Monday, March 28, 2011

Virginia Water Radio 59: Week of Mar. 28, 2011

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio (Episode 59), for the week of March 28, 2011.

Audio archived 3-12-12; please contact Virginia Water Radio for access to the recording. (Length: 00:08:07)

NEWS
  • On March 16, the U.S. EPA proposed new regulations for coal- and oil-fired power plant air emissions of toxic heavy metals and acidic gases, along with revised standards for particulates, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. The metals regulated include mercury, which can eventually fall into and contaminate water bodies. Other toxic emissions covered by the proposed regulations are suspected of causing cancer, respiratory diseases, or other human illnesses. The EPA estimates that the proposed rules will affect about 525 power plants, cost about $10.9 billion annually by 2016, and result in benefits worth between $53 billion and $140 billion. News sources: “Reducing Toxic Air Emissions from Power Plants,” U.S. EPA Web site, http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/actions.html, accessed 3/22/11; and EPA proposes 'first-ever' emissions standards for power plants, Washington Post, 3/17/11.
  • According to the U.S. Geological Survey, as of 2005 over 1.6 million Virginians, or about 22 percent of the state’s population, were served by a private water supply, which in most cases is a residential well. The Virginia Household Water Quality Program, coordinated by Virginia Cooperative Extension, recommends that private well owners annually test their well water and examine the structure of their well. The annual test should be for coliform bacteria and should be done by a state-certified lab. Well owners should also test at least every three years for pH, nitrate, dissolved solids, and any other substances indicated by specific water problems or nearby sources of possible contaminants. The well examination should ensure that the casing is at least 12 inches above the ground; that a sealed, sanitary well cap is intact; that the area around the well is free of debris or any potential pollutants; and that the ground around the casing slopes away to prevent pooling of water. If you have questions, your local Extension office can help you or can refer you to a trained volunteer in the Virginia Master Well-owner Network. News sources: Well Informed newsletter of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner Network, March 2011; and Estimated Use of Water in the United States-2005, http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1344/, accessed 3/24/11.
Now, here’s a quick look at three other recent stories:
  • As of the March 22 report of the U.S Drought Monitor, Virginia’s area of abnormally dry conditions was down to 64 percent, and the area of moderate drought was down to 30 percent, the lowest percentages since mid-January.  News source: U.S. Drought Monitor for Virginia, accessed 3/24/11.
  • In February, Fairfax County completed an eight-year project to develop comprehensive management plans for each of the county’s 30 major watersheds, covering 980 miles of streams along with wetlands other water resources. News source: Conservation Currents, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, Winter 2011.
  • The Radford Army Ammunition Plant, an explosives-manufacturing facility on the New River in Pulaski County, is asking the U.S. EPA for a 10-year extension of its permit to clean up old waste dump sites. Of 77 sites identified in 2000, 19 have been addressed, 51 are not contaminated or pose no risk, and seven still need attention for petroleum and metal wastes that have contaminated soil or groundwater.  News sources: C. Radford Army Ammunition Plant seeks more cleanup time from EPA, Roanoke Times, 3/17/11.
And in our last news item this week:
  • On March 17, Tony Milam of South Boston caught a 109-pound Blue Catfish in Buggs Island Lake, setting a new Virginia record for the species. Buggs Island Lake is a reservoir on the Staunton River—a section of the Roanoke River—in Mecklenburg County. The previous state Blue Catfish record was a 102.4-pound fish caught in the James River. Mr. Milam donated the new record to the Richmond Bass Pro Shop, which plans to display the live fish at the store. News source: South Boston man lures record catch, South Boston Gazette-Virginian, 3/21/11.
WATER SOUNDS AND MUSIC

This week we feature another mystery sound: Tornado Warning Siren

The warning siren sounded on the Virginia Tech campus during the March 15 statewide tornado drill, part of Tornado Preparedness Day in Virginia. Whether by siren, broadcast, or some other way, if you receive a warning that a tornado is approaching your location, here’s what the Virginia Department of Emergency Management recommends you do. Take shelter in the nearest substantial building, specifically in the basement or in a small, windowless, interior room on the lowest level of the building. DON’T stay in an automobile or in a mobile home; instead, quickly seek a substantial building. If you’re outdoors, DON’T stay under a bridge or overpass; instead, lie flat in a ditch or other depression and cover your head with your hands. Tornadoes have occurred in Virginia in every month of the year, with the highest percentage between April and September. So please get tornado ready! Information on tornadoes and tornado preparedness was taken from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s Web page for tornadoes, 3/25/11. 

