The team supplies technical information to construction project managers, inspectors, designers, and management and maintenance staff. In recent years, environmental regulations, such as the Clean Water Act, have placed new restrictions on the amount of erosion allowed, said Brindle, a six-year employee of ODOT and one of only 12 Certified Professionals in Erosion and Sediment Control in Oregon. More recently, the Oregon Salmon Recovery Plan added further requirements, Brindle said. In response, ODOT now requires erosion and sediment control plans for all ground-disturbing activities.
Many factors complicate erosion control work.
Most construction projects need to finish quickly to reduce impacts to traffic. Many projects near water must complete certain phases during a narrow window of time to minimize impacts to fish generally during late summer and early fall. They particularly needed guidance in ways to prevent erosion, she added. In order to contend with rapidly changing regulations and varying levels of knowledge, the small team concluded that the best use of their time would be to provide training for contractors and ODOT staff including roadway designers, field inspectors and maintenance forces. The fourth session of the course to be held late this month in Salem includes a large number of contractors.