CLEARFIELD – A possible county-wide stormwater management plan may be in the works for Clearfield County.
Jodi Brennan, director of the Clearfield County Planning Commission gave Clearfield County Commissioners an overview of the proposed DEP mandate.
According to Brennan the SWM Act has been in place since 1978 as a response to stormwater caused by land development. She said that last year DEP began looking at making counties implement county-wide stormwater management plans. After a county drafts a plan, each municipality within the county would have to adopt a stormwater management ordinance.
Phase I of the plan entails establishing the scope of the work. That is what the new board of commissioners will have to look at. Phase II will be the implementation of the plan.
Brennan said that the state will fund 75 percent of the cost to implement the plan. The county must match 25 percent of the cost of the project.
Brennan said that the municipalities will be a key element to get the plan to work. She said an advisory council will be formed, with each of Clearfield County’s 51 municipalities having a seat on the council. She noted that those municipalities may need to be split into four regional groups.
She also indicated that the stormwater runoff would also address drought issues. The county recently had a drought watch lifted.
“It will help keep water here,” said Brennan.
Brennan also indicated that the implementation of a stormwater management ordinance will help municipalities that do not already have one.
“This is an example of an unfunded mandate,” said Kim Kesner, county solicitor.
He added that many municipalities are under DEP prodding or order to separate their water and sewer systems. Kesner said that municipalities are looking at the ticking clock, some acting, some not, and some ignoring it altogether.
Kesner said that eventually DEP will begin to pick off municipalities who do not comply.
“It will have to be dealt with sooner if not later,” Kesner said of stormwater management.