The EPA has gotten involved, and new rules and regulations are coming for local cities and counties.

In 1999, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the stormwater Phase II final rule in the Federal Register. The issuance of the rule started a clock that has cities, counties, and stormwater professionals racing to understand and evaluate its implications.

Many cities and counties in South Carolina will be affected by these new stormwater regulations.

Phase II permit coverage will not be mandatory until March 10, 2003, but the amount of preliminary work will be extensive. Those who will be regulated should begin now the process of determining what they need to do to be in compliance when the Phase II program is implemented.

Carolina Clear effectively addresses two of the six requirements in the EPA mandate:

These requirements will be addressed through a range of Clemson University Cooperative Extension programs on water quality and reducing stormwater pollution. The five main categories of programs are:

In addition, the Clemson University Cooperative Extension offers the following programs: