Stormwater Runoff Better Site Design News

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#336633" TEXT="#080000" background="04cb8573.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#CCFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="04f605a0.jpg" border=0 width="352" height="90" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><B>Healthy Homes TV - Eco-Friendly Homes and Living</B><B> </B> ||  <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Healthy Homes TV EcoFriendly Homes and ">home</A>  || <I> </I></FONT>Stormwater Runoff Better Site Design News   |   <A HREF="clinton_library_gets_green_roof.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Clinton Library gets green roof">Clinton Library gets green roof</A>   |   <A HREF="army_corps_of_engineers_blamed_for_shoddy_everglades_work.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Corps blamed for shoddy Everglades work ">Corps blamed for shoddy Everglades work </A>   |   <A HREF="what_is_nonpoint_source_pollution_educational_video.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Educational Video: What is Nonpoint Sour">Educational Video: What is Nonpoint Source Pollution</A>   |   <A HREF="nonpoint_source_pollution_mississippi_river.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nonpoint Source Pollution in the Mississ">Nonpoint Source Pollution in the Mississippi River</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#336633" TEXT="#080000" background="04dd2083.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Healthy Homes TV EcoFriendly Homes and "><B>Home</B></A></div> <div> <B>Stormwater Runoff Better Site Design News</B></div> <div> <A HREF="clinton_library_gets_green_roof.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Clinton Library gets green roof">Clinton Library gets green roof</A></div> <div> <A HREF="army_corps_of_engineers_blamed_for_shoddy_everglades_work.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Corps blamed for shoddy Everglades work ">Corps blamed for shoddy Everglades work </A></div> <div> <A HREF="what_is_nonpoint_source_pollution_educational_video.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Educational Video: What is Nonpoint Sour">Educational Video: What is Nonpoint Source Pollution</A></div> <div> <A HREF="nonpoint_source_pollution_mississippi_river.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nonpoint Source Pollution in the Mississ">Nonpoint Source Pollution in the Mississippi River</A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="181" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#336600" BORDERCOLORDARK="#CCFFCC" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 2145 WIDTH="175"><div> <I><B> <A NAME="why_can_t_we_design_better_pervious_alternatives"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I><I><B>Why can't we do something like this, instead?</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="09caf830.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="131" ALT="Grass paved parking stalls, at a commercial development." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="09dafe90.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="233" ALT="Permeable highway construction from Germany, notice the pervious roadside verge and emergency pull-off lane is reinforced with ecoraster from Germany, aka ecogrid in the UK and Canada." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B> <A NAME="1_why_do_we_have_to_pave_everything"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I><I><B>Why do we have to pave everything, creating millions of gallons of polluted stormwater runoff daily ...</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="09eaf830.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="131" ALT="Grass-paved driveway and parking area, at the front entrance of a high-population-density urban brownstone." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="09faf750.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="117" ALT="Permeable turf and tree root protection during construction project, notice the existing trees and grass were not damaged during the 3 month construction project, and lawn rehabilitation was unecessary as a result." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0a1af830.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="131" ALT="Another grass-paved commercial parking lot, this from an industrial area." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0a2af830.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="131" ALT="Low-environmental impact road construction, high-tensile stabiligrid use enables minimal soil disturbance during roadway construction." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B> <A NAME="2_and_then_spend_billions_of_dollars"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I><I><B>... and then spend billions of dollars to "solve" or bio-remediate the </B></I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#990000" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>very problem we just created?</B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0a3a9770.jpg" border=0 width="169" height="119" ALT="Essential in grass paving or engineered stone permeable paving - the vehicle tires must not compact the soil, in order to preserve native infiltration rates of the soil." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0a4af830.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="131" ALT="A combination of permeable paving and grass paving in a commercial shopping mall, the stormwater runoff is diverted onto the parking stalls, which also serve as filtration, retention and infiltration assets." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0a7af830.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="131" ALT="Another grass-paver project, this from Paris, France; the parking stalls at this commuter parking ride-share lot are completely grass paved." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0a9af830.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="131" ALT="Another grass-paved park and ride for commuters." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Yep, it's a transit train railway track.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0abaf830.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="131" ALT="Grass-paved railroad track used for public transit railway service, this grassy expanse is a far contrast from the American railroad ways featuring blackened, dirty, highly polluting - and ugly and hot - riprap and drain rock." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Yes, it is a parking lot ...</B></I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#CCFFCC" FACE="Arial" > <A NAME="wouldn_t_it_be_easier_and_much"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></FONT><I><B><IMG SRC="0adaf830.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="131" ALT="University campus grass paved parking lot." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Wouldn't it be easier, and much cheaper, to simply NOT CREATE the nonpoint source pollution and stormwater runoff, in the first place?</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#CCCC99 HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="175"><div> <A HREF="http://healthyhomes.tv/eco-news/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://healthyhomes.tv/eco-news/"><I><B>What do you think?</B></I></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="77" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 496 WIDTH="71"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="496" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="71" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04e05053.jpg"> <div> <I>Stormwater Runoff Better Site Design News</I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="4" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="711" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#336600" BORDERCOLORDARK="#CCFFCC" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#CCFFFF HEIGHT= 1225 WIDTH="689"><div> Below are the best articles I could locate today, 27 January 2008, concerning <I><B>"Stormwater Management and BSD, Better Site Design."