PINAR BALCI, Ph.D.’s Post

Community Update: Chiquita Lock to Be Removed! 🚨 After a year-long petition and countless hearings, Chiquita Lock will be removed! This significant development comes as an Administrative Law Judge has recommended the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) issue an Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) to the City of Cape Coral for the lock's removal. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀: 📍The decision follows the final administrative hearing held in December 2023, which saw extensive evidence and testimonies. 📍 The petition, led by the Matlacha Civic Association and other local groups, opposed the removal due to environmental concerns. 📍 Despite these challenges, the ALJ concluded that the city's ERP meets the necessary standards under Florida law. 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆'𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 📍 The City of Cape Coral is dedicated to addressing any environmental concerns while fulfilling community needs. 📍 The removal project, overseen by Brown and Caldwell, includes stormwater improvements, environmental monitoring, habitat enhancements, and more to ensure sustainability and environmental health. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: 📍 From September 2020 to September 2023, the city has invested over $1 million in legal fees for the Chiquita Lock case, with additional costs expected. 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: 📍Installed in 1977 to comply with the Clean Water Act, the lock separates canal waters from natural waterways. 📍It has been open since Hurricane Ian due to damage and safety concerns, but efforts to remove it predate the storm. 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀: 📍The city is evaluating the next critical steps for the lock's removal, aiming for an expeditious and environmentally responsible process. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: 📍 This project promises significant environmental benefits and increased waterway sustainability, enhancing our beloved Cape Coral community for future generations.

In the world of stormwater management, adherence to regulations and compliance with stormwater permits play a pivotal role in safeguarding our precious water resources. The recent $107,000 penalty imposed on Robert Yundt Homes, LLC by the EPA for Clean Water Act violations serves as a stark reminder of the repercussions that can befall those who fail to uphold these vital responsibilities. By discharging pollutants into Wasilla Lake and Cottonwood Lake – important waters for anadromous fish – the company was found to have caused significant environmental impacts to the shorelines and adjacent wetlands and was hit with a hefty fine accordingly. This incident highlights the critical role we play in protecting water resources as well as the costly consequences of failing to do so. Let's continue to honor our commitment to responsible practices and environmental stewardship to preserve our invaluable water ecosystems for the well-being of our communities and future generations! https://buff.ly/445FySu. #NPDES #NPDESTraining #NPDESTrainingInstitute #TrainingThatMatters #Stormwater #StormwaterManagers #StormwaterTraining #MS4Training #MS4sMatter #WaterQuality #StormwaterManagement #CleanWaterAct #EnvironmentalProtection #Conservation #EPA #PublicComment #WaterResources

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is using the water use classification process under the Clean Water Act to recognize the progress the NYC Department of Environmental Protection and other stakeholders have achieved in improving water quality within the Hudson River and New York Harbor. NYS DEC has established water classification criteria to identify waters that meet bathing water quality standards unless a wet weather event causes combined sewer overflows. Its approach should be modeled by the EPA nationwide. This change recognizes that non-traditional bathing beaches along urban waterfronts can be sited in many areas of NY and use the wet weather warning and closure advisories we currently give at traditional beaches across the City and State to manage bather safety. This change also allows water utilities to refine their "use attainability assessments" to identify improvement projects that address the specific, localized risks that can pose a risk to bathers during rain events. Water utilities can take practical short and medium-term steps that connect urban communities to swimming and learn-to-swim opportunities while they develop longer-term control plans. This also removes the obstacle of some health departments improperly applying the Clean Water Act's requirements to establish waterbody use classifications to guide pollution permit discharge limits (which has no relationship to whether a particular, small segment of a large waterbody regularly meets bathing water quality criteria established by the EPA) to deny urban communities' efforts to increase opportunities for permitted swimming. Now, we need to build the swimming venues to bring millions of New Yorkers to the water and reap the blue economy, health, and climate change benefits they will create. #beaches #drowningprevention #equity #swiming #waterquality #blueeconomy #waterquality #innovation #cleanwateract #sewagedischages #riverkeeper #EPA #NYCDEP #NYSDOH #NYSDEC https://lnkd.in/dHWTc76p

