Tennessee Selected for EPA Innovation Grant
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has been selected to receive a State Innovation Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to fund the first phase of Tennessee’s Construction Storm Water Excellence Initiative. This national award will provide $200,000 for a four-year storm water project to help local municipalities establish an integrated approach to water resources management for the benefit of water quality.
“Environment and Conservation is committed to the protection and improvement of Tennessee’s rivers and streams,” Environment and Conservation Deputy Commissioner Paul Sloan said. “This grant will help us work with local communities to integrate education, low-impact development and storm water management techniques in ways that will enhance our water quality.”
Storm water runoff can affect the quantity and quality of water far from its source. As storm water flows through streets, residential lots and open spaces, it carries dirt, oil, pesticides and other substances to nearby waterways. The effects of this process are heightened when storm water runs through construction sites, where large quantities of soil, and even building materials and potentially hazardous chemicals can be washed away. These substances can pose a significant threat to Tennessee’s water resources, damaging wildlife habitats and affecting drinking water sources.
The Department of Environment and Conservation’s Construction Storm Water Initiative seeks to prevent such contamination by building partnerships with local communities and helping them develop comprehensive strategies to manage their water resources. This emphasis on prevention is supported by the department’s focus on innovation in its permitting process for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. Storm water discharges from municipalities of a certain size are required to obtain coverage under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and to implement a set of programs to manage the quality of storm water runoff from the storm sewer systems.
The initiative will allow Environment and Conservation to create an awards program to recognize excellence in local storm sewer systems and provide opportunities for these systems to assume full responsibility for plans review and permitting. The department also will work closely with local communities to educate and regulate builders, ensuring that strong erosion prevention and sediment control programs are in place.
“This initiative is a key element to the department’s overall storm water management efforts,” said Sloan. “The department has made significant progress in the area of construction storm water, with the establishment of a statewide storm water coordinator, expanded sediment and erosion control training programs and nearly 30 new positions created to further support this area. This grant from EPA will allow us to continue to build on that progress for the benefit of water quality in Tennessee.”
More information about storm water permitting can be found on the department’s Web site at: www.tdec.net/wpc/stormh2o/MS4.shtml.