City works on storm water management plan

The state could get local control of storm-water management in Columbia and surrounding areas, if an application pending submission to the Environmental Protection Agency is approved.

If more cities join Columbia on the permit application, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources will receive more federal funds for storm water management.

The permit would allow the state agency, instead of the EPA, to oversee storm water management programs in Boone County.

The city of Columbia must generate and submit by 2003 a plan to manage storm water runoff that meets EPA requirements.

Cities like Ashland, Rocheport and Harrisburg could file storm-water runoff permits in conjunction with Columbia. If the permits were granted, the EPA would give all the applicants more money to help enact their storm-water policies.

“Ashland is growing rapidly and is in the headwaters of Bass and Turkey Creeks,” MU researcher Jim Davis said. “Parts of Ashland are in outstanding state resource waters, which means they receive special protection. It may well come up in storm-water regulations.”

Phil Schroeder, from Missouri’s Water Pollution Control Program, said there are six components in the EPA’s ordinance that Columbia and others must comply with to prevent soil erosion and stream water pollution.

Columbia would need public education about storm-water runoff, citizen participation in regulating storm-water runoff, construction and post-construction site management, prevention programs for illicit discharge and elimination, and good housekeeping policies.