this?
- It's only a little creek that got some sediment in it, right?
- Should the innocent citizens of these municipalities pay the bill, or should the contractor pay?
- What are your thoughts?
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Sign Up for Your Chance to Win a Trip on the Chattahoochee River or Lake Lanier!
Early Spring Stoneflies Smorgasbord for
Chattahoochee Trout!
Chris Scalley, River Through Atlanta Guide Service
When I tell my well-travelled fly fishing clients that we have "Salmon flies" in the Hooch they think I'm crazy. Not only do we have Salmon flies which is fishing slang for the Giant Eastern Stonefly or in scientific categorical terms Order/Family-Plecoptera ,Genus-Pteronarcyidae. There are 600 species of stoneflies found in North America and they are the most pollution-sensitive groups of macro invertebrates. The Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam has mainly three species Pteronarcyidae or (Giant Salmon Fly), Capniidae or (Small Winter Stoneflies) and Taeniopterygidae or (Winter Stoneflies). One could view the presents of stoneflies in the river as a good sign of the health of the river ecosystem or rather the "Canary in the coal mine" concept. We have many more species of aquatic bugs such as mayflies and caddisflies which are more resilient than stoneflies so having all three species means a diverse mix of aquatic bugs, which is good also.
| www.RiverThroughAtlanta.com |
As our population grows in this stretch of the Chattahoochee River watershed below Buford Dam, the potential for more sediment and other pollutant loads beyond the rivers ability to maintain a healthy food source for our trout, is very real. The river is an economic resource for Atlanta as well as an environmental treasure. Let's keep the dirt out of the river!!
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITY for
INNOVATIVE CONSERVATION
NRCS is offering a funding opportunity to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies, while leveraging the Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection in conjunction with agricultural production.
The application period is open until March 22, 2013
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CONSTRUCTION & NPDES COMPLIANCE
American's Working Together for WATER QUALITY!"
Click Here for
SIGN UP FOR A COURSE
****FIELD MANUAL****
FREE WITH EVERY
CLASSROOM REGISTRATION!
PROUD TO BE AGC's STORMWATER
TRAINING PROVIDER
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Erosion and Sediment Control Laws,
Are They Necessary or Just Making the Government Money!
The Georgia NPDES General Permit for Construction is up for renewal very soon! There are a lot of people with something at stake with our permit! Working together to create a great condition to both grow our economy and protect our environment so our economy can sustain itself,will be heavily discussed in the next few months.
While we sometimes bicker and fight over environmental laws and how to create and enforce them, we cannot forget the condition of Georgia's water and land before environmental laws were in place. Being knowledgeable about our clean water laws is important, but it's just as important to have an appreciation of what will happen if we do not properly comply and enforce these same laws.
Haiti is a country that seemingly can't do anything about it's devastated environmental condition. Georgia was very similar to Haiti 100 - 200 years ago, with the exception of having a greatly reduced population. Today, Georgia is healthier and getting stronger every day! Erosion of top soils is at the source of both Georgia's historical problem, and Haiti's current economic disaster!
As American's we need to be mindful and also be willing to help countries like Haiti, while not forgetting to invest in our own environmental condition. That's what NPDES is, an environmental bank account! We need to understand that it wouldn't take a decade to see a disaster if our clean water act laws were to go away! NPDES, if we properly implement the permits will protect our economy!
Remember, Lake Allatoona according to the the Army Corp of Engineers is possibly 70% full of sediment today. North Georgia is still the fastest growing area in the state. With each passing storm, we are removing much needed water volume for our reservoirs for future generations!
We must work harder to keep the massive volume of sediment from construction, farming, and timber harvesting from entering our rivers and reservoirs! Urban runoff is also a problem with stream banks being severely scoured when it rains!
Let' Us Never Forget...., while we create an even better America!
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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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Click Here for CERTIFIED MS4 OPERATOR CERTIFICATION Sign up to get your CERTIFIED STORMWATER SYSTEM INSPECTOR CARD TODAY!
We customize our MS4 courses around your training needs. One or two day trainings available! Our 2-Day Training combines classroom with actual field inspections 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! CONTACT US if you would like more information about our highly rated training! |
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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 storm water 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
President/Principal Trainer and Consultant
NPDES Stormwater Training Institute
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