Epa Erosion Control Responsible Person

by | Sep 21, 2012 | Levco Green Remodeling, The Law | 2 comments

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Why of course I am the responsible person, I am responsible for everything. whether it goes right or wrong, my name is on the bottom line.

Turns out it also is the term given to the licensed person who is “responsible” for keeping sediment from entering our street drains and ultimately our waterways. The class is several hours and is given to folks like remodelers and excavators who run a high risk of inadvertently spoiling our rivers.

Responsible Person Poster

Boise takes this seriously and, unlike the RRP lead based paint rule, these regulations are un-funded by the EPA but mandated by the permit the city has with the EPA. A real person named Clint Smith (Boise City Erosion Control Inspector) does regular inspections and also roam the streets looking for compliance (or lack of) and stops in to say “Hi.”

We just had one such visit, and despite our very clean job site, Clint admonished us to take more precautions…just in case. Naturally, he lives lives in a “worst case scenario” world, which is a good thing. Clint says “violations of the rule will ultimately result in a STOP WORK order if negligence is encountered, or  until the problem is remedied. In the worst cases civil penalties can be assessed as well.”

Straw Waddle being installed

The EPA is all about keeping the sludge and soil out of the drains, they are less concerned about how you do it or what tricks or materials you use. Each technique or materials have their pros and cons. All the EPA cares about is results! They also demand that their requirements are followed. How we get to achieving our results is by using “Best Practices” How cool is that? The way I see it, the bar is constantly being raised.

Witches Hat

At the local supply store there are all sorts of things to add to our arsenal of tricks. We ended up using a Witch’s Hat. (a strong black felt liner designed to trap stuff without obstructing water flow). We also bought a cool roll of green waddle, used to stop flowing debris but allow water to cruise on through. Straw waddles used to be all the rage but they attract mice and fall apart after a month or so, and are not really reusable where ours are. Silt fences are also commonly used but have their problems with sudden failure too.

There are many other options for sediment control. We see scrubby pads zip locked to metal grates to keep chunk debris out, and there are as many grate covers as there are hours in a week. We will continue to protect our waterways and be alert if we see others breaking the rules.

Track Out

According to Clint, “Track out” is the biggest offender at the moment. That is when trucks entering or existing a project leave “Tracks” away from the job site. Number two is “Wash out,” improperly washing out cement trucks, masons, stucco, and latex paints on the job site.

Other big offenders are the big excavation firms doing hillside work and developers not having the proper plans in place or following the federal guidelines. Clint says”Look for the EPA to come down hard on developers and the construction industry in general, as the seasons turn.” There is an engineering  firm we’ve used  in town that will develop an erosion control plan for a fee. It essentially goes over the worst case scenario and helps you pick the materials and best practices to deal with the problems.

The bottom line is that Levco is staying on the cutting edge of respecting our environment with strong oversight from our federal and city officials.

Your comments are welcome. To ask questions or get more information about remodeling, email me directly or visit our contact page.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove and replace them at once.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove and replace them at once.

Related Posts

I Learned How To Communicate By Drawing

I Learned How To Communicate By Drawing

I suppose it is like learning a new language. However, I am only fluent in English. When I put a phrase together in Spanish, it makes me happy. Communicating in drawing has always been challenging until I learned a program that allows me to express my thoughts in a...

read more
The 4-Way Test For Remodeling

The 4-Way Test For Remodeling

As the owner of this construction company, I know that decisions must be made daily. I chose to follow the Rotarian's 4-way test. I am just celebrating my 8th anniversary in the club. What a simple code to follow. I am also an Eagle Scout, but that was so long ago....

read more

Leave A Comment

2 Comments

  1. Daphne Gilpin

    Thanks for explaining that it’s important for big excavation firms doing hillside work to follow federal guidelines for erosion control. My husband and I recently purchased some land, so I’m trying to learn more about how to plan erosion control methods. I’m glad I read your article because now I know to ask potential erosion control services how they ensure that federal regulations are met.

    Reply
    • <div class="apbct-real-user-wrapper">
    <div class="apbct-real-user-author-name">Joe</div>
    <div class="apbct-real-user-badge" onmouseover="
            let popup = document.getElementById('apbct_trp_comment_id_915');
            popup.style.display = 'inline-flex';
        ">
        <div class="apbct-real-user-popup" id="apbct_trp_comment_id_915">
            <div class="apbct-real-user-title">
                <p class="apbct-real-user-popup-header">The Real Person!</p>
                <p class="apbct-real-user-popup-text">Author <b>Joe</b> acts as a real person and passed all tests against spambots. Anti-Spam by CleanTalk.</p>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>

      Wow thanks, I’m glad you found value in what I wrote about. I suggest you take a responsible person class. Check with your local construction permitting agency to find where you can become certified. Joe

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

Categories

Latest Projects

Master Suite Addition

Master Suite Addition

Master Suite AdditionThe Challenge They came up with a plan drawn by others with several significant errors. One was the size of the addition, and the other was the angle of the trusses. The clients who work remotely turned out to be excellent communicators and...

Dining Room Addition and Kitchen Remodel

Dining Room Addition and Kitchen Remodel

Dining Room Addition and Kitchen RemodelThe Challenge The home had an odd entry room with a coat closet and partition wall in the way. This room was pretty useless and annoying to the client. Then, the kitchen was blocked from the activity in the living room, and the...

Primary Suite Remodel with Deck

Primary Suite Remodel with Deck

Primary Suite Remodel & DeckThe Challenge Inaccurate plans were provided that had to get updated over the course of the project. The project is on a creek so lots of precautions were needed to keep erosion out of it.  The Idea Create a primary suite that is...

Whole House Remodel

Whole House Remodel

Whole House RemodelThe Challenge The home was in the hillside district and in the WUI which means that the home has some extra requirements as far as firesafe and extra structural requirements. There had been an addition done to the house years prior that was not...