Stormwater Enforcement Guide for Georgia

As development increases in Georgia’s metro areas, so does stormwater pollution—the runoff that picks up mud and debris from construction sites and oil and other chemicals from paved surfaces and washes them into rivers, lakes, and streams. To help our local partner groups in Georgia better understand the legal and regulatory tools available for combating this problem, SELC has developed a stormwater enforcement guide.
 

In a clear and coherent format, our guidebook

• Explains the various levels of regulatory authority―federal, state, and local;
• Lays out the relevant acts, regulations, and permits that come under each of these authorities;
• Reveals where there are overlaps and weaknesses in regulation and enforcement; and 
• Shows how to make effective use of the laws and regulations now available.

In 2008, SELC’s water experts succeeded in strengthening Georgia’s statewide permits for stormwater discharges from construction sites. Among the improvements we helped secure are measures to prevent runoff from further damaging already impaired waters.