(Conservation Currents,
Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, Feb
2004)
“Inspection of our erosion and sediment controls (E &
S) and protection of downstream properties and the environment
from erosion and sedimentation is our number one priority,”
said Craig Carinci, Director of the county’s Environmental
and Facilities Inspections Division. Carinci spoke on January
10 to a group of interested citizens at a Green Breakfast
sponsored by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation
District.
On any given day there are approximately 3,000 construction
projects in the county, according to Carinci. Keeping tabs on
all of those projects is difficult for the county’s 35
site inspectors. “In the first 11 months of 2003, we conducted
27,000 E & S inspections,” Carinci said. But getting
to each site as often as necessary is not possible. He said
citizens can play an important role in monitoring construction
sites from public roads, sidewalks and trails by reporting any
sites that appear to be in violation of erosion and sediment
control regulations.
“I’d love for the industry to treat erosion and sediment
controls on their projects with the priority it deserves,”
said Carinci. He wants developers and contractors to take a
proactive approach, looking at the controls every day and fixing
what is wrong instead of waiting until an inspector informs
them they have a problem or issues a notice of violation or
a stop work order. “We have a few developers who do this,
but not enough,” he said.
To report suspected violations, call the Code Enforcement
Branch at 703-324-1937. To have your name put on the
Green Breakfast notification list, send an e-mail to Sally
Ormsby, NVSWCD Director and Green Breakfast Coordinator.
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