Stormwater Committee Minutes
May 3, 2006

ATTENDEES

Ann Hoffnar
Ed Murtagh
Kathy Michels (by phone)
Robert Goo
Jenny Reed
Alison Gillespie
Diane Cameron (guest)

Discussion of Raingardens

Work Days: We are doing work days on both the Forest Park and Eastern Middle School raingardens this monthżone day set for work at both sites!

• Forest Park: Ann put the word out to the neighborhood listserv and Robert will do flyers.
• Eastern: Kathy is getting the word out.

We have stretched our resource of volunteers to do both raingardens and will want to schedule more time between work events next time. Jenny is coordinating the Landis work.
Purpose: We need to spread the word about LID. It takes many of these small projects to make a difference. We need to get the media, opinion leaders, local governments interest; and peopleżs interest in working in their own yards. We have a nice set of projects now and could do a tour.
Targets: Alison suggested churches and synagogues and volunteered to start with her church. She will see if she can spark interest in a tour.

Diane Cameron and the NPDES Stormwater Permit

Diane graciously came to our meeting to tell us the latest on the work of the coalition (including Friends of Sligo Creek) attempting to influence the County to strengthen our permit requirements. Diane and others have been meeting with staff at Montgomery County DEP and DPS, Park and Planning, Maryland Department of the Environment and with the MC Council to explain our suggested 11-point program. We want quantitative enforceable goals which, in the long run, would save money. The county has already spent $500,000 per stream mile to stabilize streams.

Diane says that Montgomery County has a very good monitoring program with many sites. But too many in the environmental staffs of DEP and Park and Planning are wedded to working in the stream channel. We want to shift the focus and go up-gradient to contributing impervious sites with LID source controls. We are at a crossroads. Right now the bureaucracy is resistant to establishing a new kind of NPDES permit that would drive this process and make it accountable to restoration and protection goals under the Clean Water Act. We continue to press for accountability in watershed protection and restoration through a permit with quantitative goals and water quality standards as the drivers and as the measuring sticks for progress.

May Program Meeting

Program plans are moving along nicely. We are hoping we can solve the projector issues in time to practice with the new equipment.

Notes prepared by Ann Hoffnar and Ed Murtagh