Get involved! Stormwater management in your community.

PennFuture and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council have developed an informative and educational program designed to help you (yes, you) become more involved in local stormwater management.

Stormwater, a.k.a. melting snow and rain that flows across parking lots, streets, and lawns, can pick up harmful pollutants like motor oil, lawn fertilizer, pet waste, and trash and carry them into storm drains and, ultimately, our rivers and streams. Stormwater can also erode stream banks and can lead to flooding. Simply put, poorly managed stormwater is an issue that affects all of us. That’s why we’re excited to offer this program.

PennFuture recently reached a legal settlement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that will change the way municipal separate storm sewer systems, known as MS4s, receive permits in Pennsylvania. Our goal is to offer assistance in clarifying and simplifying the stormwater permit process for watershed and conservation groups as well as citizens – and make public participation in your borough or township's planning process easier.

The program will cover:

•        What the DEP legal settlement means for you

•        Ways you or your organization and its members can get involved in the DEP's process for updating the general permit for MS4s.

•        Opportunities to get involved in your local municipality's stormwater planning process, including:

◦          When and how you can participate in the public input process — and why it's a key opportunity for citizens

◦          What to look for in permit applications, including pollutant reduction plans and TMDL plans

Where:  The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania

                100 E. Northwestern Avenue

                Philadelphia, PA 19118 
               (in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia)

When: Monday, February 23, 2015 at 7 p.m.

To reserve a seat, you can either call Joy Bergey at 215-313-1311 or register online at

http://pennfuture-pec-workshop.eventbrite.com

For more information, please contact Joy Bergey, bergey@pennfuture.org, 215-313-1311.

If February 23 isn't convenient for you (either the date or the location) but you'd like to find out about other upcoming trainings, contact Joy (bergey@pennfuture.org, 215-313-1311).

Jennifer Quinn is central Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Harrisburg. She tweets @QuinnJen1.