New state rules that will increase regulation of local stormwater programs and perhaps force Carrboro to pay for missing water quality standards formed the focus of Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting.
The new regulations, which are projected to go into effect in Carrboro in the spring of 2012, require municipalities to monitor both nitrogen and phosphorous levels in runoff water more strictly. To comply with the state regulations, towns would have to treat stormwater more extensively.
But towns can also choose to pay into a state fund if they can’t meet the new standards.
Carrboro currently works with Chapel Hill to measure phosphorous and nitrogen levels in local streams and lakes.
Board Member Joal Hall Broun said she was concerned that Carrboro might be punished because municipalities that are unable to meet the standards share water with Carrboro.
Notable
The board also discussed and approved a small change that will be made to the Town Hall Cellular Tower Conditional Use Permit by AT&T. The town staff decided the modification, which they called an update of existing technology, was not significant enough to warrant a change to the town’s contract with AT&T.
Broun agreed to approve the measure along with her colleagues but requested that future modifications be monitored more closely to see if they qualified for a contract change.
Quotable
“Why should we be penalized when other folks don’t do their job?” Broun asked of the new water regulations.
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