Envirocert International: Recession Takes Its Toll on Stormwater Quality
Like others
involved with issuing or enforcing sediment control permits, Leo Galanko, CPESC,
CPSWQ, is seeing how the dramatic drop in home construction activity due to the
current economic recession is affecting stormwater quality.
Galanko is a
senior permitting services specialist for Montgomery County, MD. There, he
explains, many residential development projects have slowed to a snail’s pace,
while work on others has simply ceased as projects are put on hold until the
housing market improves. In the meantime, temporary erosion and sediment control
BMPs are being left in place, often for longer than originally designed. In some
cases, it seems more difficult to get cash-strapped builders to maintain these
BMPs. In others, construction of permanent stormwater BMPs is being delayed.
“Sediment
levels in streams are increasing, and we attribute much of this to the fact that
installation of permanent stormwater measures has been deferred, even though
additional imperviousness has already been added,” Galanko says.
Faster
Phasing
To help remedy
this problem, last summer the county stepped up the pace of phased development,
which it requires for subdivisions in environmentally sensitive or
special-protection areas.
“In the past,
permanent stormwater management structures weren’t installed for a subdivision
until the entire project had been developed and permanently stabilized,” Galanko
explains. “Now, as smaller portions of the total project—such as development of
four or five lots on a cul-de-sac—are finished, developers must stabilize the
area and replace temporary BMPs, like a sediment trap, with a permanent
stormwater management system.” Eventually, this policy will be adopted in other
areas of the county.
As he points
out, developers usually prefer to install all permanent stormwater management
structures, such as sand or biofilters, at the end of the project, when they can
do it all at one time to minimize mobilization expenses. This new approach adds
to their costs. “Reaction among developers has been fairly favorable, and they
haven’t been too resistant,” Galanko says. “Generally, they want to see a good
outcome on their projects.”
Timely
Stabilization
Beginning last
spring, the Land Development Division of the City of Charlotte in North Carolina
began noticing a downward trend in the number of new home building permits.
That’s when the city started focusing on getting active sites stabilized in a
timely manner in the event that developers started pulling out of their
projects, reports Steve Gucciardi, CPESC, the city’s senior erosion control
coordinator.
“We figured it
was just a matter of time before the large inventory of unsold homes and
foreclosures impacted home builders,” he says. “So, we blitzkrieged all
construction sites to make sure they were meeting the requirement to stabilize
them within 21 calendar days after any construction activity had stopped. When
development came to a standstill in October, the majority of sites were in good
shape before the builders pulled out.”
Still, a
handful of problems remains—including a 55-acre subdivision that the developer
abandoned. As of May, however, the lender for the project had not yet taken
over. In the meantime, the penalty for failing to properly control sediment at
this site had climbed to several hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
“We’re grappling with what to do to bring the site into compliance,” Gucciardi
says. “We don’t have the legal authority to place a tax lien on the project, and
we can’t withhold a certificate of occupancy, because no structures are
completed. I’m glad we got a head start on stabilizing the other developments.
Otherwise, we’d be facing some pretty big erosion and sediment control
problems.”
Other
Approaches
In Gwinnett
County, GA, where development activity began dropping off in early 2008, the
effort to control sediment on abandoned construction sites involves educating
the new owners about proper long-term maintenance of structural BMPs. Most of
these sites, have since revegetated naturally to control erosion, notes Ken
Kagy, P.E., CPESC, CPSWQ, a senior engineer with the county’s planning and
development. “It can be difficult finding the new property owners, who are
responsible for this maintenance,” he says.
On
the other side of the country, in Bellevue, WA, work has stopped at only about
two-dozen residential construction sites, mostly single-family homes, says Tom
McFarlane, P.E., CPESC. He supervises the city’s clearing and grading reviews
and inspections. “Most erosion control was in pretty good shape when
construction work slowed, because local developers are accustomed to our strong
erosion control standards,” he says. “If problems develop due to lack of
maintenance at these sites, the city will take care of it and back-charge the
costs to the builder.
