Don’t Allow More Toxins in West Virginia’s Waters

From the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, 5/11/20

Watch our new video fact sheet on human health criteria by clicking here in this sentence.

Source: WV Rivers Coalition, Charleston, WV

Right now, in the midst of a public health crisis, the WVDEP is proposing to allow even more dangerous toxins in our water. Act Now! Tell WVDEP to respect your water and your health, don’t allow more toxins in West Virginia’s water!

WVDEP’s proposal is related to a critical portion of West Virginia’s water quality standards called human health criteria. Human health criteria determines how much of a dangerous toxin can be in our water before it harms our health.

West Virginia’s current human health criteria is based on data that is nearly 40-years old and citizen advocates have long fought for more protective criteria. Sadly, WVDEP’s proposal exposes us to higher amounts of certain toxic chemicals and known carcinogens. It also leaves out updated protections for several toxins the EPA has recommended WV to adopt since 2015.

Enough is enough! Demand WVDEP respect your water and your health, tell them not to allow more toxins in West Virginia’s water.

Act Now — It’s hard to believe that WVDEP is even considering such a proposal at a time when public health is a global priority. Speak up for clean water and public health! Tell WVDEP not to allow more toxins in our water!

You can submit comments on the proposed rule through May 19th. So Act Now on this important issue. See our WV Rivers Coalition website here for more information.

West Virginia Rivers Coalition
3501 MacCorkle Ave SE #129 | Charleston, West Virginia 25304
304-637-7201 | wvrivers@wvrivers.org

Please Comment on the US EPA Plan to Limit and Control CH4 Emissions

ACTION: Extension of comment period to December 4th

SUMMARY: On September 18, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed rules titled, “Source Determination for Certain Emission Units in the Oil and Natural Gas Sector” and “Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New and Modified Sources.”

The EPA also announced the availability of a draft Control Techniques Guidelines (CTG) document titled, “Release of Draft Control Techniques Guidelines for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry,” in a notice published on September 18, 2015.

The EPA is extending the comment period on the proposed rules and the notice of availability of the draft CTG document that was scheduled to close on November 17, 2015 to midnight on December 4th.

DATES: The public comment period for the proposed rules and notice of availability of the CTG document published in the Federal Register on September 18, 2015 (80 FR 56579, 80 FR 56593, 80 FR 56553 and 80 FR 56577), is being extended. Written comments must be received on or before December 4, 2015.

ADDRESSES: The EPA has established separate dockets for each of the three proposed rulemakings and the draft CTG document (available at http://www.regulations.gov).

>>> For the proposed rulemaking titled, “Source Determination for Certain Emission Units in the Oil and Natural Gas Sector,” the Docket ID No. is EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0685.

>>> For the proposed rulemaking titled, “Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New and Modified Sources,” the Docket ID No. is EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0505.

>>> For the notice of availability titled, “Release of Draft Control Techniques Guidelines for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry,” the Docket ID No. is EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0216.
Information on all of these actions is posted at http://www.epa.gov/airquality/oilandgas/actions.html.

Submit your comments, identified by the appropriate Docket ID, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. The EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket.

Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. If you need to include CBI as part of your comment, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html for instructions.

Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make.

For additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on this action, contact Cheryl Vetter, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Environmental Protection Agency (C504-03), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; telephone number (919) 541- 4391; fax number (919) 541-5509; email address: vetter.cheryl@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
After considering the requests to extend the public comment period received from various trade and business organizations, states and tribes, the EPA has decided to extend the public comment period until December 4, 2015. This extension will ensure that the public has additional time to review the proposed rules and the draft CTG document.

Stephen D. Page, Director, Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards, US EPA

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

FERC is Requesting Comments and Scheduling Meeting for Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,  Announcement, March 5, 2015

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission sent out a notice late last month announcing that its staff will begin preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

That process includes a request for comments and a series of public scoping meetings. Read the full notice here.

The notice gives three methods for submitting comments to FERC (make sure to include the docket number for ACP — PF15-6-000 — in any correspondence):

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street NE, Room 1A
Washington, DC 20426

The public scoping meeting schedule is below:

Monday, March 23, 2015 at 7:00 PM.  Elkins High School, 100 Kennedy Drive, Elkins, WV.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 7:00 PM.  Bridgeport High School, 515 Johnson Avenue, Bridgeport, WV.

Public Issues that may be addressed during the scoping meetings:

• All alternatives need to be evaluated; there is only one route being surveyed by Dominion’s consultants, but it is FERC’s duty to fully assess all alternatives to lessen or avoid environmental impacts. Include review of alternatives using existing pipelines and existing corridors.

• The pipeline impacts need to be evaluated during all phases of the project, from construction through completion. FERC should evaluate impacts during construction, including the potential use of fly ash for backfill, and cumulative impacts following the completion of the pipeline, such as increased fracking.

