Virginia Water Central News Grouper

A Look at the U.S. EPA’s Proposed FY 2013 Budget

araflo — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:00:09 +0000

U.S. EPA 2013 Budget Cuts Programs, Supports States, Tribes, from Environment News Service, 2/13/12 (main Web page http://www.ens-newswire.com/) provides details on the proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget for the U.S. EPA, as proposed by the Obama Administration on February 13. Overall, the president’s budget proposes an $8.344 billion budget for the agency, which would be $105 million reduction over FY 2012 spending (an approximately 1.3-percent reduction). Of particular interest to Virginia and its region, the proposed budget would increase from $58 million to $73 million the funding for the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program. In two other key water areas, the proposed budget would cut $291 million nationwide from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (which helps fund wastewater-treatment infrastructure) and $68 million nationwide from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (which helps fund water-supply infrastructure) (source: Obama’s budget a mixed bag for Chesapeake Bay, Gannett News Service, 2/15/12).

Access to the proposed budget document and other information from EPA is available online at http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/.

A Gateway to Severe Weather Information Sites

araflo — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:37:43 +0000

With almost all of Virginia covered by a tornado watch, high-wind advisory, or severe thunderstorm warning (as of 2:30 p.m. on 2/24/12), it’s a good time to note that links to several state and federal sources of severe-weather information–both prediction and post-storm reports–are listed on the Virginia Water Resources Research Centers “Severe Weather” Web page at http://vwrrc.vt.edu/severe_weather.html. We thank the agencies that make this vital information available.

Virginia Government Water-related Meetings, Feb. 24-Mar. 6, 2012

araflo — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:56:38 +0000

For more information, click on the meeting dates. Click here for the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall listing of all Virginia government meetings, or here for Virginia General Assembly legislative committee and commission meetings. For TMDL meetings, click here for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality TMDL Web site.

REGULAR MEETINGS OF STATEWIDE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
Feb. 24, 10 a.m.: The Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations Advisory Committee meets at the James Madison Building, 109 Governor Street in Richmond. Video-conferencing site will be the Montgomery County Health Department, 210 South Pepper Street in Christiansburg.

Feb. 28, 9:30 a.m.: The Virginia Marine Resources Commission meets at 2600 Washington Avenue in Newport News.

MEETINGS ABOUT TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS (OR TMDLS) FOR IMPAIRED WATERS
NONE DURING THIS PERIOD.

MEETINGS ON OTHER SPECIFIC TOPICS (listed alphabetically)
Biosolids Land-application Permit Requests
Mar. 6, 7 p.m., at the Government Administration Building, 10900 Courthouse Road in Charles City: public meeting on application by Nutri-Blend, Inc., to land-apply biosolids on approximately 9456 acres in Charles City County. Public comment period: 3/6/12 to 4/6/12.

State Water Supply Plan
Feb. 28, 10 a.m., at Department of Environmental Quality regional office in Glen Allen: Meetings of three sub-committees of the Water Supply Plan Advisory Committee: 10 a.m., Subcommittee #3: Development of methodologies for calculating actual and anticipated future water demand; 11 a.m., Subcommittee #4: Impact of consumptive use alternative water sources, including water reuse and rainwater harvesting; and environmental flows necessary for protection of instream beneficial use of water for fish and wildlife habitat; and 1p.m., Subcommittee #5: Other policies and procedures that may enhance the effectiveness of water supply and water resources planning in Virginia.

Feb. 29, 10 a.m.: State Water Supply Plan Advisory Committee meets at the MeadWestvaco Office Building, 501 South 5th Street in Richmond.

(The State Water Supply Plan Advisory Committee was established by the 2010 Virginia General Assembly to assist the Department of Environmental Quality in developing, revising, and implementing a state water resources plan. The bill creating the committee was SB 569; information about that bill is at the Virginia Legislative Information System Web site, at http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?101+sum+SB569.)

Virginia Outdoors Plan
Mar 1, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, 723 Woodlake Drive in Chesapeake: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) public meetings on the Virginia Outdoors Plan. The DCR is developing the 2013 update to the Virginia Outdoors Plan (the 10^th update since the first plan was developed in 1966), which is a comprehensive plan for acquisition, development, and management of outdoor recreation and open space resources. Other upcoming meetings (all at planning district commission/regional commission offices) are Mar. 8 in Roanoke, Mar. 13 in Farmville, Mar. 15 in Charlottesville, Mar. 21 in Duffield, Mar. 22 in Lebanon, and Mar. 29 in Lynchburg. For details, see http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational_planning/vop.shtml.

FEMA Awards $19 Million to Louisa County for Rebuilding Earthquake-damaged High School

araflo — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:18:05 +0000

On February 23, Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell’s office announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $19 million to help pay for rebuilding the Louisa County High School, which was damaged in the August 23, 2011, earthquake and its aftershocks. The remainder of the estimated $43 million needed to rebuild the school will come from insurance and from state and local funds. FEMA has also authorized $3.2 million for rebuilding Louisa County’s Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and $13 million in aid to homeowners in the counties of Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Goochland, King George, Louisa, Orange, and Spotsylvania and in the City of Fredericksburg.

