S.W.I.M. Coalition

There will be a public outreach meeting of the Interagency Best Management Practices (BMP) Task Force on Tuesday, October 7 from 6-8 PM at the Rosenthal Pavilion of the Kimmel Center at New York University. This meeting will feature a presentation of the Draft Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan, which will be released on October 1. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the Draft Plan and provide comments. Please visit www.nyc.gov/planyc/rsvp to RSVP for the meeting. Please see the attached public meeting notice for more information.

The draft plan and instructions for submitting comments will be posted on the PlaNYC website (www.nyc.gov/planyc2030) on October 1. The public comment period ends on October 31, and the final plan will be released on December 1.

Please use the SWIM Forum as a place to share your comments on the plan. The SWIM Coalition will use information shared here to inform our comment letter regarding the plan. If you need assistance, please e-mail swimmablenyc@gmail.com.

NYC BMP Task Force_October 7 Meeting Announcement

WASHINGTON (September 18, 2008)– Today, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in Pasadena, California, affirmed a decision that EPA must set standards to control storm water pollution from strip malls, subdivisions and other new development.

EPA and the National Association of Homebuilders had appealed the lower court’s ruling from 2006, but the U.S. Court of Appeals sided with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Waterkeeper Alliance. The decision will help to ensure that construction site pollution won’t cause beach closings, waterborne disease, flooding, fish kills and contaminated drinking water supplies. The states of New York and Connecticut supported the conservation groups.

“This decision will go along way towards protecting America’s streams and rivers from the construction and development industry,” said Melanie Shepherdson, staff attorney at NRDC. “The court made it very clear that EPA can’t just shirk its responsibilities to reign in pollution from this industry.”

Excessive sediment, which is often the result of construction activity, is one of the leading causes of impairment of the nation’s waters. Construction runoff threatens rivers, pollutes clean water sources and leads to excessive plant growth, like algae and nuisance plants, in water bodies.

“For too long EPA has turned away from the real work of protecting our waters. This decision forcefully reminds them of their duty to the American people and our waters,” said Jeffrey Odefey, staff attorney at Waterkeeper Alliance. “It’s time that EPA and the building industry demonstrate real leadership and took the necessary steps to prevent the destruction of our lakes, rivers and streams.”

Click here to read the court’s decision.

Wednesday Sept. 17th - Monthly Workshop: Caring for Street Trees Presented by the New York Tree Trust
In this basic workshop, you’ll learn to care for young street trees, receive free tools, and get a Parks Volunteer Permit, which will allow you to care for street trees and greenstreets. Advance registration is required; space is limited. To register, contact channaly.oum@parks.nyc.gov or (212) 676-1929 with your name and email and/or phone number.

Date & Time: Wednesday, Sept. 17 Offered at two times: noon -1 p.m. & 6 p.m.-8 p.m. (longer evening session offers free tools)
Location: Family Life Center, 59 Wright Street, Stapleton, Staten Island

Click here for Green Cities Great Lakes, a report recently released by Ecojustice (Canada) on the use of green infrastructure to reduce combined sewer overflows in the Ontario portion of the Great Lakes Basin. The report was closely modeled after NRDC’s Rooftops to Rivers report.