Using compost to manage storm water and control erosion is a proven Best Management Practice (BMP) in the United States. Departments of Transportation have specifications for compost use, and many regional and local governments have created ordinances and standards that require incorporation of compost to help manage storm water.

Increasingly, municipalities are considering or have imposed storm water user fees on businesses and institutions as part of their compliance with federal storm water management requirements. Many of these communities are unaware that locally produced compost is an effective BMP to help infiltrate storm water and capture sediment — a BMP that colleagues in other communities are already employing.

This Composting Collaborative Webinar will cover the evolution of compost use for storm water management and erosion control, including development of ordinances and standards, and the various applications of compost to manage storm water and erosion, e.g., amending new construction soils with compost, utilizing compost blankets and socks, etc. It will also highlight a brand new law in Illinois that requires state agencies to give preference to use of compost in soil related projects. To close, a compost manufacturer will discuss what is needed to supply product for these applications.