Department of Environment and Conservation Unveils New Online Water Permits Viewer
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 | 06:17am
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation today announced the availability of a new, easy-to-use online database that allows the public to more easily access water quality permits. The announcement comes at the conclusion of the 2010 Tennessee Watershed Conference, held this week in Nashville.
“Adequately managing and tracking all water quality permits is a critical role that falls under the responsibility of the department’s Division of Water Pollution Control,” said Deputy Commissioner Paul Sloan. “With the new permits data viewer, the general public can easily access this information from the same consolidated database Environment and Conservation’s regulatory staff uses.”
Sloan added that the new online portal is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to promote greater transparency, accountability and broader access to public information. The addition of the new Water Pollution Permits Data Viewer complements the department’s enforcement database, established in 2008, along with multiple public notice postings, publications and permit guidance. Additional online support includes TDEC’s Groundwater Protection Program services, the Division of Solid Waste Management’s Toxic Substance database and Water Pollution Control’s interactive GIS mapping. To access the new Water Pollution Permits Data Viewer, please visit www.tn.gov/environment/wpc/dataviewer.
Environmental experts and leaders from across the country participated in this year’s Tennessee Watershed Conference, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, World Wildlife Fund and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Discussion topics included:
- Historical profiles of Tennessee waters and challenges over the next decade
- Emerging national policies
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Watershed protection at the local level
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GIS technology and its role in Tennessee’s future
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Watershed stewardship, successes and strategy
For additional information about the 2010 Tennessee Watershed Conference, including post-conference materials, please visit http://www.tnwatershedconference.com/.
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