The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is working to reduce water pollution in the Lake Champlain watershed by requiring a number of municipalities and other groups to do more to control storm water runoff.
The new permit requires 13 communities, the University of Vermont, the Burlington International Airport and the state Transportation Agency to develop storm water management plans to reduce the amount of polluted runoff that flows into streams, rivers, ponds and lakes.
The affected communities will be eligible to apply for zero interest loans to defray the costs of the planning efforts.
The permit requires the communities to implement the storm water control as soon as possible, but no later than 20 years from the effective date of the permit.
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