Vol. 32, No. 5, 6. Storm Water Permitting in Wyoming Construction Sites.

• Author: By Magdalene M. Allely

Wyoming Bar Journal

2009.

Vol. 32, No. 5, 6.

Storm Water Permitting in Wyoming Construction Sites

Wyoming LawyerIssue: October, 2009Storm Water Permitting in Wyoming Construction SitesBy Magdalene M. AllelyWhat is storm water and why is it important?

Storm water is precipitation (usually in the form of rain or snow) that contacts impervious surfaces like driveways, parking lots, sidewalks and streets. This definition sounds rather innocuous until you consider that these impervious surfaces act as streamlined conduits for storm water to pick up and carry debris, chemicals, dirt and other pollutants directly to lakes, streams, wetlands or rivers.

Storm water has become more of an issue over the past several decades as neighborhoods replace ranch or farmland; as shopping centers and business parks sprout up in previously open fields. More neighborhoods and shopping centers means more cement and asphalt. Instead of percolating into the soil, the water encountering these hard surfaces now collects and joins with other water to form a formidable force for carrying a myriad of pollutants.

The implications of storm water are wide spread. In Wyoming, the construction industry provides us with some conspicuous examples as to why storm water needs to be controlled and managed. It is typical for construction sites to be cleared of stabilizing vegetation so that construction may commence. Preparing a construction site results in a wide swath of bare soil. When a storm event occurs and the site is exposed to rain and the effects of gravity, the water will carry the soil, and any other contaminants, from the site. The migration of soil and other contaminants off the construction site can cause unintended consequences.

Polluted storm water is a significant source of water pollution in Wyoming. Polluted storm water requires communities to treat their drinking water thereby increasing the cost. Polluted storm water also negatively impacts receiving streams. Sediment covers up fish habitat and household fertilizers can cause excessive algae growth thereby decreasing the oxygen available in the water for fish.

It should be noted that construction sites are not the only potential contributors of pollutants to storm water. Together with oil and gas and industrial sites, the average citizen can have negative impacts too. Storm water carries...