Source: Louisa County High School Receives $19 Million from FEMA to Rebuild, Virginia Governor’s News Release, 2/23/12

Virginia Statewide Tornado Drill Will Be March 20, 2012

araflo — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:00:05 +0000

Following is the February 6, 2012, news release from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management on the March 20 Statewide Tornado Drill. For more information, contact Bob Spieldenner, (804) 897-6510, bob.spieldenner@vdem.virginia.gov.

Registration is now open for the March 20 Statewide Tornado Drill. Businesses and organizations, schools and colleges, and families and individuals can practice taking cover from tornadoes by participating in this annual safety exercise, set for 9:45 a.m.

“Last year 51 twisters hit Virginia, the second highest number on record,” said Michael Cline, state coordinator for emergency management. “But more importantly, communities are still healing from the affects of those tornadoes that killed 10 people, injured more than 100, and destroyed 212 homes and 17 businesses. It’s vitally important that everyone know what to do if a tornado warning is issued for their area.”

The annual drill is a joint effort of the National Weather Service [NWS] and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. To start the drill, at approximately 9:45 a.m., the NWS will send a test tornado warning that will trigger a tone alert and broadcast message on NOAA Weather Radio, simulating what listeners will hear during an actual tornado warning.

Although registration is not required, people participating in the Statewide Tornado Drill are encouraged to sign up to show their support. Learn more about tornado safety, how to hold a drill, and how to register for the drill at http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia/stayinformed/tornadoes.

Here’s a look back at tornadoes in Virginia during 2011:
*51 tornadoes hit, the second highest number on record (87 struck in 2004).
*In April, 10 people died and more than 100 were injured.
*Most tornadoes occurred during April, but tornadoes also were recorded in March, May, August, September, October and November.
*In April, 212 homes and 17 businesses were destroyed; more than 1,050 homes and businesses were damaged.
*Nearly every part of Virginia experienced tornadoes during 2011, including mountainous Southwest Virginia. Other areas hit: Southside Virginia, Roanoke Valley, Shenandoah Valley, Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, Middle Peninsula and Hampton Roads.
*One-third of the tornadoes struck at night, including the deadly EF3 tornado that hit Washington County around 1 a.m. April 28.

Increased Natural Gas Supplies Leading Companies to Seek Increased Exports of Liquefied Natural Gas

araflo — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:12:52 +0000

According to the Baltimore Sun, an oversupply of natural gas in the United States—resulting to a large extent from development in recent years of hundreds of new Marcellus shale formation wells, particularly in Pennsylvania and West Virginia—is leading Richmond, Va.-based Dominion Resources to pursue export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through its Cove Point terminal in the Chesapeake Bay off Calvert County, Maryland. As of February 2012, Dominion had received approval from the U.S. Department of Energy to export LNG to about 20 nations with which the United States has free-trade agreements, and the company is seeking federal approval for exporting to any nation except those under trade sanctions. (Eight terminals in the continental United States are seeking such approval; Dominion’s Cove Point terminal is the only mid-Atlantic one doing so.) If that approval is granted, Dominion would need to seek state and local permits in order to construct a facility at the terminal for liquefying natural gas.

Source: Marcellus shale fracking: Natural gas exports eyed through Calvert County, Baltimore Sun, 2/10/12

Around the Western Hemisphere in 27-foot Boat

araflo — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:53:28 +0000

If you haven’t already heard or read about the current voyage of Matt Rutherford, it’s a story you don’t want to miss.

Mr. Rutherford is attempting to sail a 27-foot boat non-stop and by himself some 23,000 nautical miles around North and South America, including navigating through the Northwest Passage. The 36-year-old Ohio native started from Annapolis, Md., in June 2011, and as of February 21 was about 600 miles east of Brazil. Mr. Rutherford is seeking through the voyage to raise $250,000 for the Chesapeake Regional Accessible Boating (CRAB) program, an Annapolis-based non-profit organization that seeks to provide boating opportunities for physically or developmentally challenged people and for people who cannot afford such opportunities (the program’s Web site is http://crabsailing.org/).

Mr. Rutherford’s blog site is http://www.solotheamericas.org/.

For an excellent account of Mr. Rutherford’s quest, see Annapolis sailor on unprecedented, around-the-Americas odyssey, Washington Post, 2/6/12.

A Shenandoah Valley Look at the Local Aspects of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load

araflo — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:11:28 +0000

A February 2012 series of articles in the Staunton (Va.) News Leader focused on concerns by Shenandoah Valley farmers and local governments about the local actions and expenditures that may be needed to meet the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load’s (TMDL) required reductions in the sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus generated by agricultural and municipal sources. The following quote, from the February 6 article, summarizes such concerns: “‘You can basically narrow down the counties’ concerns to three things,’ said Rockingham County Administrator Joe Paxton…. ‘We’re concerned about funding, we’re concerned about the accuracy of the data [being used by the U.S. EPA], and we’re concerned that some of the proposed BMPs [best management practices] we don’t think are attainable.’”

