DEC defends 3-acre stormwater retrofit program as critical to Lake Champlain TMDL; lawmakers press on funding and timelines

Neil Kamen, deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, told the Natural Resources & Energy Committee that the 3-acre stormwater retrofit program is a necessary regulatory increment for meeting the Lake Champlain TMDL and that the program requires additional implementation time and funding.

"It is important. We need those pounds. That regulatory program is part and parcel of what EPA authorized as part of their TMDL, and expects in order to comply with the TMDL," Kamen said, framing the statute-driven role of the program and the agency’s support for the bill under consideration.

Kamen and Terry Purcell, operational section supervisor in the DEC stormwater program, answered questions from legislators about why some sites are included, how legacy (pre-2002) stormwater controls are treated, and how municipal roads interact with the 3-acre requirement and the Municipal Roads General Permit (MRGP).

Key points officials made: - Program role and scale: Kamen said the 3-acre retrofit program, though costly per pound of phosphorus removed, comprises about 13% of the regulatory load…