Newport News Storm Water Runoff, Research Paper Example

Problem Statement

The Newport News region severely suffers from storm water runoff which has a detrimental impact on nearby waterway. The community of Newport News has an urgent need to put measures in place to reduce the level of pollutants that flow into their water ways as a result of storm water runoff. The reason this is a problem is because not resolving the issue could have a significant impact on sustaining the Newport News environment. This is a timely and relevant issue because responsibility for sustaining the environment has become a major governmental policy issue across the nation. The most critical point of the problem can be seen with the depletion of the marshes. As the Newport News marshes serve as a natural barrier between the mainland and the Chesapeake Bay, their depletion calls for a manmade resource that can limit the amount of pollution that enters the bay as a result of storm water runoff. Attacking this issue head on should be a priority.

Why you selected instead of another

The reason why I selected this issue instead of another issue can be attributed to my appreciation of Virginia. I selected this particular issue because I am interested in the wild life marshes of the Newport News area. I have always had an interest in how they are geographically isolated but still play an integral role in sustaining the natural habitat of the Virginia’s wetlands. This challenge is an opportunity for the community of New Port News but also for communities throughout the world as a whole to get a better grasp on the pollutants we contribute to lakes, rivers, streams and other wetlands and waterways. The end result could potentially be an increase in healthy seafood resources as a more sustainable environment.

What is being done to the problem

Currently, The Newport News Lake Enhancement Program is confronting the challenge of restoring the waterways, but more policies need to be put in place that can have a greater impact on reducing contamination to the Chesapeake Bay caused by rainfall. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has put into action a Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan as well as a Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan. The plans are designed to enhance the quality of the Newport News Lake through actions like sediment covering and research invested in social responsibility education.

Whether or how well can be resolved

I personally feel the policies put in place to counter pollution risks, such as The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), and the Newport News Lake Enhancement Program are valiant efforts by policy makers, but more initiatives need to be established that draw attention to the issue on a local and national level to motivated external stakeholders to take part in the process. At this current stage, it may be too late to restore the wetlands back to their original state, but preventing any additional damage is a viable possibility and The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates an effective restoration program could be established by 2025. I think this is possible as well.

Proposal to solve

I propose the best way to solve the problem is through community based initiatives that educate the entire community as a whole of the importance of maintaining the Newport News Lake region and protecting it from water runoff. While the EPA is attempting to do something like this I think the problem can best be resolved through incorporating media outlets, in the form of public services announcements run the radio, television and shared through social media to more aggressively make the problem a publically shared commercial issue.