</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#330099" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>You tell me:</B></I></FONT>  Do any of these articles address better site designs, or do any mention the use of <I><B>infiltration-based Stormwater Management and Better Site Designs</B></I>?</div> <bR> <div> There is no doubt that natural infiltration of rainfall would be better for Earth and its inhabitants.  If the natural eco-systems were allowed to work the way they have always worked, back when:</div> <div> 1) rainwater and precipitation fell from the sky,</div> <div> 2) the water infiltrates/percolates into the soil - right where it fell out of the sky,</div> <div> 3) and replenishes our groundwater and aquifers with pure, clean, filtered water...</div> <div> <I><B>... sorta' like the environment has been doing, and working just fine, forever?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a800f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Rainwater percolating directly into the soil, at the point where it precipitates - what a concept! </B></I> </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">as opposed to rainwater contacting an impervious surface (conventional paving or non-engineered gravel, or simply dirt that has been compacted by the narrow footprints of pedestrian, vehicular or agricultural traffic)</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">becoming stormwater runoff, carrying with it the pollutants it picks up on the surface (usually vehicular fluids or decomposition of brakes/automotive moving parts, but also 'nutrients' from fecal matter and other organic and inorganic chemicals),</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">and migrating across the earth surface directly into the nearest surface waterway: into our rivers, lakes and streams (and eventually the oceans),</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">INSTEAD: or being 'bio-remediated' by the <I><B>obsolete</B></I> storm water runoff diversion, retention, detention, and containment structures <I><B>still being prescribed today</B></I>,</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">causing the collection of these SWR-borne Nonpoint Source Pollutants into unnaturally high concentration levels,</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">chemical concentration levels which overwhelm the natural eco-systems' ability to adequately decompose the pollutants.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#330099" FACE="Arial" ><I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f099003300.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Yes, "the cure" being prescribed creates a worse disease!</B></I></FONT> (gee, the <I><B>natural microbes in the earth</B></I> can decompose even petroleum derivatives, eliminating any NONPOINT source pollution?)</div> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a800f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">And the water could instead infiltrate into the subsoil </B></I>- gee, water can do that?</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Only for the last several billion years,</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">before we began covering the earth with impervious structures, </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">creating stormwater runoff which picks up pollutants from the earth's surface,</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">collecting, concentrating and delivering the polluted runoff water into the nearest surface water, a superhighway to the nearest  ocean.</div> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a800f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">You mean, this pure, filtered water might instead be allowed to replenish our groundwater and the deep aquifers?</B></I> </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">You mean the same, clean water that we drink?</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The same water that the EPA and The Clean Water Act are supposed to be protecting and preserving (as opposed to auctioning off multibillion dollar white elephant BMP and BSD project contracts: to whichever construction companies retain the highest paid lobbyists)?</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a7300a700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">... that water?</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Now, you tell me:</B></I><I><B> </B></I></div> <div>  (i) Do <I><B>any</B></I> of the projects described below appear to be intelligently designed and thoughtful, careful, or effective <I><B>BMP/best management practices or BSD/better site designs</B></I>?</div> <div> (ii) Do <I><B>any</B></I> of them seem to be "better site designs" than <A HREF="stormwater_runoff_better_site_design_news_l.htm#why_can_t_we_design_better_pervious_alternatives" TARGET="TRLX_Left" TITLE="Stormwater Runoff Better Site Design New"><I><B>the pervious, environmentally sound designs</B></I></A><I><B> </B></I>pictured in the left column?</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>well, not really ...</B></I></div> <div> (sounds like the SOP <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#990000" FACE="Arial" ><I>"your tax dollars at play"</I></FONT> we have become used to)</div> <bR> <div> But if a truly <A HREF="stormwater_runoff_better_site_design_news_l.htm#wouldn_t_it_be_easier_and_much" TARGET="TRLX_Left" TITLE="Stormwater Runoff Better Site Design New"><I><B>BETTER site design</B></I></A> came along, one that local small urban areas and businesses and homeowners could actually afford to implement, <I><B>then I ask you ...</B></I></div> <div> <A HREF="stormwater_runoff_better_site_design_news_l.htm#1_why_do_we_have_to_pave_everything" TARGET="TRLX_Left" TITLE="Stormwater Runoff Better Site Design New"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">How in the world are the overly pretentious and self important engineering firms going to be able to rake billions out of the economy, with their obsolete and anti-environment "dumb as concrete" designs?</A></div> <div> <A HREF="stormwater_runoff_better_site_design_news_l.htm#2_and_then_spend_billions_of_dollars" TARGET="TRLX_Left" TITLE="Stormwater Runoff Better Site Design New"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">How in the world will the contractors rake in billions of dollars, if the small urban areas implemented simple-design, do-it-yourself types of Stormwater Management Solutions?</A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="stormwater_runoff_better_site_design_news_l.htm#wouldn_t_it_be_easier_and_much" TARGET="TRLX_Left" TITLE="Stormwater Runoff Better Site Design New"><I><B>but perhaps that is only my opinion ...</B></I></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ... you may decide for yourself, of course.  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://healthyhomes.tv/eco-news/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://healthyhomes.tv/eco-news/"><I><B>Tell me, what do you think?</B></I></A></FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF HEIGHT= 75 WIDTH="689"><div>  <script type="text/javascript" src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/viewer/channel/loader?template=listing&buid=4198&tid=1&destination=3&buyerId=ecoterrcom&channelId=2259&cacheKey=0.3735107803388727" ></script><div align="center" class="badgePower" style="width:100%;"><p style="margin-top: 2px; margin-bottom: 5px;"><a href="http://www.mochila.com" target="_blank">Powered by Mochila</a></p></div>  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>