Stormwater permit changes proposed

Proposed changes to the municipal stormwater permit, which covers the state’s biggest cities and counties, including Clark County, is available for public review and comment.

The Washington Department of Ecology requires the state’s most populated areas to manage polluted stormwater runoff, which threatens the state’s waterways.

Stormwater is polluted when it collects oil, fertilizers, pesticides, soil, trash, animal waste and the air from rooftops, paved streets, highways and parking lots.

Chris Montague-Breakwell of DOE said the goal is for developed lands to mimic natural filtration processes that were there before development.

He also said changes for Clark County include a model to work with this area’s unique soil types to define how to design stormwater facilities, including low-impact development.

Also, the threshold for stormwater mitigation requirements has been lowered to include smaller footprints.

Details on the changes and information on how to comment are available at DOE’s website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/municipal/permitMod2016.html.

The public comment period ends on June 20.