What Are Best Management Practices (BMP)?
Best Management Practices can be defined as a method by which
state or local
governments can find ways to prevent or reduce pollution, that is
derived by non-point
sources such as watersheds, “to a level compatible with
water quality goals” as stated
under EPA regulations section 40 CFR 130.2(Q).
The EPA has established eight categories describing how to protect water quality
by
specific forestry measures. They are: (1) pre-harvest planning; (2)
streamside
management; (3) forest wetlands protection; (4) road construction and
maintenance;
(5) timber harvesting; (6) re-vegetation; (7) fire management; and
(8) forest chemical
management.
Considering there are well over 700 million acres of land in the U.S., concerns
about
how the “watershed” effect can easily pollute our waters has come to the
forefront in
finding new ways to prevent pollution through the use of BMP.
In an effort to understand how Best Management Practices can be
effectively utilized
in the aforementioned categories as established by the EPA,
here are the regulations
as defined by the Clean Water Act under section
232.3c(6)(i-xv):
“Construction or maintenance of farm roads, forest roads, or temporary roads for
moving
mining equipment, where such roads are constructed and maintained in
accordance with
best management practices to assure that flow and circulation
patterns and chemical and
biological characteristics of waters of the United
States are not impaired, that the reach of
the waters of the United States is
not reduced, and that any adverse effect on the aquatic
environment will be
otherwise minimized. The BMPs which must be applied to satisfy this
provision
include the following baseline provisions:
• (i) Permanent roads (for farming or forestry activities), temporary access
roads (for mining,
forestry, or farm purposes) and skid trails (for logging) in
waters of the US shall be held to the
minimum feasible number, width, and total
length consistent with the purpose of specific
farming, cultural or mining
operations, and local topographic and climatic conditions;
• (ii) All roads, temporary or permanent, shall be located sufficiently far from
streams or other
water bodies (except for portions of such roads which must
cross water bodies) to minimize
discharges of dredged or fill material into
waters of the US;
• (iii) The road fill shall be bridged, have a culvert, or otherwise designed to
prevent the
restriction of expected flood flows;
• (iv) The fill shall be properly stabilized and maintained to prevent erosion
during the following
construction:
• (v) Discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the US to construct
a road fill shall be
made in a manner that minimizes the encroachment of trucks,
tractors, bulldozers, or other
heavy equipment within the waters of the US
(including adjacent wetlands) that lie outside the
lateral boundaries of the
fill itself:
• (vi) In designing, constructing, and maintaining roads, vegetative disturbance
in the waters of
the US shall be kept to a minimum;
• (vii) The design, construction, and maintenance of the road crossing shall not
disrupt the
migration or other movement of those species of aquatic life
inhabiting the water body;
• (viii) Borrow material shall be taken from upland sources whenever feasible;
• (ix) The discharge shall not take or jeopardize the continued existence of a
threatened or
endangered species as defined under the Endangered Species Act or
adversely modify or
destroy the critical habitat of such species;
• (x) Discharges into breeding and nesting areas for migratory waterfowl,
spawning areas,
and wetlands shall be avoided if practical alternatives exist;
• (xi) The discharge shall not be located in the proximity of a public water
supply intake;
• (xii) The discharge shall not occur in areas of concentrated shellfish
production;
• (xiii) The discharge shall not occur in a component of the National Wild and
Scenic River
System;
• (xiv) The discharge of material shall consist of suitable material free from
toxic pollutants in
toxic amounts; and
• (xv) All temporary fills shall be removed in their entirety and the area
restored to its original
elevation.”
Products that can help you (BMP's) Best Management Practice
are spill
kits, spill containment berms,
absorbent booms and
stormwater products.
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