Vol. 21, No. 6 August 8, 2013

    In This Issue:
    DEQ Construction Compliance Modifications
    Agency Progress on New Stormwater Management Ordinances
    DDOE Releases Stormwater Management Rule and Guidebook
    WSSI Archeologists Discover Rare 18th Century Slave Overseers Dwelling
    Cows in the River: Still a Need for BMPs

 

DEQ Construction Compliance Modifications

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is in the process of notifying current wetland permit holders of new optional construction monitoring requirements. In many cases, these new requirements will reduce the paper work associated with the current construction monitoring requirements. However, in some instances this modification can result in an increase in inspection frequencies.

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INDUSTRY UPDATE: State, Local and Federal Agency Progress on New Stormwater Management Ordinances

As many are aware, the management and regulation of Virginia stormwater practices are moving from the state level to the local level. This resulted in several changes within both state and local regulatory agencies, including the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently replacing the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) as Virginia's stormwater management oversight agency. Additionally, local governments are now required to develop their own stormwater management ordinance and corresponding design guidance that meet the new stormwater management requirements. To aid local governments in this process the state has provided a model ordinance for guidance, which has been used as a template for many localities. DEQ will review each local version of the SWM ordinance and provide recommendations. The local ordinances shall be vetted and accepted at the local level no later than July 1, 2014.

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DDOE Releases Stormwater Management Rule and Guidebook

On July 19, 2013, the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) released the 2013 Rule on Stormwater Management and Soil Erosion and Sediment Control (see Field Notes Vol. 21, No. 2 for summary of comment period). This final rule amends Chapter 5 (Water Quality) of Title 21 (Water and Sanitation) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations. DDOE also released the 2013 Stormwater Management Guidebook (2013 SWMG), which provides technical guidance on how to comply with the rule.

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WSSI Archeologists Discover Rare 18th Century Slave Overseers Dwelling

Thunderbird Archeology Associates, a division of Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI) recently excavated a mid 18th century slave quarter site (Accotink Quarter) in Fairfax County, Virginia, which has been described as one of the most important archeological sites in Virginia. The unique nature of this site was identified through several landmark discoveries, including the dwelling of a slave overseer and the best preserved assemblage of colonoware pottery ever found in the state.

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Cows in the River: Still a Need for BMPs

In 2009, we described the unfortunate reality of local farms allowing livestock to access local rivers and streams – including the Shenandoah River (see Field Notes Vol.17, No. 1). Recently, WSSI held its annual canoe trip on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, and we still saw cows in the river vs. having a protected, and reinforced, 100 ft buffer with watering troughs.

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About Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI):

WSSI is the leading provider of natural and cultural resource consulting services in Northern Virginia. The firm has worked on a total of over 5,000 projects, comprising 200,000 acres, and has created hundreds of acres of wetlands and restored miles of streams. Our team of 80+ engineers, scientists, archeologists, ecosystem technicians, GIS/survey/compliance and technology/training specialists, and administrative staff yield a unique combination of disciplines focused on wetlands and water resources and provide creative solutions for integrating the constraints of economics and land plan requirements with local, state, and federal environmental regulations. For more information about WSSI, visit our Web site at www.wetlandstudies.com.