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Caltrans Appeals Permit

A permit issued by the S.F. Regional Board this August requires Caltrans to create and carry out a Bay Area stormwater management plan for its operations. It's the first permit of its kind for a major metropolitan area in California, according to the Board's Tom Mumley. The permit and plan target Caltrans' maintenance facilities and operations, such as road sweeping or vegetation control, as well as construction activities that disturb over 5 acres.

"Fixing a guardrail is not a concern," says Mumley. "Instead, we're focusing on larger projects that can significantly impact water quality." The permit requires Caltrans to plan for erosion control, chemical and waste management and employee training, and to identify ways to lower pollution from roadway runoff.

Despite two years of cooperative work on the permit, Caltrans is appealing it before the State Water Resources Control Board. Caltrans' Dianne Steinhauser says Caltrans will have to pull people and resources from other mandated programs, such as safety, to meet the permit's conditions. "We're not whining that this permit isn't necessary," she says, "but I'd hate to see us not repair a seismically damaged bridge in order to implement water quality programs."

Steinhauser says it will cost $1.5 million to implement the permit this fiscal year and that Caltrans intends to do its best to carry out as many of the conditions as possible with existing resources. Mumley points out that there's a lot of money associated with new construction projects. "What we're asking is that Caltrans use it wisely relative to stormwater," he says.

Contacts: Dianne Steinhauser (510)286-5678; Tom Mumley (510)286-0962

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