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Article: Runoff Rules Hit Md. School System; Montgomery to Map Storm-Water Pipes
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- April 6, 2009
- Author:
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Maryland's new rules limiting sand, dirt and other gunk in
Montgomery County waterways have caught an improbable violator in
its net : the public school system, comprising 199 schools. The
system's acres of blacktops, parking lots and ballfields carry
stream-clogging runoff into nearby creeks every time it rains,
contributing to downstream pollution.
But finding a way to fix the problem might force officials to
make difficult choices in tough economic times. Amid government
furloughs and job cuts, the school system will have to find a way to
pay for drainage improvements.
The Montgomery County Council took a first step last week,
offering preliminary backing for $500,000 to help the school ...