GREENPITTSBURGH

Sometimes if you want to know what’s going on it’s great to go directly to the source. In this case we did exactly that by going to the Allegheny County Conservation District to see what their current list of programs and services looked like, which we provide exactly as they were provided to us:

• Erosion & Sediment Pollution Control (E&SPC) Program Under the terms of agreements with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the District administers Chapters 92 and 102 of the Clean Streams Law, which were established to prevent pollution of the waters of the Commonwealth by sediment runoff from construction sites.
• Mine Drainage Pollution Abatement The District works with the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation to develop projects which reduce or eliminate stream pollution caused by discharges from abandoned mines. DEP and other agencies provide technical and administrative assistance during design and construction of these projects.
• Training Seminars Twice a year, usually in March and November, the District sponsors E&SPC seminars for engineers, developers, contractors and other members of the regulated community. The seminars focus on the principles and practices of effective erosion and sediment pollution control on earthmoving projects.
• Envirothon Each year in late April, the District conducts its Envirothon, a program in which teams of high school students compete in a series of events to test their knowledge of current environmental issues. The Envirothon is open to high schools throughout Allegheny County.
• Clean Water Fund Using a portion of penalty monies assessed against violators of the Clean Streams Law, the District funds projects proposed by non-profit organizations to remedy erosion problems, reduce sedimentation of local waterways, and otherwise promote the concept of clean water. Financial support is made available to NPOs based on project merit and availability of funds.
• Agricultural Conservation Program The District operates programs in Allegheny County to assist farmers in complying with the provisions of Pennsylvania’s Nutrient Management Act, which mandates measures to control pollution from animal wastes. An agricultural conservation technician is available to County livestock farmers upon request. The technician can also help farmers to prepare conservation plans and management-intensive grazing plans which benefit farm operations and the environment as well.

Through these programs, the District serves a diverse constituency including engineering and contracting firms, farmers, municipalities and other government agencies, watershed associations, school groups, community organizations, and the public at large.