Your Help
is Needed to Protect Virginia Rivers and Streams from Construction Site
Pollution. Please Send Your Comments
Before June 7th!
Construction sites can make a mess of local streams and
contribute to water quality problems of the James River. Developers are
required to have stormwater pollution plans to prevent erosion and sediment
pollution. But citizen access to those
water quality protection plans and related permits afforded to construction
sites will soon end without YOUR input.
Here’s the scoop:
You’ve likely seen how local streams and rivers run dirty after significant rainfall. This sediment clogs streams, suffocates and stresses river life and literally buries riverbed habitat with silt. Mismanaged construction sites frequently contribute to these unhealthy conditions. For the past three years permitted construction sites in Virginia have been required to make publicly accessible Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPP), a working document of construction site water quality assurances and strategies. Agency inspectors cannot be everywhere so informed citizens play a critical role in making sure SWPP’s are followed. The general permit for construction in Virginia is now up for scheduled renewal and the state is under pressure to permanently extinguish the public’s right to access to these plans. JRA believes that disabling the public’s ability to know and respond appropriately to water quality threats in their own community is not in the best interested of improved James River water quality.
You’ve likely seen how local streams and rivers run dirty after significant rainfall. This sediment clogs streams, suffocates and stresses river life and literally buries riverbed habitat with silt. Mismanaged construction sites frequently contribute to these unhealthy conditions. For the past three years permitted construction sites in Virginia have been required to make publicly accessible Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPP), a working document of construction site water quality assurances and strategies. Agency inspectors cannot be everywhere so informed citizens play a critical role in making sure SWPP’s are followed. The general permit for construction in Virginia is now up for scheduled renewal and the state is under pressure to permanently extinguish the public’s right to access to these plans. JRA believes that disabling the public’s ability to know and respond appropriately to water quality threats in their own community is not in the best interested of improved James River water quality.
What you can do to
help:
The Virginia Soil & Water Conservation Board is now receiving public comments on this permit, but only until June 7. Please follow the below guidelines and be heard today. Board members have stated their intent to follow its advising agency’s recommendation to remove public SWPP accessibility from the permit unless persuaded to reconsider concerns from the public. Now is your opportunity! In your comments, the Soil & Water Conservation Board should be encouraged to maintain its earlier decision to “require public accessibility of Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans from construction sites upon request,” and should further be encouraged to “re-instate this requirement into the pending construction general permit.” Any personal accounts of construction site effects on stream water quality would be helpful.
The Virginia Soil & Water Conservation Board is now receiving public comments on this permit, but only until June 7. Please follow the below guidelines and be heard today. Board members have stated their intent to follow its advising agency’s recommendation to remove public SWPP accessibility from the permit unless persuaded to reconsider concerns from the public. Now is your opportunity! In your comments, the Soil & Water Conservation Board should be encouraged to maintain its earlier decision to “require public accessibility of Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans from construction sites upon request,” and should further be encouraged to “re-instate this requirement into the pending construction general permit.” Any personal accounts of construction site effects on stream water quality would be helpful.
Subject Line: Please send your email
with the subject line “Comment on Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP)
Permit Regulations (4VAC50-60)”
2) Send
a letter to:
Regulatory Coordinator
Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation
203 Governor Street, Suite 302
Richmond, VA 23219
Rivers cannot defend themselves. Please speak on behalf of your local streams
and rivers and prevent the concealment of pollution requirements from the
public.
Thank you for safeguarding Virginia waterways,
Pat Calvert Jamie
Brunkow
Upper James Riverkeeper Lower James Riverkeeper
Upper James Riverkeeper Lower James Riverkeeper
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