Abstract
Stormwater policy has rapidly evolved over the past two decades as a range of management measures have been found to be more effective and able to provide broader community and environmental benefits than past practices. Change, however, is a constant in a dynamic, precipitation-driven regulatory environment. The intersection of a changing climate, emerging contaminants, and holistic resiliency and sustainability initiatives creates opportunities to assess what are the most effective regulatory approaches. This discussion will focus on some key environmental and public policy issues that could play increasing roles in stormwater and wet weather policy.
Speaker and Panelists:
- Chris Kloss, Director of the Water Permits Division in U.S. EPA’s Office of Water
- Seth Brown, Executive Director for National Municipal Stormwater Alliance
- Nicole Blasing, Director of the Municipal Division at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- James Wisker, District Administrator for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District
- Randy Neprash, Minnesota Cities Stormwater Coalition & Neprash Consulting, LLC
Chris Kloss is the Director of the Water Permits Division in U.S. EPA’s Office of Water. He oversees the national NPDES permitting program, which is a key element in EPA’s clean water program. The Water Permits Divison develops national policy and works with EPA and state permit writers to administer the permitting program for 750,000 permittees nationwide. The Division also implements voluntary programs related to animal agriculture, green infrastructure, and integrated planning. The Division’s responsibilities require collaborating with a broad swath of federal, state, local, industry, and environmental groups.