Quality water is essential to our lives!

From the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, June 27, 2018

You deserve to know what’s in your water. Every three years the rules that govern what’s in West Virginia’s water undergo a revision process called the Triennial Review. West Virginia is in the midst of this process and WVDEP has released their proposed changes for public comment, you can view them here.

WV Rivers has reviewed WVDEP’s proposed revisions to Water Quality Standards and recommends additions to safeguard human health from waterborne toxins. View our fact sheet on the Triennial Review and our full comments to WVDEP to learn more.

One change to WV’s Water Quality Standards would expand allowances for toxic hotspots in our waters. These areas are called overlapping mixing zones, learn more here.

Overlapping mixing zones have concentrations and combinations of pollutants that are dangerous to human health. The proposed rule would allow these areas, and it does not deal with the requirement to notify the public of their presence or danger.

WV Rivers requests WVDEP specify signage requirements at overlapping mixing zones that graphically depicts and states that the waterbody within the mixing zone contains high levels of pollutants harmful to human health, and that contact with the water or consumption of fish harvested in the area could have severe health impacts.

Speak Up Now! Share with WVDEP why you deserve to know when the water is dangerous. Request public health notifications at overlapping mixing zones by commenting on WVDEP’s revisions to Water Quality Standards through July 10. View our fact sheet and submit your comments here. You can also submit comments in person during a public hearing on July 10 at 6:00pm at the WVDEP headquarters in Charleston.

Continuing vigilance is necessary — www.FrackCheckWV.net

From an Article in the NGI Shale Daily, January 29, 2018

North Carolina on Friday issued the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) a section 401 water quality certification (WQC) under the federal Clean Water Act, capping part of a prolonged regulatory process that brings the project one step closer to construction.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) conducted what it said was an “exhaustive review” of the project plans in which it requested additional application information from the sponsors on five occasions. ACP applied for the WQC last May.

Leaving “no stone unturned,” DEQ Secretary Michael Regan said the WQC carries with it more stringent requirements, including stream and wetland monitoring; horizontal directional drilling in certain areas to better protect the environment; and private water well testing before and after construction within 150 feet of any disturbed area, or 500 feet from blasting areas.

The 600-mile ACP, a 1.5 Bcf/d project backed by Dominion Energy Inc., Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas and Southern Company Gas, welcomed the news. “At every stage of the project, we’ve gone above and beyond regulatory requirements and adopted some of the most protective measures ever used by the industry,” said spokesperson Aaron Ruby. “Additionally, state and federal inspectors will closely monitor construction to ensure we meet all regulatory standards.”

Also on Friday, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) approved the project’s erosion and sediment control permit. WVDEP waived the state’s WQC requirement for the project last month, and Virginia conditionally approved a WQC in December. FERC approved the project last October.

ACP would originate in West Virginia, run southeast through Virginia and into North Carolina. The project is designed to pair Appalachian shale gas with growing power generation and heating demand in the Southeast. Although it has cleared the major hurdles, the pipeline still needs regulatory approvals in all three states in addition to a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Upland tree felling and vegetation clearing is underway in West Virginia and is scheduled to continue through the end of March. After it receives the remaining state and federal approvals, ACP plans to request a notice to proceed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Ruby said the sponsors are still targeting a late 2019 in-service date, with construction slated to begin by early spring.

Like other Appalachian infrastructure projects, ACP has faced staunch opposition from environmental groups, which filed rehearing requests with FERC late last year challenging the certificate order. Despite the approvals on Friday, the Sierra Club, for example, said it would continue to fight the pipeline “at every turn.

Subject: Reflections: Dunkard Creek Art Exhibit Final Display, at Wheeling Jesuit University

September 2013 marks the end of the two year tour of “Reflections: Homage to Dunkard Creek.” Since September 2011, thousands of people have filed through galleries and read about Reflections in newspapers and magazines.  Because of the efforts of each one of us, Dunkard Creek has not been forgotten.

Now the show is preparing for its final opening on September 6, 2013 at Kirby Art Gallery, Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia.  I hope many of you can arrange to attend. The exhibit will be open to the public from noon until 5:00pm Monday-Friday until the closing reception on October 10. For more specific show information, please phone Georgia Tambasis at 304-243-2096 or email her at gtambasis@wju.edu.

The sponsorship of the show has followed Director Brent Bailey in his professional transition from the Mountain Institute to the West Virginia Land Trust.  Work will be returned to the artists or buyers shortly after the close of the show.

It has been such an honor and a pleasure to have worked with you in creating a powerful witness to a colossal wrong. The public reception of these works has been most impressive and pleasing.

Thank you, Ann Payne, Morgantown, WV (Paynestake@frontier.com)

Comment on Draft TMDL for Monongahela River Watershed — Urgent

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Public Meeting on August 20th. Comment Period Ends September 3rd.
 
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The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection announces a comment period and public meeting on draft Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired streams in the Monongahela River Watershed.
 
A TMDL is a plan of action used to clean up streams not meeting water quality standards. Each of the streams under TMDL development has been identified as violating state water quality standards and the federal Clean Water Act requires TMDL development for them. The pollutants addressed in this project are acidity (pH), total iron, total manganese, total selenium, dissolved aluminum, chlorides and fecal coliform. After consideration of public comments, the DEP will submit final draft TMDLs to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval.
 
A public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Aug. 20, to present a general discussion of the TMDL development process and to answer questions regarding the proposed TMDLs. The meeting will be conducted at Fairmont State University in the Falcon Center, Conference Room 3, Room 303, 2101 Locust Ave. Parking is available to guests on the third floor of the parking garage across from the Falcon Center.   
 
The DEP invites public comment on all aspects of the draft TMDL. The comment period extends through Sept. 3, 2013. Written comments may be submitted by U.S. Mail, electronic mail, and fax. The preferred form for comment submissions is e-mail or disk in order to expedite the review and response process. Written comments should be postmarked no later than Sept. 3, 2013. Comments should be sent to:
 
Steve Young, ATTN: Monongahela River TMDL Comments
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
601 57th Street,Charleston, WV 25304
 E-mail: stephen.a.young@wv.gov
 
This Draft TMDL is available for review on DEP’s webpage here.
See completed TMDLs below:
 www.dep.wv.gov/tmdl

CDs may  be obtained by calling Steve Young at (304) 926-0495, TTY 711 (304) 558-2751.
 
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