A. Findings: The village council of the village of Seneca hereby finds that:
1. Excessive quantities of soil may erode from areas undergoing development for certain nonagricultural uses including, but not limited to, the construction of dwelling units, commercial buildings and industrial plants, the building of roads and highways, the modification of stream channels and drainageways, the creation of recreational facilities, and the trucking of soil and liquids;
2. The washing, blowing, and falling of eroded soil across and upon roadways endangers the health and safety of users thereof, by decreasing vision and reducing traction of road vehicles;
3. Soil erosion necessitates the costly repairing of gullies, washed out fills, and embankments;
4. Sediment from soil erosion tends to clog sewers and ditches and to pollute and silt rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, and reservoirs;
5. Sediment limits the use of water and waterways for most beneficial purposes, promotes the growth of undesirable aquatic weeds, destroys fish and other desirable aquatic life, and is costly and difficult to remove; and
6. Sediment reduces the channel capacity of waterways and the storage capacity of floodplains and natural depressions, resulting in increased chances of flooding at risk to public health and safety.
B. Purpose: It is the purpose of this chapter to safeguard persons, protect property, prevent damage to the environment, and promote the public welfare by guiding, regulating and controlling the design, construction, use and maintenance of any development or other activity which disturbs or breaks the topsoil, causes dust, or otherwise results in the movement of earth on land situated in the village. It is the intention of this chapter that the delivery of sediment from sites affected by land disturbing activities be limited, as closely as practicable, to that which would have occurred if the land had been left in its natural undisturbed state. (Ord. 10-09, 8-17-2010)