Builders and environmentalists are at odds over Mud Busters, a new program that encourages residents to photograph construction sites that may be violating environmental law.
“Construction sites are not inspected regularly enough, and they are not up to snuff,” said Lee Epstein, director of the lands program at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the nonprofit that created the program, which advocates for the Bay and its watersheds.
However, “this smacks to me of a vigilante approach to environmental regulations,” said John Kortecamp, executive vice president of the Maryland Home Builders Association.
Residents send their photos of a construction site to the foundation, which will determine if runoff is taking place and report violations to county regulatory agencies.
Information is available on the foundation?s Web site at www.cbf.org.
Runoff from construction sites can cause a nutrient problem in the water, which depletes oxygen levels for animals, Epstein said.
But Anne Arundel County has several regulatory policies for construction sites that may be violating the environmental law, said county land use spokeswoman Pam Jordan.
“We encourage anyone to not only work with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation but with our environmental hot line whenever possible,” Jordan said.
People can report violations on the county?s 24-hour hot line at 410-222-7777. Also, residents can check on the status of the violations they report on the county?s Web site at www.aacounty.org.
Anne Arundel County also has 19 inspectors and three supervising inspectors who monitor grading, permits and sediment control. The county also is expected to hire two more inspectors, Jordan said.
