Stormwater costs set to swell under EPA rules

ATTLEBORO – Local communities are bracing for the cost to implement new stormwater rules from the federal Environmental Protection Agency. An effort by the state to intervene could offer some relief, but some environmentalists contend it would weaken protections.

Some cities and towns could end up spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to meet the EPA’s mandates, but for now, most are planning and evaluating what needs to be done, according to a May 15 report by The Sun Chronicle.

Aimed at curbing pollution in lakes, ponds and rivers to satisfy the Clean Water Act, the new stormwater requirements involve street sweeping, sampling and testing water, mapping storm drains and other areas.

The standards are attached to updated stormwater permits that were announced last month, but have been years in the making. •

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