Public testimony at Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Board Meeting
Dear Board of Commissioners,
As members of the Technical Advisory Committee for the Watershed Management Ordinance (WMO), we are tasked with providing review to District staff as they do their job to ensure the District meets the needs of our region. The seemingly modest amendments to the WMO, presented for your consideration for adoption on May 7th, mark a significant opportunity for the District to expand the tools available to solve localized, urban flooding in communities where investment is most needed.
The Board’s vote to approve these changes will be consistent with last November’s support of a pilot study of Regional Stormwater Detention and Volume Control Credit Trading Program. The primary concern of is to remove existing barriers to offsite development of stormwater management that are limiting where investments in new infrastructure can occur. By allowing developers an alternative compliance strategy that meets the technical conditions proposed by staff in these amendments, the Board is voting to support an innovative, market-based tool for shifting regulated stormwater management to the locations where it can have the greatest impact.
Research conducted in 2017 by The Nature Conservancy and Metropolitan Planning Council has demonstrated the potential economic benefit to developers of $240,645 per project. They've also demonstrated that while the two pilot watersheds—the Little Calumet and Lower Des Plaines—include flooding hotpots and areas of economic hardship, they also have the capacity and opportunities for this ordinance to achieve significant local benefits.
We commend District staff and Commissioners for developing this pilot, and for the continued efforts to find innovative ways to adapt to the increasingly frequent and severe rainfalls that are damaging our region. Your support for this amendment is a vote to help communities fight flooding, incentivizes developers that are providing opportunities for our region, and demonstrates the District’s commitment to making our region safer and more resilient to heavy storms.
Sincerely,
Metropolitan Planning Council
The Nature Conservancy