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Drain commissioner says county soil‑erosion program out of compliance; EGLE requests Feb. 5 session
Summary
Berrien County Drain Commissioner George McManus told the board that the county's soil erosion and sedimentation control program (Ordinance No. 24) has been intermittently noncompliant since 2017 and that the state agency EGLE has requested a corrective meeting on Feb. 5.
George McManus, Berrien County Drain Commissioner, told the board that the county’s soil erosion and sedimentation control program governed by Ordinance No. 24 has been “in and out of compliance since 2017,” and that the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has requested a meeting to address corrective steps.
“I'm George McManus. I'm your Berrien County Drain Commissioner,” McManus said. “That program in Berrien County has been…in and out of compliance since 2017. And so now EGLE wants us to have that corrected ASAP in 90 days.”
Nut graf: McManus said EGLE’s request followed the agency’s recurring audits of the county program. He said a public meeting will be held Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the county facility’s automotive-row room; EGLE requested that some or all county board commissioners attend to hear about permitting, inspection and enforcement responsibilities.
McManus said the program historically has been administered in coordination with the county’s drain commissioner office and that EGLE audits the local program every five years. He added that correspondence from EGLE was distributed to commissioners “late yesterday” and that the county’s finance committee — which oversees coordination with the drain commissioner’s office — will discuss the topic further in its next meeting.
Ending: McManus encouraged commissioners to attend the Feb. 5 session and suggested the county post information publicly. No formal board action on the program was recorded during the meeting; commissioners were advised that additional updates would follow and that the finance committee would circulate further materials.
