Weaning politicians from their developer patrons is one of the hardest things to do in local politics. Montgomery County Green Party activist, Diane Cameron, put together a coalition of 20 environmental organizations in an effort to get Montgomery County to upgrade Montgomery County’s stormwater permit to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act’s national Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

They got money for their efforts; but they did not get any commitment to bring the stormwater permit within the strictures of the law.

As developers pave over ever growing amounts of the county, more and more rainwater runs off directly into streams and rivers rather than soaking into the ground. This runoff washes constuction mud, lawn fertilizers, street dirt, and bacteria from pet waste into the streams. Plus, additional water flows during heavy rains wash away life; fish, insects and amphibians, further damaging river ecosystems. Ultimately the nutrient rich runoff contributes to the growing dead zones in the ChesapeakeBay each summer.

According to the Maryland Department of the Environment, 35 percent of the County’s streams declined in biological quality between 1994 and 2001. Two thirds of the county’s major streams are designated as “impaired” in whole or in part.The Stormwater Partners coalition lobbied for pollution caps along with source controls written into the county’s stormwater permits, which are up for renewal this summer, but could get no commitment from County Executive, Doug Duncan.

Instead they won a $1.3 million spending initiative to spur the use of rainwater gardens, green roofs, and other methods of “harvesting rainwater runoff from yards, roads and parking lots.

County Executive Duncan has announced a task force to look at zoning changes to further mitigate rainwater runoff, but what is really needed are standards written into the stormwater permit.

There is still time to express your opinion. Write or call Doug Duncan at 101 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD 20895, 240-777-2500, or email him at douglas.duncan@montgomerycountyme.gov