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS

First, in Virginia government policy and regulatory meetings, occurring between March 31 and April 6.
  • On March 31 at 10 a.m., the Local Government Stakeholder Group on a model wind-energy ordinance meets at the central office of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ, in Richmond. For more information: Carol Wampler, (804) 698-4579 or Carol.Wampler@deq.virginia.gov.
  • Also on March 31, at 7 p.m. at the James River Conference Center in Lynchburg, the State Water Control Board holds a public hearing on proposed changes to Virginia’s regulations on land application of biosolids, or treated sewage sludge. For more information: William Norris, (804) 698-4022 or william.norris@deq.virginia.gov. Public comments on the proposed changes are being accepted until April 29. Relevant documents and the online place to comment are at www.townhall.state.va.us/L/comments.cfm?stageid=5374.
  • On April 1 at 10 a.m., the Health Department’s Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations Advisory Committee meets at the James Madison Building in Richmond. For more information: Allan Knapp, (804) 864-7458 or allen.knapp@vdh.virginia.gov.
  • And on April 6 at 9 a.m., the Health Department’s Sewage Handling and Disposal Appeal Review Board meets at the James Madison Building in Richmond. For more information: Donna Tiller, (804) 864-7470 or donna.tiller@vdh.virginia.gov.
Finally, in educational and recreational events:
  • On April 13 and 14, at the Johnson Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the national Climate Prediction Center, and George Mason are presenting the U.S. Drought Monitor Forum.
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 Virginia Water Resources Research 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 Virginia Water Resources Research Center, Virginia Tech, or our broadcasting stations.

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.
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Monday, March 21, 2011

Virginia Water Radio 58: Week of Mar. 21, 2011

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio (Episode 58), for the week of March 21, 2011.

Audio no longer available.


NEWS
  • Proposed changes to Virginia’s regulations on land application of biosolids, or treated sewage sludge, are up for public comment through April 29. At the direction of the 2007 Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (or DEQ) convened a panel to study the public health and environmental impacts of biosolids land-application. In January 2009, the panel recommended that DEQ review certain aspects of the regulations, and the agency began a process of examining provisions regarding public notice, permit modification, buffer distances, nutrient management, storage, and permit fees. Public hearings on the proposed changes will be held on March 31 at the James River Conference Center in Lynchburg, April 5 at the Western Government Center in Richmond, April 7 at Turner Ashby High School in Bridgewater, and April 12 at Liberty High School in Bealeton; each hearing starts at 7 p.m. News source: Public comments sought on revised biosolids regulations. Virginia Department of Environmental Quality news release, 3/7/11. Relevant documents and the online place to comment are at www.townhall.state.va.us/L/comments.cfm?stageid=5374. For more information, contact William Norris at william.norris@deq.virginia.gov.
  • On March 10, agents from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration conducted searches and seized cell phones, GPS units, and other materials on at least four charter fishing boats that operate out of the Northern Neck and Virginia Beach’s Rudee Inlet. The action is part of a three-year federal investigation into illegal Striped Bass fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (or EEZ), located between 3 and 200 miles offshore. The investigation is being coordinated by the U.S. Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section. News source: Federal officers search charter boats suspected of rockfish poaching, Baltimore Sun, 3/10/11. Striped Bass fishing is legal within three miles of shore and this is quite popular in the winter, before fish move up in the Chesapeake Bay to spawn.
Now here’s a lightning-fast look at three other recent stories:
  • And on March 16, Governor McDonnell announced to state employees that the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign has initiated a Special Direct Campaign to raise funds for American Red Cross efforts’ to help people affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. News source: E-mail from Governor Robert McDonnell to Virginia state employees, 3/16/11.
And in our last news item this week: 
  • Between March 5 and 10, rains totaled between two and five inches in much of Virginia. This led to minor-to-moderate flooding on several rivers, including the James, the Pamunkey, the Potomac, and the Rappahannock. On the positive side, the rainfall substantially reduced the level of drought in Virginia, at least for one week. The National Drought Monitor reported that the area of moderate drought in the Commonwealth decreased from 53 percent on March 8 to 34 percent on March 15, and the area of abnormally dry conditions decreased from 89 percent to 77 percent. News sources: National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrologic Prediction System at http://water.weather.gov/ahps/; “Daily Climate Report” archives at the Web sites of National Weather Service Forecast Offices in Blacksburg, Sterling, Wakefield, and Morristown, Tenn.; and the National Drought Monitor at www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html.
WATER SOUNDS AND MUSIC 

