"Court's Ruling on Stormwater Runoff Provokes Political Backlash"

"A federal appeals court ruling that would require Clean Water Act permitting for stormwater runoff on logging roads has sparked a political backlash, leading to congressional action and possible Supreme Court intervention.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling applies to the nine Western states within the court's jurisdiction, including the Pacific Northwest, which has a significant logging industry.

A three-judge panel ruled last summer in Northwest Environmental Defense Center v. Brown that logging road operators, including timber companies and local government entities, should be required to apply to U.S. EPA for permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)."

Lawrence Hurley reports for Greenwire July 27, 2011.