One of the keynote speakers at StormCon in Austin, TX, last week was EPA Region 6 Administrator Ron Curry. He took a practical look at the economics of clean water, putting a dollar figure on some of the activities associated with it. “Clean water is often a major economic driver in a community,” he noted, including the money that tourism and related activities bring. Hunting and fishing, for example, contribute something on the order of $140 billion a year to the US economy. (A report by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies breaks this down further, tallying the amount of money spent on hunting in retail sales for equipment as well as tourism and travel expenses; Texas ranks first of all 50 states in terms of hunting-related spending.) “Paddlers”—those involved in recreational boating activities—spend another $86 billion a year, Curry noted.
One of the keynote speakers at StormCon in Austin, TX, last week was EPA Region 6 Administrator Ron Curry. He took a practical look at the economics of clean water, putting a dollar figure on some of the activities associated with it. “Clean water is often a major economic driver in a community,” he noted, including the money that tourism and related activities bring. Hunting and fishing, for example, contribute something on the order of $140 billion a year to the US economy. (A report by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies breaks this down further, tallying the amount of money spent on hunting in retail sales for equipment as well as tourism and travel expenses; Texas ranks first of all 50 states in terms of hunting-related spending.) “Paddlers”—those involved in recreational boating activities—spend another $86 billion a year, Curry noted. [text_ad] But keeping recreational waters clean requires help from many sources, he acknowledged. The Gulf of Mexico has about 584,000 square miles of US shoreline, and the region accounts for 44% of the country’s recreational fishing catch. But many parts of that coastline are “a mess,” he said. Some areas are using Section 319 nonpoint-source grants to achieve their goals, but private organizations are taking a strong role as well. He was in Corpus Christi recently giving out Gulf Guardian awards, which recognize environmental stewardship in the five Gulf states, and he noted that many of the awards went to private citizens. Curry also pointed out that EPA is “racing” to keep up with the technologies that help achieve clean water, and that laws and regulations need to keep up with the best available technology in terms of what’s achievable. Even our ability to detect certain pollutants has increased tremendously in recent years, as we can now detect many constituents at a few parts per billion. He put in a word, too, for the new Clean Water Rule, taking effect this month. “We’ve tried to clarify the situation,” he said, noting that Supreme Court decisions over the last several years had made it difficult to understand exactly what the requirements are in terms of protecting the waters of the US. The rule is “based on good science and sound law,” said Curry, and looks closely at how tributaries, in particular, are defined.
But keeping recreational waters clean requires help from many sources, he acknowledged. The Gulf of Mexico has about 584,000 square miles of US shoreline, and the region accounts for 44% of the country’s recreational fishing catch. But many parts of that coastline are “a mess,” he said. Some areas are using Section 319 nonpoint-source grants to achieve their goals, but private organizations are taking a strong role as well. He was in Corpus Christi recently giving out Gulf Guardian awards, which recognize environmental stewardship in the five Gulf states, and he noted that many of the awards went to private citizens.
Curry also pointed out that EPA is “racing” to keep up with the technologies that help achieve clean water, and that laws and regulations need to keep up with the best available technology in terms of what’s achievable. Even our ability to detect certain pollutants has increased tremendously in recent years, as we can now detect many constituents at a few parts per billion.
He put in a word, too, for the new Clean Water Rule, taking effect this month. “We’ve tried to clarify the situation,” he said, noting that Supreme Court decisions over the last several years had made it difficult to understand exactly what the requirements are in terms of protecting the waters of the US. The rule is “based on good science and sound law,” said Curry, and looks closely at how tributaries, in particular, are defined.Janice Kaspersen
Janice Kaspersen is the former editor of Erosion Control and Stormwater magazines.
