May 15, 2013  (12-2pm EST)

4. Please Come Audit My MS4:

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“The best evaluation I can make of a player is to look in his eyes and see how scared they are.”
–Michael Jordan

If you are an MS4 manager, are you ready to jump up and say, “Come on down and audit my MS4!” or will it be a case of “I’m sorry you must have the wrong number”?  Audits are, by nature, a tense undertaking, but they can also have benefits for the various parties.  And, indeed, EPA and its regional offices are ramping up efforts to conduct audits of both Phase 1 and Phase 2 MS4 communities.  Preparing for and doing well in an audit is not just a matter of “passing the test,” but actually improving your program and doing a better job of protecting your receiving waters.  In this webcast, you’ll learn from various parties on what to expect before, during and after the audit, how to best prepare your team for an audit and how to get the most out of the experience.

To date, speakers for this webcast are:

• Andy Dinsmore, Stormwater Team Leader, Office of NPDES Permits and Enforcement, Water Protection, USEPA Region III (Philadelphia, PA)
• Heather Buck, CPSWQ, CMS4S, Resource Planner, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LLC (Indianapolis, IN)
• Susan Alvarez, P.E., CFM, Senior Program Manager, Stormwater, City of Dallas, Trinity Watershed Management Department (Dallas, TX) - Phase 1
• Tom Reeves, City Engineer, City of Monterey, CA (Monterey, CA) - Phase 2

June 19, 2013  (12-2pm EST)

5. Mastering the Language of Talking to Elected Officials:

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“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” –Abraham Lincoln

Abe was on to something when we contemplate talking to elected officials about stormwater and watershed issues.  It is not that we shouldn’t speak out, but we often are unsure of what words to use, how much detail to include, and how, exactly, to inspire action.  Whether you are local, state, or federal government staff, representing a watershed or civic group, have a stormwater-related business, or a concerned citizen, we know a few things to be true about communicating with elected officials: (1) their available time may be very short, (2) they have multiple other issues to deal with, and (3) they may not understand the issue.  This webcast will specifically address the best ways to approach and communicate with elected officials, and will feature both noteworthy bloopers as well as success stories.

To date, speakers for this webcast are:

• Chester (Chet) Arnold, NEMO Program Co-Founder, Water Quality Educator for the University of Connecticut Department of Extension, and the Associate Director of UConn’s Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) (Haddam, CT)

• Honorable Mary Ann Lisanti, Councilwoman, Past LGAC Chair and Harford County Council (Harford County, MD)

• John Rozum, Land Use and Geospatial Technology Specialist, NOAA Coastal Services Center (Oakland, CA)

• More speakers to come!

September 18, 2013  (12-2pm EST)

6. Combining Green & Grey in Combined Sewer Watersheds:

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“Life is like a sewer... what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.”
– Tom Lehrer

Many communities with combined sanitary and stormwater sewers are exploring the best ways to reduce the incidence of combined sewer overflows (CSOs).  There has been much made about the battle. . .or more often blending. . . of grey and green infrastructure components to achieve overall CSO reductions.  Green infrastructure approaches show promise in that they can reduce stormwater runoff volumes (and associated pollutant loads) entering the combined system and can have multiple benefits, such as helping to “green” the city.  Many CSO communities are asking the tough questions, such as how much can green infrastructure actually reduce overflows and how do costs compare to the grey alternatives?  How can green infrastructure be incorporated into CSO Long Term Control Plans?  This webcast will explore how various CSO communities are seeking to implement green solutions.

To date, speakers for this webcast are:

• Brandon C. Vatter, P.E., Senior Project Manager, Hatch Mott MacDonald (Cincinnati, OH)
• Karen Sands, Manager of Sustainability, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (Milwaukee, WI)
  
• More speakers to come!

October 16, 2013  (12-2pm EST)

7. Stormwater Trading – Markets or Mayhem?:

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“When Donald Duck traded his wings for arms, was he trading up or trading down?”
–Doug Coupland

Stormwater markets and/or pollutant trading programs are gaining currency (so to speak), at least as an idea of how to introduce some additional efficiency into TMDLs, state and local stormwater programs, and other watershed-based efforts.  The idea is quite simple and reflects basic market principles of supply and demand: the “owner” of a regulatory obligation (e.g., pollutant load reduction) trades with another entity who can supply the required reductions at lower cost or with greater efficiency.  Some are looking to such programs as the salvation for meeting increasingly ambitious reduction goals.  Others view such programs as “getting away with something” or sacrificing watershed health in one place for project implementation in another.  Check out this webcast to learn how various trading programs are faring around the country and how the rules of the market can influence whether these trades constitute “markets or mayhem.”

To date, speakers for this webcast are:

• Daniel T. Nees, Senior Research, University of Maryland, (College Park, MD)
• Alisa Valderrama, Senior Project Finance Attorney, Center for Market Innovation Program, National Resources Defense Council, (New York, NY)
• More speakers to come!

November 20, 2013  (12-2pm EST)

8. Stormwater Utilities: Reckoning the Cost Side of the Equation:

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“You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap!”
–Dolly Parton

Stormwater utilities continue to be one of the most promising means to build and sustain a local stormwater management program.  Developing an effective stormwater utility demands an understanding of both the revenue and cost side of the equation.  There are various, well-understood methodologies for the revenue and rate-setting side of the equation, but getting a good read on the actual costs of operating a program and implementing BMPs seems much more mysterious.  With evolving BMP specifications and new innovative practices, developing reliable cost data can be tricky, as cost data are notoriously unreliable, and variable.  How can a program developing or modifying a stormwater utility do a better job of honing actual costs, both today and into the future?  This webcast will provide resources and case studies on this topic, and we guarantee it will be worth the cost!

To date, speakers for this webcast are:

• Laurens van der Tak, PE, D.WRE, Vice President, Principal Water Resources Engineer, Water Business Group, CH2M HILL
• James A. Bachhuber P.H., North American Stormwater Practice Leader, AECOM
• More speakers to come! 

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