Juy-August 2009
Envirocert International: Recession Takes Its Toll on Stormwater Quality
Like others
involved with issuing or enforcing sediment control permits, Leo Galanko, CPESC,
CPSWQ, is seeing how the dramatic drop in home construction activity due to the
current economic recession is affecting stormwater quality.
Galanko is a
senior permitting services specialist for Montgomery County, MD. There, he
explains, many residential development projects have slowed to a snail’s pace,
while work on others has simply ceased as projects are put on hold until the
housing market improves. In the meantime, temporary erosion and sediment control
BMPs are being left in place, often for longer than originally designed. In some
cases, it seems more difficult to get cash-strapped builders to maintain these
BMPs. In others, construction of permanent stormwater BMPs is being delayed.
“Sediment
levels in streams are increasing, and we attribute much of this to the fact that
installation of permanent stormwater measures has been deferred, even though
additional imperviousness has already been added,” Galanko says.
Faster
Phasing
To help remedy
this problem, last summer the county stepped up the pace of phased development,
which it requires for subdivisions in environmentally sensitive or
special-protection areas.
“In the past,
permanent stormwater management structures weren’t installed for a subdivision
until the entire project had been developed and permanently stabilized,” Galanko
explains. “Now, as smaller portions of the total project—such as development of
four or five lots on a cul-de-sac—are finished, developers must stabilize the
area and replace temporary BMPs, like a sediment trap, with a permanent
stormwater management system.” Eventually, this policy will be adopted in other
areas of the county.
As he points
out, developers usually prefer to install all permanent stormwater management
structures, such as sand or biofilters, at the end of the project, when they can
do it all at one time to minimize mobilization expenses. This new approach adds
to their costs. “Reaction among developers has been fairly favorable, and they
haven’t been too resistant,” Galanko says. “Generally, they want to see a good
outcome on their projects.”
Timely
Stabilization
Beginning last
spring, the Land Development Division of the City of Charlotte in North Carolina
began noticing a downward trend in the number of new home building permits.
That’s when the city started focusing on getting active sites stabilized in a
timely manner in the event that developers started pulling out of their
projects, reports Steve Gucciardi, CPESC, the city’s senior erosion control
coordinator.
“We figured it
was just a matter of time before the large inventory of unsold homes and
foreclosures impacted home builders,” he says. “So, we blitzkrieged all
construction sites to make sure they were meeting the requirement to stabilize
them within 21 calendar days after any construction activity had stopped. When
development came to a standstill in October, the majority of sites were in good
shape before the builders pulled out.”
Still, a
handful of problems remains—including a 55-acre subdivision that the developer
abandoned. As of May, however, the lender for the project had not yet taken
over. In the meantime, the penalty for failing to properly control sediment at
this site had climbed to several hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
“We’re grappling with what to do to bring the site into compliance,” Gucciardi
says. “We don’t have the legal authority to place a tax lien on the project, and
we can’t withhold a certificate of occupancy, because no structures are
completed. I’m glad we got a head start on stabilizing the other developments.
Otherwise, we’d be facing some pretty big erosion and sediment control
problems.”
Other
Approaches
In Gwinnett
County, GA, where development activity began dropping off in early 2008, the
effort to control sediment on abandoned construction sites involves educating
the new owners about proper long-term maintenance of structural BMPs. Most of
these sites, have since revegetated naturally to control erosion, notes Ken
Kagy, P.E., CPESC, CPSWQ, a senior engineer with the county’s planning and
development. “It can be difficult finding the new property owners, who are
responsible for this maintenance,” he says.
On
the other side of the country, in Bellevue, WA, work has stopped at only about
two-dozen residential construction sites, mostly single-family homes, says Tom
McFarlane, P.E., CPESC. He supervises the city’s clearing and grading reviews
and inspections. “Most erosion control was in pretty good shape when
construction work slowed, because local developers are accustomed to our strong
erosion control standards,” he says. “If problems develop due to lack of
maintenance at these sites, the city will take care of it and back-charge the
costs to the builder.