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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: December 4, 2000 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~_ <br />SUBJECT: Orange County Stormwater Program for Lands within the Neuse River Basin <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) NO <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Orange County Stormwater Program for Lands within Craig Benedict, ext 2592 <br />the Neuse River Basin under Separate Cover <br />Phased Implementation Schedule <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel HIII 9f8-4.501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane (33fi)227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To adopt the Stormwater Ordinance into the Land Development Regulations. To <br />approve the program for implementation. To provide greater nitrogen reduction standards for <br />protection of water quality within the nutrient sensitive Neuse River Basin within Orange County. <br />• Ordinance includes standards for review and approval of nitrogen control measures, and <br />riparian buffers. <br />• Program provides implementation guidelines for non- Ordinance items (i.e. Mapping <br />Requirements, Public Education, and Annual Report Requirements). <br />• Ordinance and Program address development only. The rules for agriculture are being <br />implemented under Orange Soil and Water. <br />BACKGROUND: The Neuse River Basin Nutrient Sensitive Waters Management Strategy is a set <br />of rules adopted in August, 1998 by the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) with a <br />goal of a 30% reduction in nitrogen output from each of the following sources: Wastewater <br />Treatment, Urban Stormwater, Agriculture, and Nutrient Application. Included within the rule is the <br />protection of Riparian Buffers due to their ability to aid in the removal of nitrogen from groundwater. <br />The excess amounts of nitrogen currently entering the Neuse River have been the primary cause of <br />the recent algae blooms and the resulting fishkills in the coastal areas of the basin. <br />The Model Stormwater Program addresses the requirements of the Neuse River Basin Nutrient <br />Sensitive Waters Management Strategy (also known as the "Neuse Rules") as they apply to <br />stormwater. The stormwater section of these rules applies only to the larger local governments <br />within the basin, and includes Orange County. The focus of the stormwater requirements is to <br />reduce nitrogen loaded runoff from leaving urban and rural areas and entering the streams and <br />rivers of the basin. <br />