These concerns were raised in the context of Virginia’s work to produce a Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP), which will identify actions that localities plan to meet the TMDL’s pollution-reduction goals. Bay jurisdictions submitted draft Phase II WIPs in December 2011; EPA provided comments on the drafts on February 15, and final versions are due to the EPA by March 30. (For an overview of EPA’s evaluation of the draft Phase II plans, please see EPA gives mixed grades on Chesapeake Bay cleanup plans, Baltimore Sun, 2/21/2012. For a news account on submission of local plans in Maryland, see Frederick County bay cleanup plan falls short, Maryland Gazette, 2/10/12.) When Virginia submitted its draft Phase II plan on December 15, the plan did not include strategies for localities to meet local and regional requirements of the TMDL, and the Commonwealth required localities to submit such proposed strategies or actions by February 1. (For information from EPA’s Bay TMDL Web site on this process in Virginia, see http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/tmdl/ChesapeakeBay/RestorationUnderway.html?tab2=2&tab1=5).

The recent concerns raised by Shenandoah Valley localities echo similar comments submitted during the public comment period on the final draft of the TMDL, prior to its issuance by the EPA in December 2010. For a look back at some of the comments by various stakeholders just prior to the release of the TMDL, please see the show notes for Virginia Water Radio Episode 42 (week of 11-15-10) (click the hyperlink, or visit http://www.virginiawaterradio.org where you’ll find an archive of episodes).

Sources: Farmers question EPA on bay data, Staunton News Leader, 2/19/12; Supervisors: Data confusion muddies EPA pollution requirements, Staunton News Leader, 2/9/12; Federal Chesapeake Bay cleanup mandates irk officials in Augusta County, Staunton News Leader, 2/6/2012; Bristling local governments oblige state in Chesapeake Bay cleanup effort, Staunton News Leader, 2/2/2012; Virginia Department of Conservation Bay TMDL Web site, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/vabaytmdl/index.shtml, 2/23/12; and U.S. EPA Bay TMDL Web pages on Bay Jurisdictions Phase II WIPs, http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/tmdl/ChesapeakeBay/RestorationUnderway.html, 2/23/12.

Possible Wind-energy Projects Off the Atlantic Coast Moved Forward by February 2 Announcement by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

araflo — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:57:16 +0000

On February 2, 2012, U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced that had completed environmental and safety assessments of certain potential offshore wind zones off the Atlantic Coast—including offshore of the states of Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey—and found that offshore wind projects in those zones would have “no significant environmental or socioeconomic impacts” on fisheries, military operations, marine traffic, or marine life. In February 2011 the agency identified the zones as Atlantic Coast areas to receive expedited review of proposed wind-energy projects. In addition, the agency released drafts of forms that companies can use to submit applications for permits offshore wind-energy projects and started a 45-day period for companies to state their interest in developing projects off Virginia’s and Maryland’s coastlines. The area off Virginia’s coast covers 112,799 acres 23.5 to 36.5 nautical miles east of Virginia Beach. According to the 2/3/12 Richmond Times-Dispatch, Dominion Virginia Power, Apex Offshore Wind, and Seawind Renewable Energy Corporation have expressed interest in developing projects off Virginia’s coast.

Sources: Obama Administration Announces Major Steps toward Leasing for Offshore Wind Projects in Mid-Atlantic, U.S. Department of Interior News Release, 2/2/12 (documents on the assessment and calls for projects off Virginia and Maryland are available at this link); Feds OK offshore wind in Virginia, Newport News Daily Press, 2/2/12; Offshore wind farm farther away, closer to reality, Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 2/3/12; Offshore wind energy lease process moves forward, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/3/12; Dominion seeks offshore wind domination, Newport News Daily Press, 2/6/12; and Salazar, Chu Announce Major Offshore Wind Initiatives, U.S. Department of Interior News Release, 2/7/11.

73 Households in Scott County, Va., Communities of Angler’s Way and Sloantown to Receive Public Water Through $750,000 Community Development Block Grant

araflo — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:06:59 +0000

On February 5, 2012, Va. Gov. Robert McDonnell’s office announced that a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) has been awarded to the Scott County Public Service Authority to help pay for extending public water supply to 73 households in the Angler’s Way and Sloantown communities. CDBG grants are federally funded, awarded competitively (12 out of 30 proposals received funding in the current cycle), administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and designed to assist primarily low- and moderate-income communities. Virginia receives up to $17 million annually through the program; click here for information about the Virginia program.

Sources: Governor McDonnell Announces an Additional $3.15 Million in Community Development Block Grant Funding, Virginia Governor’s Office News Release, 2/7/12; and Scott County PSA awarded $750,000 for project in Angler’s Way area, timesnews.net (Kingsport, Tenn., Times-News), 2/12/12