This week we feature “Ohio Valley Rain,” by the Ithaca, New York, bluegrass band Cornerstone on their 1994 CD, “Out of the Valley” from Folk Era Records. The song mentions West Virginia and the Ohio Valley, so what’s the Virginia water connection? While many of Virginia’s major rivers flow generally southeast towards the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean, in southwestern Virginia the Big Sandy, Clinch/Powell, Holston, and New river basins are all part of the Ohio River basin, with their water eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. So when Cornerstone sings of “the river miles below drinking rain from far away,” that rain could have fallen on Virginia! Virginia Water Radio was unable to find a Web site for the band Cornerstone, but their CDs are available at various online music vendors.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS

First, in Virginia government policy and regulatory meetings, occurring between March 24 and 30:
  • On March 28 at 1 p.m., the Shenandoah Valley Poultry Litter-to-Energy Watershed and Air Advisory Group meets at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality office in Harrisonburg. The Shenandoah Valley Poultry Litter-to-Energy Watershed and Air Advisory Group advisory group has been established by the Virginia Departments of Environmental Quality and of Conservation and Recreation to assist in developing a scope of study to evaluate a large-scale poultry litter-to-energy project, which could help Virginia meet the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load/Watershed Implementation Plan requirements and the Commonwealth’s renewable energy goals. For more information: Rick Weeks, rick.weeks@deq.virginia.gov or (804) 698-4020.
  • On March 29 at 10 a.m., the State Water Supply Plan Advisory Committee meets at the Innsbrook Technical Center in Glen Allen. 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. For more information: Tammy Stephenson, (540) 562-6828, tammy.stephenson@deq.virginia.gov.
  • On April 1 at 10 a.m., the Health Department’s Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations Advisory Committee meets at the James Madison Building in Richmond. For more information: Allan Knapp, (804) 864-7458, allen.knapp@vdh.virginia.gov.
  • On April 6 at 9 a.m., the Health Department’s Sewage Handling and Disposal Appeal Review Board meets at the James Madison Building in Richmond. For more information: Donna Tiller, (804) 864-7470, donna.tiller@vdh.virginia.gov.
  • And on April 6 at 10 a.m., the Board for Professional Soil Scientists and Wetland Professionals meets at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation in Richmond. For more information: Kate R. Nosbisch, (804) 367-8514, soilscientist@dpor.virginia.gov.
Finally, in educational and recreational events:
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 Virginia Water Resources Research Center. We invite you to visit the center online at www.vwrrc.vt.edu.

Show notes and production assistance were provided by Patrick Fay. Emily Whitesell found this week’s Water Sounds and Music segment. Recording assistance was provided by the Office of University Relations at Virginia Tech.

Opinions expressed on this show are not necessarily those of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, Virginia Tech, or our broadcasting stations.

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.
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Monday, March 14, 2011

Virginia Water Radio 57: Week of Mar. 14, 2011

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio (Episode 57), for the week of March 14, 2011.

Audio archived 6/22/12; please contact Virginia Water Radio for access to audio file (length = 8:23).

