Clarke County, Virginia's innovative response to groundwater protection

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Journal of Soil and Water Conservation; (United States)

OSTI ID:6809807

Lee, G R; Christoffel, T J

In 1982, the Clarke County Planning Commission created a Water Supply committee which led to the following county actions: adoption of a resource conservation overlay zone to protect the County Sanitation Authority's public spring; submission of the first Virginia application for federal sole-source aquifer designation; drafting of a proposed oil and gas exploration and extraction ordinance; and a contract with the USGS for a three-year groundwater resources study. In February 1987, the Clarke County Plan was published. Six implementation strategies were recommended, the majority of which have been adopted: (1) on-site wastewater treatment system management; (2) a sinkhole ordinance; (3) well standards; (4) underground storage tank requirements; (5) community education; and (6) a geographic information system. This plan emphasizes direct local government land use policies designed to mitigate risks of groundwater contamination. The plan used existing technical information to focus on prevention as the best strategy for natural resource protection.

• OSTI ID: 6809807
• Journal Information: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation; (United States), Vol. 45:2; ISSN 0022-4561
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
GROUND WATER
CONTAMINATION
NATURAL GAS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
PETROLEUM
VIRGINIA
WATER POLLUTION
AQUIFERS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
LAND USE
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OIL WELLS
RECOMMENDATIONS
STANDARDS
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
CONTROL
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
STORAGE
USA
WATER
WELLS
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
030800 - Natural Gas- Environmental Aspects
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety