NEMO stands for Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials, a three-year project of the BCDCOG, SC Sea Grant Extension Program, and the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.  Nonpoint source pollution is the technical term for polluted runoff.  It occurs when water flows over the land, picking up an array of contaminants, including oil, litter, and fertilizers, and delivers them to our waterways. 

 The NEMO program focuses on the education of local elected and appointed public officials about nonpoint source pollution and offers technical assistance for developing community-based strategies to prevent or minimize water quality impairments associated with nonpoint source pollution.  The goal of NEMO is to educate local elected and appointed officials and their staffs about the impacts of land use on water quality and about the options available for managing those impacts.  In the program, we teach a three-tiered approach to mitigating nonpoint source pollution problems that municipalities can undertake.  The three tiers include:

  1. Planning development based on natural resources;
  2. Minimizing impacts through site design; and
  3. Mitigating unavoidable impacts by using best management practices.

For more information on the BCD NEMO Program, please visit the website at http://www.scseagrant.org/scnemo/sheds/sccoastal.htm.  Included on this website are fact sheets describing nonpoint source pollution and methods that can be used to mitigate its effects, as well as strategies to conserve open space.  Staff is available at any time to present on any of the topics listed above or on any other water quality-related topic.  Staff is also available to provide technical assistance to communities requesting it.  To set up a presentation or an appointment to discuss technical assistance, please contact Alec Brebner at alecb@bcdcog.com.

1362 McMillan Avenue, Suite 100  :  Charleston, SC 29405  (843) 529-0400  (843) 529-0305 Fax
 
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