One of the first employees of U.S. EPA, John Penn Whitescarver served on the team that developed the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program.

His illustrious career at EPA included being in chambers when the Clean Water Act was adopted into law, developing Effluent Limitations Guidelines, and receiving EPA’s Bronze Medal for his significant contributions to the improvement of national water quality through the successful development and implementation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Program.

John was recognized by EPA as the national expert in the background and formulation of municipal permitting policy and program direction. He served on EPA’s Compliance Assistance Advisory Committee (CAAC), its Small Business Advocacy Review Pane, and its Small Business Innovative Technology Expert Review Panel.  John was actively involved in stormwater at the federal level by serving as a member of the EPA Alumni Association.

Pursuing his passion for clean water, John founded the National Stormwater Center in 1991 to provide training to stormwater inspectors across the nation. He published Stormwater Quarterly a newsletter dedicated to the ever-changing political and legal environment about stormwater.  National Stormwater staff and instructors continue to publish this important newsletter.

Additionally, John established the Whitescarver Foundation located at 105-A East Broadway, Bel Air, Maryland to be the Center's home base.  The Whitescarver Foundation provides stormwater educational experiences for Environmental Sciences students at the University level.

Click this link to watch John's Welcome video!