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2015 Spring | Policy & Regulation

Stormwater Pollution Best Management Practices from a Top down, Bottom up Approach

Student(s):

Sophie Ernst

Program or Department(s):

  • Program on the Environment
  • University of Washington

Site supervisor(s):

Margaret McCauley

Partner(s):

  • United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10

Faculty advisor(s):

Susan Bolton, School of Environment and Forest Sciences, University of Washington

During my Winter Quarter 2015 Capstone project I interned for the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 in the Office of Water & Watersheds, NPDES Permits Unit. My responsibilities included locating unpermitted facilities in Northern Idaho that could potentially emit stormwater pollution, organizing and graphing data from point source pollution sites, and finding unpermitted auto salvage facilities in Washington. I independently researched how to use both top down and bottom up methods to improve water quality and prevent further stormwater pollution. I found that huge strides can be taken to improve bottom up methods including education and community involvement.