These policies are the foundation of the Design & Construction Standards Manual, Zoning Ordinance and County budget.

EPA tags Beazer Homes for Clean Water Act violations - two sites in PWC

Draft Environment Chapter is Fair and Reasonable
by Henry Bibber

1. Government should lead by example
   
   Staff, supported by developers, proposes to delete all references to policies that encourage government projects to meet or exceed the County’s minimum development standards, including identification of environmental resources on County-owned properties.
   
   This do-as-I-say, not-as-I-do approach sends the message that the County is not committed to protecting the environment.
   
    The County should be a model of smart development, especially at parks and public buildings such as schools.
   
   
2. Protect intermittent streams
   
   The low-cost option to meeting Clean Water Act standards is to minimize additional stream pollution when we develop parcels of land.
   
   We need to keep nitrogen, phosphorous, and sediment out of small intermittent streams as well as the large perennial streams.
   
   Buffers – natural vegetation along stream edges – are a cost-effective way to stop pollution before it reaches the water, cheaper than perpetually maintaining stormwater ponds.
   
   Common sense tells you that it is less expensive to prevent a problem than to fix it later. Currently the Environment Chapter calls for buffers on “intermittent” streams.
   
   In order to spur implementation, the Planning Commission draft calls for buffers on significant intermittent streams, those that almost qualify as “perennial” after a field evaluation.
   
   Staff is proposing buffers - but only for a few intermittent streams that are near steep slopes.
   
   Developers suggest Prince William do nothing, because state/Federal agencies will solve our problems with future regulations.
   
   As the county’s population grows, do you prefer preventing pollution by saving trees along streams or by paying higher taxes so Public Works can rebuild the stormwater ponds?
   
   
3. Drinking Water Reservoir Protection Overlay District
   
   Stormwater that flows into Lake Manassas or Occoquan Reservoir becomes our drinking water. We ought to keep our future drinking water clean, and an “overlay district” creates that opportunity. 
   
   Within the overlay district, additional protective buffers and other controls can minimize impacts on water quality.
   
   Staff proposes to delete references to implementation of the overlay district, including consideration of development densities and buffers for streams and wetlands.
   
   These key opportunities to protect our public drinking water should not be eliminated before the discussion has even begun.
   
   
4. Limit clearing and grading
   
   Clearing land increases erosion, sending topsoil into creeks and leaving unfertile soils behind.
   
   Erosion controls are only about 60% effective, even when they’re installed correctly, and clearly can’t do the job alone.
   
   Grading reshapes the land, compacting soils to the extent they create nearly as much stormwater runoff as pavement.
   
   We should protect trees and encourage development plans that fit the landscape, rather than clear the forest and reshape the landscape to fit the plan.
   
   Staff proposes changes that limit clearing and grading, but only for cluster development.
   
   This narrow approach would allow developers to clear all the way to the property border on all other development sites.
   
   
5. Stormwater Runoff
   
   As Prince William grows, we are increasing the amount of stormwater pollution that we send to the Chesapeake Bay. 
   
   The draft Environment Chaper considers stormwater conditions for the surrounding area, not just the parcel proposed for development.
   
   The draft calls for specific changes to the Design Construction & Standards Manual (DCSM) at a later date. We need to set the policy now, and tackle the details later.