The Badger on campus with no bark and no bite

We notice that many construction sites on and around the UW campus in Madison are out of compliance with construction site erosion control.  Typically, gravel pads are too short, stormwater inlet filters unmaintained, and muddy tracks on the streets are not cleaned up.

Such negligence has resulted in muddy plumes into Lake Mendota, at Lake Street and at Willow Creek, after rains.

Lake Mendota at Lake St after rain, 7/7.

 Convoluted responsibilities may be part of the problem

• Typically, the City is the Permit Authority.
• But they don't have or exercise authority at the University (So why are they listed as the "permit authority" on the permits?)
• The state Department of Administration therefore oversees the compliance. 
• But they passed or delegated this to the DNR.
• Meanwhile, some of the contractors like Findorff are inspecting themselves, with poor results.

Who is responsible--what I've found out for some of these cases:

• Permit Authority: City of Madison, Tim Troester, ttroester@cityofmadison.com
•  Permittee: Wisconsin Division of State Facilities, Russ Van Gilder, russ.vangilder@wisconsin.gov
• Gary Brown, UW facilities manager, seems to play a coordinating role.  gbrown@fpm.wisc.edu,
• The DNR South Central Region stormwater program supervisor is James (Andy) Morton.
• Laura Madsen is the DNR stormwater specialist who handles inspection of construction sites with stormwater permit coverage in Dane County. mailto:CLaura.madsen@wisconsin.gov