📢 Make sure you have registered already because you only have 5 days left before our Monthly Virtual Lunch & Learn Alert. Don't miss out! 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗡𝗬𝗦 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟯𝟳𝟱 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Date: Tuesday, March 26th, 2024 Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (Virtual Session) Join us for an insightful discussion on the New NYS Part 375 Remedial Program Draft Regulations. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released the second revision to the proposed amendment to 6 NYCRR Part 375, Environmental Remediation Programs. This rule-making amends Part 375 to align with recent amendments to the Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) and enhances requirements for the State Superfund Program and the Environmental Restoration Program (ERP). Additionally, it updates soil cleanup objectives (SCOs) based on feedback from DEC staff and the New York State Department of Health. Our Lunch and Learn session will provide a comprehensive overview of these amendments and offer insights from both NYSDEC and the regulated community. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, this event is a valuable opportunity to stay informed and engage in meaningful discussions about the evolving regulatory landscape in New York State. Lots of great topics will be discussed. Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve in brownfield management. Presenters: Karen Cahill, NY State DEC Linda Shaw, Knauf Shaw LLP Michael W. Tyszko, Bousquet Holstein PLLC REGISTER NOW:https://bit.ly/3wNJCMi #BCONE #brownfields #lunchandlearn  #environmentalprotection  #industryexperts  #stayaheadofthecurve

🌍 Announcing the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Environmental Justice Clearinghouse! On April 21, 2023, President Biden’s Executive Order 14906 (https://lnkd.in/gS-XSPGr) established the Environmental Justice Clearinghouse, which is now accessible to all. This resource hub is designed to empower communities and stakeholders by providing a wealth of information and materials related to environmental justice efforts. 🔗 What You’ll Find in the EJ Clearinghouse: The EJ Clearinghouse offers a comprehensive collection of culturally and linguistically appropriate resources. These include research materials, policy updates, best practices, and actionable tools, all aimed at supporting environmental justice advocates and practitioners. Accessible Information: Resources are tailored to be accessible and useful to a diverse range of communities and stakeholders. Community Empowerment: Materials are designed to equip communities with the tools they need to advocate for and achieve environmental justice. 🤝 Contribute and Collaborate: Share Your Resources: Help enrich the Clearinghouse by submitting your own materials that could benefit others. Submit your resources through the EJ Clearinghouse submission form: https://lnkd.in/g2n4_Fh3

“the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced PotlatchDeltic Land & Lumber, LLC, of St. Maries, Idaho, will pay $225,000 for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. PotlatchDeltic sits within the Coeur d’ Alene Tribe’s reservation and discharges into a section of the St. Joe River that is Tribal waters. The St. Joe River flows into Lake Coeur d’ Alene and is critical habitat for bull trout. Under the Clean Water Act, PotlatchDeltic is required to comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. EPA conducted an inspection in March 2017 to evaluate PotlatchDeltic’s compliance with its permits and found PotlatchDeltic had numerous stormwater violations, such as failure to implement corrective actions following continued benchmark exceedances and implement adequate stormwater pollution prevention plan controls. Stormwater runoff from lumber facilities containing zinc and other pollutants, when not treated and discharged directly into nearby waterbodies, can cause significant harm to rivers, lakes and coastal waters. PotlatchDeltic agreed to extensive remedies to come into and remain in compliance with its Clean Water Act permits, including facility improvements, construction of a new filtration system and combining its outfalls. “ Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gt7VAvJV #stormwater #trashcapture #bmphood #civilengineering #bestmanagementproducts

The newest edition of "Outdoor Delaware," the online magazine of the Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), features an article on the DRBC's Delaware Estuary Water Quality Monitoring Program. Considered one of the longest-running monitoring programs in the world, this effort collects water quality samples once monthly from March - October at 22 stations from Trenton to Delaware Bay. The program would not be possible without DNREC's partnership, as the DRBC contracts with DNREC to perform the sampling. To read the article, please visit https://lnkd.in/ecy6tHmq. #DRBC #delawarebasin #outdoor #delaware #newarticle #readme #watermonitoring #waterquality #waterresources #watermanagement #waterresourcemanagement #scienceandenvironment #environmentalscience #environmentalmonitoring #workingtogether

When it reviews a wetland individual permit application, the DNR must consider the impacts of the entire project proposing wetland fill, and not only the physical footprint of the proposed fill itself. DNR’s purview of secondary impacts extends to otherwise unregulated activities of the permitted project where they result in significant adverse environmental consequences.... Continue Reading #wisconsinlawyer #wisconsinlaw #wislawnow