Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Soil Erosion Permitting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cass County conservation staff report 341 open permits, dozens of recent inspections and enforcement letters
Summary
Cass County Conservation District and its Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control (SCSC) program reported increased inspection activity, multiple violation letters and work to close unpermitted sites as part of an ongoing EGLE audit.
Corey Glyvis, with the Cass County Conservation District, introduced Justin Hillsberg as the district's new Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control (SCSC) administrator and said plat books from the district are now available to the public.
Justin Hillsberg told commissioners the SCSC program has made structural improvements and increased capacity this summer. He said the program completed 91 site inspections in July; issued 10 violation letters in July and 12 in August so far; sent more than 25 minor-violation notifications; and closed 14 sites in July. Hillsberg said staff identified 17 unpermitted sites in July and are working to bring them into compliance. Year to date, he said, the program has 341 open permits, 24 pending applications and 42 active violation or noncompliant sites.
"The stream structure has allowed us to respond more effectively to permitting, inspections, and enforcement needs across Cass County," Hillsberg said. He also reported the county conservation district has passed the documentation portion of an EGLE audit and is completing site inspections for the agency's ride-along portion of the review.
Hillsberg said the office has created new forms, templates and spreadsheets to better track violations and compliance work.
Why it matters: soil erosion and sediment controls affect stormwater management, water quality and construction regulation; increased inspection and enforcement activity can reduce runoff and protect local watercourses.
The board asked no follow-up questions on the numbers during the update. The conservation district said plat books are available for purchase for $32 at its office and that one copy will be provided to the county GIS office.
