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Department of Ecology News Release - October 27, 2004
04-198
YAKIMA - A new manual for managing storm water, tailored for Eastern Washington's arid climate, will be introduced at several workshops scheduled throughout the region.
The manual was prepared cooperatively by Eastern Washington cities and counties, the state departments of Ecology and Transportation, private engineering consultants and representatives of the building industry.
"This group of dedicated professionals prepared two drafts for public review, then worked together to come up with this final product," explained Karen Dinicola, a water-quality specialist for Ecology.
The "Stormwater Management Manual for Eastern Washington" is a companion document to the "Model Municipal Stormwater Program" document published just over a year ago. The two documents provide tools for managing stormwater discharges to protect water quality.
Core elements of stormwater management and an overview of the document will be outlined during workshops scheduled for Nov. 9 in Spokane, Nov. 16 in Kennewick and Dec. 7 in Ellensburg. More workshops will be scheduled next year.
"The manual recognizes there are fundamental differences, such as soils and climate, between the east and west sides of the state," said Nancy Aldrich, with the city of Richland, who co-chaired the Eastern Washington Stormwater Project committee. "We thank the Department of Ecology for recognizing those differences and funding this process. We hope the manual will be well received by its users."
The Stormwater Management Manual for Eastern Washington is available online at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0410076.html
Free computer discs (CDs) will be available for workshop participants and at Ecology's regional offices in Spokane and Yakima.
Workshop schedule:
For more information on the manual, model program or the upcoming workshops, contact Karen Dinicola at (360) 407-6550 or kdin461@ecy.wa.gov.
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Media contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610
Eastern Washington Stormwater Manual Committee: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/eastern_manual/steering_committee.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
