NEWS
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| Stephen H. Schoenholtz, Director, Virginia Water Resources Research Center |
Our news segment this week features recent comments by Water Center Director Stephen Schoenholtz on the main challenges he sees for water resources in Virginia. The comments come from a July 15 interview with Dr. Schoenholtz by Virginia Water Radio producer Patrick Fay.
WATER SOUNDS AND MUSIC
The Sounds and Music segment of this episode was revised and re-done in Episode 122, 8-6-12.
This week we featured a new mystery sound: hand water pump.
This hand water pump sound was recorded at a camping site along the C&O Canal Towpath in Maryland, just across the Potomac River from Virginia. While such pumps are no longer routinely seen at residences or in communities in the United States, hand-powered well pumps are an important element in providing clean, reliable water to many of the nearly one billion people in the world estimated to lack access to safe drinking water. If you’re interested in world water needs, information is available from many organizations, such as UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and Water.org, the organizer of World Water Day each March. UNICEF, at http://www.tapproject.org/about/world-water-crisis.html, estimates about 900 million people lack safe drinking water. Information from the World Health Organization on water needs is available at http://www.who.int/topics/water/en/. Information on World Water Day is available at http://water.org/world-water-day/. More information about the use of hand-powered water well pumps in developing countries is available at many Web sites, such as the following: “The Water Page,” at http://www.africanwater.org/htn.htm; “The Rural Water Supply Network,” at http://www.rwsn.ch/; “Afghan Water Well Projects” by the American Friendship Foundation, at http://affhope.org/current-projects/afghan-water-well-project/; “A UNICEF Success Story from Haiti,” at http://www.tapproject.org/about/unicef-success-stories/haiti.html.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
First, in government policy and regulatory meetings occurring between July 28-August 3.
- On July 28, the technical advisory committee for development of a general permit for pesticide discharges meets in Richmond. For more information, phone William Norris at (804) 698-4022. The committee is assisting the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in developing a permit under the Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES). The relevant Virginia regulation is 9 VAC 25-800. More information and relevant documents are at http://www.townhall.state.va.us/L/viewchapter.cfm?chapterid=2418.
- On July 29, the regulatory advisory panel for development of a permit for small renewable offshore wind energy projects meets in Glen Allen. A public hearing on this proposed permit will be held August 3, also in Glen Allen. For more information about either meeting, phone Carol Wampler at (804) 698-4579. This advisory panel is helping the DEQ in development of a permit by rule for small renewable wind energy projects, a regulatory action that the 2009 General Assembly (HB 2175/SB 1347) required for small renewable energy projects from various sources. More information and relevant documents on the wind-energy permit are available at http://www.townhall.state.va.us/L/viewaction.cfm?actionid=3089&display=stages.
- July 29, in Alexandria, on the TMDL study for Cameron Run, Holmes Creek, and Hunting Creek, located in the Potomac River watershed in Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, the City of Falls Church, and Fairfax County. For more information, phone Katie Conaway at (703) 583-3804.
- On July 31, Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is holding its annual Butterfly Count. For more information, phone Don Schwab or Deloras Freeman at (757) 986-3705.
- Also on July 31, Hungry Mother State Park in Smyth County is holding “Fishin’ for a Cure,” a fishing tournament to raise money for cancer organizations. For more information, phone (276) 781-7400.
- And on August 7 in Newport News, the Mariners Museum is holding Mermaids and Sea Monster Family Day. Visitors can hear tales of these creatures, participate in activities for all ages, and have their photo taken with a sea monster! For more information, phone (757) 591-7744.
For more information about government policy and regulatory meetings, click here for the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall, where these meetings are listed by date. E-mail addresses for contact people are available there. For TMDL meetings, click here for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality TMDL Web site. Please note that TMDL meetings are also listed at the Town Hall site, but are included among all other meetings. In the educational and recreation events section, organizations, events, or both are hyperlinked whenever possible. Click on those links for more information.
Virginia Water Radio is a product of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, which is solely responsible for the show’s content. Hosting and bandwidth for this podcast are also provided by the Water Center. We invite you to visit the center online at www.vwrrc.vt.edu.
Show notes and production assistance were provided by Patrick Fay. Recording assistance was provided by the Office of University Relations at Virginia Tech.
Opinions expressed on this show are not necessarily those of the Water Center, Virginia Tech, or this station.
If you need more information about anything mentioned this week, call us at (540) 231-5463, or visit our web site at www.virginiawaterradio.org.
