Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) this month introduced legislation that would require federally funded highway projects to prepare plans to contain and manage stormwater runoff in line with new performance-based stormwater mitigation standards that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) would develop under the act.
S. 898, the “Safe Treatment of Polluted Stormwater Runoff (STOPS Runoff) Act” would require DOT, in consultation with EPA, to craft stormwater mitigation standards for all federal highway projects. Individual projects would have to meet the new standards in order to receive federal funding. The standards would seek to protect adjacent wetlands and watersheds from highway runoff that often includes oil, break dust, road salt, and other toxins.
“Stormwater is the largest source of water pollution in our nation, and when it rains a myriad of dangerous contaminants are washed from road surfaces directly into our streams, rivers and other water bodies,”Cardin said in a statement marking the bill’s release. “Highways built with federal funds already are required to meet design standards for safety and structural quality. It’s time we implemented environmental design standards for highways that protect water quality as well.”
Sen. Cardin introduced a similar bill last summer, but it did not advance beyond the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.