• FERC should evaluate whether it is a public necessity to use eminent domain to build an additional pipeline when there are existing pipelines and corridors already in place which are not being operated at full capacity.

• The Monongahela National Forest is sensitive ecosystem, and FERC should evaluate whether there are alternatives that would avoid impacting this area. Constructing a pipeline will increase forest fragmentation, so FERC should evaluate how many acres of forest will be fragmented and the impact on local wildlife.

• Geology and soils: West Virginia contains many unique geologic features including an extensive underground cave system that is an important part of WV tourism. FERC should also evaluate the impacts of increased sedimentation from runoff and loss of topsoil during construction.

• Land use: WV is known for its outdoor recreational opportunities. FERC should evaluate how the pipeline would impact outdoor recreation and tourism.

• Water resources, fisheries and wetland: The pipeline will have to cross numerous streams, rivers, and wetlands. FERC should evaluate how many crossings will occur, the acres of wetlands to be disturbed and how the pipeline will impact springs and drinking water sources. Impacts to freshwater streams will also affect fisheries resources, which is an important part of the state’s ecology and tourism. With impacts to the hydrology there could be cumulative effects such as flooding, so FERC should evaluate how the construction impacts from disturbing streams and wetlands will impact flood events.

• West Virginia contains many cultural resources, such as Native American and civil war artifacts; How the pipeline’s construction will impact these cultural resources?

• Vegetation and wildlife: Appalachian mountains contain very diverse vegetation that provide a lot of economic benefits such as ginseng and several tree species such as red spruce that are already in decline. FERC should evaluate how the pipeline will impact these and other important vegetation species. West Virginia has diverse wildlife populations from large mammals to small salamanders that play an important role in the ecosystem. FERC should evaluate how the construction will impact West Virginia’s wildlife species including breeding and nesting grounds, migration routes, and increased predation from the proposed pipeline corridor.

• Air Quality and Noise: Compression stations and construction will diminish air quality and have increased noise levels. The proximity of the compressor station and pipeline to communities and nearby residences and how to mitigate adverse effects should be fully evaluated.

• Endangered and Threatened Species: West Virginia contains many threatened and endangered species; evaluate how the pipeline will impact all the threatened and endangered species through disturbance, habitat loss, breeding, etc and how the negative impact will be mitigated or avoided.

• Public Safety: Because of the flammability of natural gas, the pipeline is at risk of an explosion. FERC should consider the blast radius should an explosion occur and how many residences are within the blast radius. Further, they should evaluate mitigation efforts to avoid densely populated areas. Evaluate the health risks associated with living near a compressor station or a leaking natural gas pipeline.

See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Friday, January 18, 2013 @ 10:09 AM
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AIR QUALITY PERMIT NOTICE: Notice of Intent to Approve: Wetzel County, WV

On October 9, 2012, EQT Production Company applied to the WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for a permit to construct and operate a glycol dehydration unit (Big57/Big176 Meter Site) located at the junction of County Route (CR) 15 (North Fork Road) and CR 80 (Shuman Hill Road) approximately 3.6 miles north of Smithfield, Wetzel County, WV at latitude 39.55320 and longitude 80.54511. A preliminary evaluation has determined that all State and Federal air quality requirements will be met by the facility. The DAQ is providing notice to the public of its preliminary determination to issue the permit as R13-2999.

The following potential emissions will be authorized by this permit action: Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns, 0.03 tons per year (TPY); Particulate Matter less than 10 microns, 0.03 TPY; Particulate Matter, 0.03 TPY; Oxides of Nitrogen, 0.31 TPY; Carbon Monoxide, 0.32 TPY; Volatile Organic Compounds, 7.08 TPY; Hazardous Air Pollutants, 0.20 TPY.

Written comments or requests for a public meeting must be received by the DAQ before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22, 2013. A public meeting may be held if the Director of the DAQ determines that significant public interest has been expressed, in writing, or when the Director deems it appropriate.

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Friday, January 18, 2013 @ 10:11 AM
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AIR QUALITY PERMIT NOTICE: Notice of Intent to Approve: Marion County, WV

On August 27, 2012, Purdys Run Energy LLC applied to the WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for a permit to construct and operate a 6.22 mW electric generating station located near the junction of County Route 27 and Manley Chapel Road (behind the old Reiss Viking Monogah Plant) near Fairmont, Marion County, WV at latitude 39.43860 and longitude 80.23974. A preliminary evaluation has determined that all State and Federal air quality requirements will be met by the facility. The DAQ is providing notice to the public of its preliminary determination to issue the permit as R13-2974.

