Stormwater Update

You are probably aware by now of the writ of mandate to the LA Regional Water Quality Control Board to cease and desist from any permit activities for stormwater treatment. The LAWRQCB is ordered to revise the standards for stormwater treatment and to consider the economic and social impacts of the permit.

This is great news and let's hope that it will affect the future chloride TMDL's as well as stormwater treatment.

Here are some links if you want to learn more;

• Writ of Mandate
• Ventura County Draft Permit
• Citizens's letter to LARWQCB (feel free to copy all or part for your own letters)

In the meantime, it is still prudent to reduce our stormwater pollutants as much as possible. How do we do that? There are solutions that we can implement now to help avoid future costs.

1. The number one problem causing runoff is develpment and pavement. We are currently requiring new development to treat the stormwater increases that they cause.
2. Trash. Remember the "Don't be a litterbug" campaign? It seemed to help for awhile but there is still a lot of trash being thrown on the streets.
3. Street cleaning; As I mentioned at the workshop, the street cleaner is not able to perform properly because there are too many cars left parked in the street. Santa Paula gave out tickets on street cleaning day. Something to think about? I hate tickets as sources of revenue since it's a way to tax without a vote but I wouldn't mind seeing cleaner streets.
4. Grants: The Prop 84 sustainability grant program will give preference to communities that include "Ahwahnee or Sustainability Principles, GHG and energy efficiencies". We should be adopting some of these principles in our General Plan for future grant opportunities.