|
'Californization'
makes its way
to Ellettsville
Bloomington Herald-Times
- 2/26
Proximity
to Bloomington has caught Ellettsville in the teeth of a new,
statewide storm water quality management plan called Rule 13,
an effort to preserve fishable and swimable streams.
According
to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Ellettsville
must participate in the plan because it's adjacent to Bloomington,
an urbanized area with more than 500 people per square mile. Within
eight months, Ellettsville must submit a five-year budget detailing
its proposals to manage its storm water quality.
"You
can write your own plan," said Monroe County drainage engineer
Todd Stevenson, as he explained Rule 13 at a town council meeting
Monday night.
According
to Stevenson, Rule 13 is part of the federal Clean Water Act.
Originally it addressed pollution from wastewater treatment plants
and industrial effluents. Now, it's moving on to include pollution
sources such as failing septic systems, sediment (dirt), oils,
gasoline, antifreeze, insecticides, herbicides, road salt and
household hazardous wastes.
"So
what is Rule 13 really?" he asked. "It's keeping our
roads, parking lots, driveways, lawns and ditches clean instead
of letting rainfall clean them for us. It's cleaning anything
outside the house that is exposed to rainfall, realizing rainfall
will wash everything into the streams."
Stevenson
said some states on the East and West Coasts have already begun
complying with Rule 13, and Ellettsville could design its plan
after studying others.
Council
president David Sorokoty called Rule 13 "the Californization
of Monroe County," and councilwoman Lisa Combs-Creech asked
if IDEM will assist towns such as Ellettsville to complete necessary
paperwork.
Stevenson
said a state fiscal crisis is delaying rollout of Rule 13 details,
but he hoped IDEM will eventually partner with municipalities
and help them create viable plans.
In
other business, local Boy Scout Jason Schunn requested financial
support from the council for an Eagle Scout project.
He
proposed removing deteriorated stone from Memorial Park behind
the library, replacing it with new concrete and a wheelchair ramp.
He also plans to install river rock around the monument there.
"We
hope to do this over four Saturdays in April," he said. "I'm
going to have my fellow Scouts help me, and two experienced concrete
finishers will help pour the concrete." Total cost for the
project was estimated at $696.
Clerk/treasurer
Sandi Hash said the street department budget has been hit hard
this winter with snow removal. She recommended the parks board
review the plan, "and they can decide if they have the money.
If not, they could come back to the council."
"I
will defer you to the parks department," Sorokoty told Schunn,
"but you have our best wishes. It's an overall worthwhile
project, and we're proud of you."
NOTICE: In accordance with Title
17 U.S.C., section 107, some material is provided without permission
from the copyright owner, only for purposes of criticism, comment,
scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions
of federal copyright laws. These materials may not be distributed
further, except for "fair use," without permission of
the copyright owner.
|