In recent months, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation has been thinking about tightening regulations on stormwater runoff—the problem of rainfall that erodes soil and carries pollutants into streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay. C-VILLE covered some aspects of the issue in September, including the question of whether developers should be forced to more effectively control runoff within their projects. Now the DCR (specifically, the Soil and Water Conservation Board) has decided to adopt those proposed changes.
According to a press release from the Board, feedback received during the public comment period resulted in significant changes to the new rules—and in fact, they were suspended as soon as they were adopted, to accommodate another public comment period on the changes to the changes. (Got that?) All should be finalized in December.
Governor Tim Kaine has officially applauded the new rules, calling them "a significant milestone."
