Beleaguered State Agency in Breach of Federal Clean Water Act Two leading regional environmental organizations have
warned the state legislature that inadequate funding is causing the
Commonwealth’s largest overseer of land to violate Clean Water Act and
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which
manages over 675,000 acres of land in Massachusetts, is out of compliance
with federal permit regulations regarding stormwater management.
Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) and Conservation Law
Foundation (CLF) are calling for the legislature to increase DCR funding
in the 2006 budget to allow the agency to deal with these issues.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is scheduled to present
its 2006 budget next week. Chronic underfunding by the state, which has led to
inadequate staff and project time, is causing DCR to fail to meet the most
basic EPA and Clean Water Act requirements on stormwater, according to
Kate Bowditch, CRWA senior environmental scientist.
“Uncontrolled runoff from DCR properties is one factor causing
the Charles River to violate state water quality standards for fishing,
swimming and, at times, even for boating,” she added. The Department of Conservation and
Recreation manages many of the parks and roadways in the Charles River
Watershed, including the 17-mile long Charles River Reservation.
DCR’s land, including parking lots, roads, parkways and
boulevards, contribute to the large quantities of polluted stormwater (the
most significant source of pollution in the Charles River) that run
offinto the state’s rivers and harbors.
This stormwater is a major cause of water quality degradation,
affecting fisheries, habitat, aquatic plants, and recreational uses. All towns in the Charles River watershed are required
to file stormwater discharge permits with EPA; earlier this year, nine
towns in the lower watershed underwent the same permit renewal process as
DCR and were found to be in compliance.
Yet, according to advocates, DCR, which is charged with protecting
the largest portion of the watershed, as well as many open spaces and
water bodies around the state, is doing the worst job at complying with
the federal regulations. “It is vital that DCR receive adequate funding, so
they can design and implement stormwater management plans that comply with
the law and effectively address pollution reduction and sustainable water
use, “said Bowditch “Stormwater
discharges represent one of the last great hurdles before the Charles
River is truly healthy,” she added. ### Charles
River Watershed Association’s uses science, advocacy and the law
to protect, preserve and enhance the Charles River and its watershed.
One
of our country’s first watershed organizations, CRWA formed in 1965 in
response to public concern about the declining condition of the Charles
River. Since its earliest
days of advocacy, CRWA has figured prominently in major clean-up and
watershed protection efforts that have dramatically improved the health of
the Charles. The Conservation Law Foundation works to solve the environmental problems that threaten the people, natural resources and communities of New England. CLF's advocates use law, economics and science to design and implement strategies that conserve natural resources, protect public health, and promote vital communities in our region. Founded in 1966, CLF is a nonprofit, member-supported organization.
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