Clean County PW
Active member
Maybe you guys already knew this. First, the original BMPs written by Robert and approved by PWNA have been on the EPA WEBSITE for YEARS. If the local authorities want to find them, they are on the EPA WEBSITE! Why would they go to our subscriber-only magazine where they will have to pay to read the article when they are right there on the EPA website?
Same thing for the first PWNA website. Been there for years. Just apparently no one realized it.
Second, if you Google "PWNA BMPs," guess what shows up first? Yep. THIS site...and all the comments/attention that participants don't mind drawing to it here.
I'm kind of at a loss as to why reporting to contractors about why some feel this is an issue, why some contractors are upset, why helping contractors know that BMPs are REQUIRED to be in their communities, and why they may want to work with their local authorities to create them before the authorities do it themselves is hurting contractors. Especially when the article is going to be available to subscribers only. Which is hurting contractors more? Bringing to light the reality -- warts and all -- or just letting them get blindsided by another Houston?
Allison what your saying about especially what I outlined in blue is the same thing I don't understand where getting from these few guys here. First off let me give you some facts. Back when I was on the PWNA BOD around 2004 we had just over 300 members. A couple of years later we hit 475 members with around 400 of them current with there dues. We should have hit 600 but thats another story for another day.
The problem here is these guys are missing the point and your making it clear as day in your post which once again I outlined it in blue. There mad At Robert Hinderliter and the PWNA because Robert instead of doing NOTHING decided years ago to do something so the Authorities don't just try to make up the rules themselves without some professional guidance. Robert and the PWNA was smart to do that becuase if no one did nothing then, today in many area's there would be no powerwashing or at least commercial powerwashing as much because of all the fines the contractors would have recieved over the years.
What Robert taught in his Environmental classes was to at least do something to be compliant which is to redirect the water to maybe a grassy area which would be acceptable in some cases. Robert at one time was a contractor who happen to become a very successful Distributor years later. These guys look at it like Robert dealt with the EPA so he can sell equipment. This is where the phallacy begines. Yes of course he can sell equipment but what he saw was the Authorities were going to make it just about impossible to Powerwash where ever there was a storm drain nearby. So Robert went to them and said we can work with you on that...and him and the PWNA did.
Keep in mind once again back when I was in because I can only talk about my experiences there..Robert and Delco was one of maybe 30 distributors that were PWNA members. The other 400 were contractors. We knew and respected what Robert was trying to do because without him no one else really had the complete understanding of all of this as he did. Robert is a very smart man. The thought then was as it is today that to do nothing is a huge mistake.
So today the problem now is what your reading in places like this. Robert and the PWNA are not the enemies. Can some others come up with better BMP's ????? My guess is....YES..I'm sure they can. This is why its always a good idea to work with what you have and go from there. These guys know what the PWNA BMP's are so they can take those and maybe present a better set of BMP's.... but there going about it all wrong. There fighting themselves and like you said.... its all here to see if you do a search.
The other mix message thats going out there is that Robert is presenting the Contractors as Polluters because he believes some effort should be made to keep some waters out of the storm drains. Once again he is a smart man. He is trying to get them to see that the effort is there to do that and in doing so it really isn't that expensive for the contractors if you do what he suggest is the very bare minimum...BUT... Once again some of these guys are promoting that Robert and the PWNA are the problem when they just don't want to see if or can't see it....but you can which once again is what I outlined in your post in blue.
The Coalition, Or whatever the next group of people that want to try and do something here they should use to there disposal what was already done and try to better it. Not try to knock it down and in the process makes us all seem like a bunch of uninformed contractors that just want to duke it out just for the drama of it all.
This is a real issue and for the life of me I can't see why these guys want to fight within the industry when there real problem is the AHJ's in there area's.
Also like You I did what Kory suggested to do the other day which is put our names in a google seach. Mine was funny,strange,wierd and everything in between. The PWNA.... well take a guess who's picture pops up near the very top??RON MUSGRAVES. Also like you said when you do a search about this PWI comes up near the top and in this case.... it isnt pretty.
Lastly some of these guys are suggesting you don't write the story with the PWNA mentioned. That again I find a little disturbing...but...I'm not the creative writer who has a story to write....you are... and sometimes I would guess in your case the stories are tough to do but your in that position and this one is going to be an interesting read for sure.
Good luck