Dear Council President Leventhal and Members of the County Council:
On behalf of Sierra Club members in Montgomery County, I urge you to seize the opportunity provided by the Silverman-Floreen $1.25 million LID proposal for progress in cleaning up our waterways. We also support Councilmember’s Praisner’s additional $100,000. These grants, incentives, and staff will assist and encourage public and private landowners to manage rainwater where it falls rather than allowing it to pick up fertilizer, pesticides, and the toxic drippings from vehicles before gushing into the nearest stream. When Maryland lists two-thirds of Montgomery County’s waters as impaired, improvement is clearly needed.
Impaired waters cost us plenty, not just in enjoyment, but in dollars. I understand that we pay an additional $800,000 a year to make Potomac River water, loaded with sediment and bacteria from Watts Branch, fit to drink. We will probably also have to put at least $15 million into constructing a mid-river intake to avoid Watts Branch water. Far better is to infiltrate rainwater close to where it falls, using raingardens, bioretention cells, green roofs, and rain barrels.
We concur with Councilmember Praisner that a much stronger Countywide stormwater NPDES permit, one with measurable standards, is key to ensuring that these investments yield proper results. As you know, the Sierra Club has been working with other environmental organizations for some time now toward this end.
So once again, thank you for your support on Monday for this important watershed restoration initiative. Today’s vote will seal in your support. Next step: a precedent setting stormwater NPDES permit with quantitative and qualitative objectives. I urge your support for this also. It will make Montgomery County, which has the good fortune to control the headwaters of most of its streams, the leader it should be in the area of water quality.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Anne Ambler, Chair