Aug. 2, 2002 – The 2002 revised "V.I. Environmental Protection Handbook," produced by the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service, is available for purchase.
Recognizing that public education and outreach are essential to the reduction of nonpoint source pollution caused by land-clearing activities, the V.I. Planning and Natural Resources Department contracted the UVI Cooperative Extension Service to revise and reprint the "Virgin Islands Environmental Protection Handbook", a manual describing proper practice design, installation and maintenance.
Eroded sediment is the primary nonpoint source pollutant harming Virgin Islands’ coastal waters and degrading its coral reefs. Most construction and earth-change projects in the territory do not use effective erosion and sediment control practices.
The handbook presents up-to-date information on design practices for low-impact developments, specifications for erosion, sediment and stormwater "best management practices," and describes predictive models that can be used to estimate erosion and runoff. The handbook is specifically designed for the construction industry (architects, contractors, draftsmen, developers and engineers), but is also useful for individual property owners. DPNR’s goal is to raise the standards of the Virgin Islands construction industry to comply with national pollution prevention standards.
To order the handbook, which costs $15, contact Faye Williams, V.I. Resource Conservation and Development Council, at 692-9632 ext. 101 or Julie Wright, UVI-CES, at 693-1082.
Visit the Cooperative Extension Service webpage at: rps.uvi.edu/CES/wqhome.htm
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