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Why an environmental policy newsletter?
By Jeff Courson
Environmental rules and regulations are constantly being established and updated by local, state and federal agencies. This poses a challenge to municipalities such as my own to stay current with small staffs and the limited time available from part-time trustees. Often, trustees may have little, if any, training or pertinent background knowledge to address environmental issues. They also may not know where to look or whom to ask to find the necessary information. Further, officials may be unsure of whether an issue is governed by an existing policy or statute, and unaware of whether their municipality is in compliance.
In his April 14, 1998, letter of support for establishing Illinois Environmental Policy Review (IEPR), Homer Village President David Lucas wrote, “If you could produce a concise publication that provided an overview of relevant environmental policies that would be easy to read and understand, an ‘Environmental Policies for Dummies’ concept, I believe that it would be a valuable tool for local governments. These newsletters could then be collected into a binder as a reference resource, and passed from administration to administration.”
I join Homer Village President Lucas in supporting the establishment of IEPR and am honored to write in this inaugural issue. I realize that having a background in environmental sciences places me in the minority of the state’s village presidents. However, even with my professional training and experience, it is impossible for me to stay current on all aspects of the new and changing rules and regulations addressing many of the environmental issues that my municipality must deal with on a daily basis.
IEPR gives us an avenue in which to address an environmental issue and determine if there are rules, regulations and recommendations relevant to it, as well as the steps necessary to ensure legal compliance. Often, compliance with one set of regulations creates situations that are difficult, if not impossible, to manage. Such is the case with many communities’ increasing populations of resident/nonmigratory Canada Geese.
With the new regulations controlling storm water runoff from various forms of development, more geese are attracted to the water retention areas which must be created as part of compliance. This presents problems in residential areas and commercial developments. Particularly in residential areas, the major concern is the tremendous amount of waste created by the large numbers of geese in the immediate area. The waste results in a health hazard that affects both the area immediately surrounding the storm water facility and water quality. This situation prompts me to ask, “What are ways in which a municipality can control the resident/nonmigratory Canada Goose population around its storm water runoff areas, and remain in compliance with local, state, and federal water quality and retention regulations, as well as federal migratory waterfowl regulations?”
IEPR is a tool for examining changes in rules and regulations, a forum in which questions concerning issues facing local governments can be asked and answered. I see IEPR becoming a resource that will ultimately save municipalities time and money as we search for solutions to environmental problems.
Trained as a biologist, Jeff Courson has served the Village of Mahomet as a trustee since 1995 and as mayor since 1997.
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Other Articles in Volume 1, Issue 1 - March, 1999:
Court prohibits classifying large-scale hog farms as industry
Regulating land use: a legal perspective