I strongly supplort all efforts to assure that construction runnoff is controlled and that all stormwater pollution prevention plans are made available to the public.  Having been an outdoorsman and avid fisherman for my entire life, I have seen the devastating changes that have occured that compromise the quality of the water and wildlife in and around our rivers and streams.  Efforts from organizations such as the Potomac and Shennandoah Riverkeepers to help stem the further degradation of our waters should be applauded and are long overdue in our area.  I support all their efforts in this matter.  

Developers, large and small, need to be held accountable for the protection of the areas surrounding their projects from detrimental effects caused by these projects.  Their complaints that the regulations requiring increased protection from runnoff and public oversight because of hard economic times are unjustified.  First, It is the very nature of the quality of our streams and rivers in these areas that make many of these areas worthy of developement in the first place. Second, the actions of one developer to fail to  protect our rivers from the runoff from their projects is detrimental to thousands of people downstream who rely upon our waters for drinking and recreation.  I have been a general contractor in Northern Virginia for the past 30 years.  It does not take an disproportionate amount of effort to control the runoff from these projects.  It is true that the cost of these efforts would need to be incorporated into the final cost of the completed projects making them more expensive.  However,  if we hold all developers to the same standards, they do not suffer a disadvantage from this increased cost compared to each other.  If the market for their finished projects exists then it will weather a small increase in the final cost of the project.  It must be remembered that these financial tough times are not likely to endure for an extended period of time but that the regulations we make today in this matter will be in effect for another five years. 

Thank you.   Ralph Hendrickson