The following potential emissions will be authorized by this permit action: Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns, 2.45 tons per year (TPY); Particulate Matter less than 10 microns, 2.45 TPY; Particulate Matter, 2.45 TPY; Sulfur Dioxide, 0.18 TPY; Oxides of Nitrogen, 41.96 TPY; Carbon Monoxide, 6.75 TPY; Volatile Organic Compounds, 6.75 TPY; Hazardous Air Pollutants, 3.15 TPY.

Written comments or requests for a public meeting must be received by the DAQ before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22, 2013. A public meeting may be held if the Director of the DAQ determines that significant public interest has been expressed, in writing, or when the Director deems it appropriate.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013 @ 3:43 PM
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AIR QUALITY PERMIT NOTICE: Notice of Intent to Approve: Doddridge County, WV

On September 26, 2012, EQT Production Company applied to the WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for a permit to construct and operate a natural gas production facility (OXF-152) located off of Upper Run Road (CR 23/3) approximately 8.0 miles southwest of New Milton, WV, Doddridge County, WV at latitude 39.17720 and longitude 80.81195. A preliminary evaluation has determined that all State and Federal air quality requirements will be met by the facility. The DAQ is providing notice to the public of its preliminary determination to issue the permit as R13-2996.

The following potential emissions will be authorized by this permit action: Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns, 6.18 tons per year (TPY); Particulate Matter less than 10 microns, 6.18 TPY; Particulate Matter, 6.18 TPY; Sulfur Dioxide, 0.04 TPY; Oxides of Nitrogen, 6.14 TPY; Carbon Monoxide, 5.17 TPY; Volatile Organic Compounds, 48.37 TPY; Hazardous Air Pollutants, 1.38 TPY.

Written comments or requests for a public meeting must be received by the DAQ before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, 2013. A public meeting may be held if the Director of the DAQ determines that significant public interest has been expressed, in writing, or when the Director deems it appropriate.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013 @ 3:46 PM
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AIR QUALITY PERMIT NOTICE: Notice of Intent to Approve: Doddridge County, WV

On October 9, 2012, EQT Production Company applied to the WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for a permit to construct and operate a natural gas production facility (OXF-44) located off of Upper Run Road (CR 23/3) approximately 7.9 miles southwest of New Milton, WV, Doddridge County, WV at latitude 39.18385 and longitude 80.79390. A preliminary evaluation has determined that all State and Federal air quality requirements will be met by the facility. The DAQ is providing notice to the public of its preliminary determination to issue the permit as R13-3001.

The following potential emissions will be authorized by this permit action: Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns, 9.60 tons per year (TPY); Particulate Matter less than 10 microns, 9.60 TPY; Particulate Matter, 9.60 TPY; Sulfur Dioxide, 0.05 TPY; Oxides of Nitrogen, 7.59 TPY; Carbon Monoxide, 6.38 TPY; Volatile Organic Compounds, 38.62 TPY; Hazardous Air Pollutants, 1.02 TPY.

Written comments or requests for a public meeting must be received by the DAQ before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, 2013. A public meeting may be held if the Director of the DAQ determines that significant public interest has been expressed, in writing, or when the Director deems it appropriate.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013 @ 3:44 PM
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AIR QUALITY PERMIT NOTICE: Notice of Intent to Approve: Doddridge County, WV

On October 9, 2012, EQT Production Company applied to the WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for a permit to construct and operate a natural gas production facility (OXF-44) located off of Straight Fork Road (CR 52/3) approximately 8.7 miles southwest of New Milton, WV, Doddridge County, WV at latitude 39.14514 and longitude 80.81368. A preliminary evaluation has determined that all State and Federal air quality requirements will be met by the facility. The DAQ is providing notice to the public of its preliminary determination to issue the permit as R13-3000.

The following potential emissions will be authorized by this permit action: Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns, 4.59 tons per year (TPY); Particulate Matter less than 10 microns, 4.59 TPY; Particulate Matter, 4.59 TPY; Sulfur Dioxide, 0.05 TPY; Oxides of Nitrogen, 7.43 TPY; Carbon Monoxide, 6.25 TPY; Volatile Organic Compounds, 41.41 TPY; Hazardous Air Pollutants, 1.03 TPY.

Written comments or requests for a public meeting must be received by the DAQ before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, 2013. A public meeting may be held if the Director of the DAQ determines that significant public interest has been expressed, in writing, or when the Director deems it appropriate.

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The purpose of the DAQ’s permitting process is to make a preliminary determination if the construction met all State and Federal air quality requirements. The purpose of the public review process is to accept public comments on air quality issues relevant to this determination. Only written comments received at the address noted below within the specified time frame, or comments presented orally at a scheduled public meeting, will be considered prior to final action on the permit. All such comments will become part of the public record.

Joe Kessler, PE, WV-DEP
Division of Air Quality
601 57th Street, SE
Charleston, WV 25304
Telephone: 304/926-0499, ext. 1219
FAX: 304/926-0478