Colorado Attorney Lawyer

Silverthorne, Colo. - Since the sound of jackhammers and heavy equipment echoed by the Blue River-Tal, a remarkable group of major construction work has time to their frantic race against the winter Tuesday to understand what that their worst Environmental Responsibility: erosion.

“This is not a small amount of sediment, not a small problem. They would not be here if it is a small problem,” Councillor Scott Olson tells the packaging of hardhats room on the Silverthorne Recreation Center.

Indeed, everywhere in Colorado, such as construction and the West to continue halsbrecherischen pace, dirt and pollutants from construction sites underway and increasingly flows have been held responsible for choking streams, reservoirs filling, constipation municipal water systems and fish habitat destruction.

“The construction is really the number one source of pollutants in the USA today,” said Nathan Moore of Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Among the astonishing figures: construction sites produce more than 10 percent of all sediments of streams and lakes, but represent less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all land uses in the country, leading to far greater influence in an amount comparable to agriculture.

A site opened the rule loses about a quarter inch of land of each season, about 33 cubic yards-hectare, the equivalent of two long bucket full of dirt.

Sediment costs estimated at $ 4.2 billion per year in the sanitation of Commons Storm-water channel and treatment facilities, reducing the capacity of the tank and damaged fish habitat.

In recognition of the growing problem, federal, national and local regulatory authorities in recent years have begun cracking contractor negligence and strengthen the rules of the Federal Act on the Clean Water Act. In Colorado, it has been that all Web sites by more than 5 acres must have a permit from the Department of Health and take measures to minimize erosion and the Web sites of more than 1 hectare must also from 2002.

“It is a necessary evil,” said Michael McGrath, Project Manager for the construction Gallipo, works in a large room for development in the summits Cove neighborhood. “In this way, a quantity that I have never seen the negative effects may occur, it is certainly worthwhile.”

McGrath given the historical refresher courses, but officials say that many other construction crews are not known, regulation or the need for erosion control, so that education is a greater challenge than the implementation.

“Very rarely, we find the man, are hostile towards, if they do,” said Moore, controls, construction sites around the state to problems of erosion. “The only problem east, the guys here in 40 years and have a “scratch and build the” attitudes and never had the use of this in the old days. But they are not hostile. ”

Olson, the creator of the certification program for erosion control of the supervisory authorities of the Colorado Department of Transportation, described many tools for the prevention of erosion, for example, examine, dams, berms, silt fences , Strawbale barriers and sewers, and discuss preventive measures, such as to several phases of excavation.

“There is no way around it. That was a little money,” he told participants from 35 authorities of each of the four Summit County ski areas, and much larger field of construction. “But you can just keep costs at a minimum.”