Stormwater

In 2009 several Puget Sound business representatives and organizations grouped together to ask the legislature to develop an organization that may provide independent, non-regulatory assistance to stormwater permittees. There were currently hundreds of businesses and municipalities charged with following a general stormwater permit, and their need for assistance was evident.

In order to help businesses navigate stormwater regulations, the legislature chartered the Washington Stormwater Center with the passage of House Bill 2222 in the 2009 legislative session. The bill, since codified in RCW 90.48.545, provides for Ecology to establish “a storm water technical resource center in partnership with a university, nonprofit organization, or other public or private entity to provide tools for storm water management.”

To begin the process of creating the Washington Stormwater Center, the Department of Ecology provided grant funding to the City of Puyallup and its two primary associates: Washington State University and the University of Washington. Funding backed the development, overall management, and administrative strategy for the organization.

The Association of Washington Business (AWB) and the AWB Institute were instrumental in developing and passing the agreement that led to the Washington Stormwater Center. AWB and the AWB Institute continues their active involvement with the center. AWB and the AWB Institute works with the center in education and informing the greater business community about how they can before compliant to stormwater run-off laws. Also, AWB currently has two members (Mel Oleson of Boeing and Chris Cary of TreeTop) on the advisory board for the center. The board is made up of a wide variety of voices including business, state, city, county, fisheries and environmental interests overseeing the center's work.

For more information about the Washington Stormwater Center, visit their website.

Navigating Stormwater for Your Business
Held: May 13, 2011 - AWB - Olympia
Our first stormwater seminar included the following speakers:
Grant Gilmore assisted the Association of Washington Business Institute in establishing the newly formed Washington Stormwater Center. Grant was instrumental in the development of the Center's five year business plan, and the Business Resource Program, specifically designed to offer stormwater permit assistance to the business community.
Doug Howie is a stormwater engineer for the Department of Ecology in the Headquarters Water Quality Section working with regional permit managers to assist jurisdictions throughout the state in meeting their Permit requirements. He is Ecology's grant manager for the creation of the Washington Stormwater Center and the re-opening of the Technical Assessment Protocol -Ecology (TAPE) program.
Grant Nelson is the director of government affairs for environmental policy at the Association of Washington Business. He was lead lobbyist for AWB's successful legislative effort that established the Washington Stormwater Center and efforts to revise the Industrial Stormwater General Permit. Grant serves on Department of Ecology advisory committees and workgroups charged with developing rules, permits and chemical action plans.
Materials:
Audio of the Seminar (Mp3 Format)
Powerpoint from Presentation (PDF)
Stormwater Seminars

Are you a current Industrial or Construction Stormwater permit holder? Are you aware of how stormwater issues can affect your business? The AWB Institute is proud to host a stormwater awareness event you don't want to miss.

Join us for this engaging discussion surrounding how third-party lawsuits are on the rise and how they can affect your business. In addition, learn more about the many new resources available to help your business with stormwater permit compliance, and better understand key policy issues surrounding stormwater issues.

Bring your questions and comments and join our panel of stormwater experts for a discussion geared towards the issues your business will face surrounding stormwater runoff.

Seminar Highlights:

What you need to know about stormwater and how it affects your business
Stormwater permit compliance pathways
Newly released training video for your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
How is the Department of Ecology clarifying and simplifying the state stormwater permit
Stormwater Policy current and future legislative and regulatory efforts

Check back soon for future AWB Institute Stormwater Seminars.