DURHAM -- Commissioners from Durham and Person counties got a joint briefing on Falls Lake rules Monday, and they found some common ground.
Person County Manager Heidi York and Durham Assistant County Manager Drew Cummings encouraged commissioners to stay "in close conversation" about the rules and to make sure they are presenting a shared message. Once the rules are in effect, both counties need to cooperate and hopefully save money, York and Cummings said.
Durham and Person would be affected by the proposed regulations, which will apply to the lake's entire 700-square-mile watershed in an effort to bring its nitrogen and phosphorus levels into compliance with state and federal water-quality standards.
"We feel like some of these rules ... are based on some inadequate information," said Person County Commissioner Jimmy Clayton.
Both counties want monitoring standards and practices set and agreed upon by all affected parties, with a plan for collecting water-quality data and adjusting the rules over time.
The state Division of Water Quality is due to deliver a set of formal rules to the state Environmental Management Commission by March 10. An analysis of the financial implications for local governments is due by the end of February.
Durham County holds a much larger part of the Falls watershed than Person, but the rules' applications to agriculture and development - and the potential costs of complying with an unfunded state mandate - are sources of concern for both.
After a 60-day public comment period and further revisions, the environmental commission must approve rules by Jan. 15, 2011. The rules take effect immediately but remain subject to review by the state's Rules Review Commission and possibly the state legislature.
Water samples from the Flat River, which rises in Person County and flows through Durham County before entering Falls Lake, have shown high levels of pollutants.
