We have all seen it. It’s a rainy day or a super rainy day and it turns our favorite stream into a big ugly mess. The water is brown and there is a lot of it, way too much. The water barrels through the river bed, and you know, there is nothing alive in this stream after the dust or rather the flood clears.
It’s called polluted runoff and it comes from our paved surfaces, parking lots, and roofs.
Stormwater, or polluted runoff, is the only source of pollution to our waterways that has been increasing. Stormwater carries harmful nutrients, chemicals, toxins, and other dangerous materials that end up into our waterways. It is the a major pollution source to the Chesapeake Bay. It affects our day-to-day lives, where we work and play, and our health.
On June 10, Bruce Gilmore of the Maryland Stormwater Consortium will offer a seminar on how to reduce polluted runoff in our most densely populated counties.
The seminar will address the federal stormwater permit (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System or MS4 Permit), which requires that the counties “implement comprehensive stormwater management programs for addressing runoff from new or redevelopment projects, map its storm drain system, monitor urban runoff, and eliminate illicit discharges to the storm drain system” (Maryland Department of the Environment). Most of the stormwater and polluted runoff that affects our waterways comes from Maryland’s most urban counties.
Maryland is in the process of reissuing these permits to the nine most populous counties, which provides a huge opportunity for advancing the protection of our waterways, health, and communities.
The seminar will provide you the opportunity to learn more about the permits, get involved with advancing the implementation of the permits, and advance the protection of our waterways from polluted runoff.
When: 10 am - 1pm
Where: Annapolis Friends Meeting House, 351 Dubois Road, Annapolis, MD 21401
Who: Bruce Gilmore, Chair of the Maryland Stormwater Consortium and others
Contact: Bruce at 410-558-2346 to RSVP