The aim of this booklet is to respond to some frequently asked questions about asbestos and to provide information to help the homeowner make informed decisions about its care and maintenance. Asbestos is the name for the group of naturally occurring minerals that separate into strong, very fine fibers. The fibers are heat-resistant and extremely durable, and because of these qualities, asbestos has become very useful in construction and industry. In the home it may or may not pose a health hazard to the occupants, depending on its condition. When it can be crushed by hand pressure or the...

Communities around the country are adopting smart growth strategies to reach environmental, community, and economic goals. The environmental goals include water benefits that accrue when development strategies use compact development forms, a mix of uses, better use of existing infrastructure, and preservation of critical environmental areas. While the water quality and stormwater benefits of smart growth are widely acknowledged, there has been little explicit regulatory recognition of these benefits to date. Regulations under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)...

This handbook provides information on developing and implementing watershed management plans that help to restore and protect water quality. A watershed is the area of land that contributes runoff to a lake, river, stream, wetland, estuary, or bay. A watershed management plan defines and addresses existing or future water quality problems from both point sources and nonpoint sources of pollutants. Experience over the past decade has shown that effective watershed management includes active participation from stakeholders, analysis and quantification of the specific causes and sources of water...

The nation's aquatic resources are among its most valuable assets. Although environmental protection programs in the United States have successfully improved water quality during the past 30 years, many challenges remain. Significant strides have been made in reducing the impacts of discrete pollutant sources, but aquatic ecosystems remain impaired, primarily because of complex pollution problems caused by nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. This guidance document describes practices to reduce NPS pollution of surface waters and ground water through the protection and restoration of wetlands and...

The nation's aquatic resources are among its most valuable assets. Although environmental protection programs in the United States have improved water quality during the past several decades, many challenges remain. Of special concern are the problems in our urban streams, lakes, estuaries, aquifers, and other water bodies caused by runoff that is inadequately controlled or treated. These problems include changes in flow, increased sedimentation, higher water temperature, lower dissolved oxygen, degradation of aquatic habitat structure, loss of fish and other aquatic populations, and...

The presence of trees in a streetscape, neighborhood, and community can decrease the amount of stormwater runoff and pollutants that reach local waters. Cities employ a variety of measures to manage stormwater runoff. However, most do not take advantage of the stormwater utility benefits trees provide. In urban areas, trees are part of the managed municipal infrastructure. Installing trees in locations that are engineered to retain stormwater is a great way to augment existing stormwater management systems, increasing their capacity and improving water quality while greatly improving urban...

This national management measures guidance for marinas and recreational boating provides guidance to states, territories, authorized tribes, and the public regarding management measures that may be used to reduce nonpoint source pollution from marinas and recreational boating activities. The guidance is intended to provide technical assistance to state program managers and others on the best practicable means of reducing nonpoint source pollution of surface waters from marinas and recreational boating. The guidance provides background information about nonpoint source pollution from marinas...