NEWS
  • Our opening two items focus on nuclear energy and its implications for water. First, in a February speech to shareholders, Virginia Uranium, Inc., executive vice-president Walter Coles said that members of the Virginia General Assembly will introduce legislation in 2012 to direct the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to develop regulations for uranium mining. If passed, such legislation would effectively end Virginia’s 29-year ban on uranium mining. Virginia Uranium is seeking to mine a 3000-acre area in Pittsylvania County. A National Academy of Sciences committee is studying the possible health and environmental impacts of mining uranium in Virginia, with a report expected in December 2011. News source: Uranium executive wants to end Va. mining ban in 2012, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 3/4/11.
  • Second, various tracks continue in Dominion Virginia Power’s application for a permit for a third nuclear reactor at the North Anna Nuclear Power Station. On March 3, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Panel of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (or NRC), heard arguments in the challenge by Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League to Dominion’s application. The group has called for more review of the proposed reactor’s expected water use and has raised concerns about potential earthquake activity in the area. Meanwhile, NRC staff are preparing a supplemental environmental impact statement; the agency completed an initial statement in March 2010, but Dominion has announced design changes since then. At the state level, on March 3 the Department of Environmental Quality held a public hearing on whether the proposed third reactor is consistent with Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management Program, and on February 17 the agency held public hearings on potential surface water-quality impacts and water withdrawals related to construction of the proposed reactor. News sources: Panel to hear reactor objections, Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, 2/14/11; North Anna reactor requests drawing heat, Louisa Central Virginian, 3/4/11.
Now, here’s a lightning-fast look at several recent stories:
  • In mid-February, about 800 gallons of a petroleum material were recovered from a drain at the Pickett Road Tank Farm in Fairfax City. Following other leaks and spills, the latest incident prompted some residents of the downstream subdivision of Mantua to renew calls for moving the facility, and Mantua resident U.S. Rep. Gerald Connolly wrote to the U.S. EPA administrator to request an investigation. Release of fuel detected at tank farm, Fairfax Connection, 3/2/11.
  • House Bill 1830, passed by the 2011 Virginia General Assembly, provides that farmers who implement and maintain a state-approved nutrient- and sediment-management plan will be considered in compliance with any requirements of Virginia’s Watershed Implementation Plan under the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Bill enlists Va. farmers to help curb bay pollution, Virginian-Pilot, 2/26/11.
  • On March 4, the Virginia Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal by Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli of an August 2010 circuit court ruling that blocked the attorney general’s request to the University of Virginia for certain climate-change research documents. Virginia Supreme Court to hear UVa. climate records case, Virginian-Pilot, 3/11/11; and Virginia Supreme Court Web site, www.courts.state.va.us (the Virginia Supreme Court case number is 102359).
  • And Mar. 22 is World Water Day, an annual event designated by the United Nations and observed since 1993. World Water Day Web site, www.worldwaterday.org.
And in out last news item: 
  • As of March 8, a record 165 breeding pairs of Bald Eagles had been observed along the James River during the annual Chesapeake Bay area eagle-nest survey flights. The survey flights are done by the Center for Conservation Biology, a collaborative program between the College of William and Mary and Virginia Commonwealth University. Center Director Bryan Watts expects this year’s count to increase as the survey continues during the spring. In 2010, 154 breeding pairs were observed along the James, while over 680 breeding pairs and 900 nests were seen in the lower Chesapeake basin overall.  News source: Record Number of Bald Eagles Preparing to Breed, Williamsburg Yorktown Daily, 3/8/11.
WATER SOUNDS AND MUSIC

This week we feature another mystery sound: The Bald Eagle

Despite disapproval by Dr. Franklin, the image of an eagle was included in the Great Seal of the United States that was adopted in 1782. Real Bald Eagles, having recovered dramatically from endangered status in the lower 48 states, are found near large water bodies in all of the United States except for Hawaii. They can be seen in much of Virginia but typically they breed along the coast and the tidal portions of rivers. In these areas the birds nest in tall trees, using interwoven sticks, grass, and other materials to build structures that may be quite large, weigh hundreds of pounds, and be re-used for many years. Thanks to Lang Elliott of NatureSound Studio for providing this recording.  Information on Bald Eagles was taken from the “American Bald Eagle Information” Web site at http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/; the Center for Conservation Biology’s “Virginia Bald Eagle Information” Web site at http://www.ccb-wm.org/virginiaeagles/index.htm (the Center for Conservation Biology is a joint program between the College of William and Mary and Virginia Commonwealth University); and the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology’s “Birds of North America Online” at http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna.  

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS

First, in Virginia government policy and regulatory meetings, occurring between March 17 and 23:
  • Also on March 18 at 10 a.m., the Department of Health’s Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations Advisory Committee meets at the James Madison Building in Richmond. For more information: Allan Knapp, (804) 864-7458, allen.knapp@vdh.virginia.gov.
  • Again on March 21, at 3 p.m., the Lake Anna State Park Master Plan Advisory Committee meets at the visitor center at Lake Anna State Park in Spotsylvania. For more information: Lynn Crump, (804) 786-5054, lynn.crump@dcr.virginia.gov.
  • And on March 23 at 1 p.m., the Technical Advisory Committee on the general discharge permit regulation for car wash facilities meets at the Department of Environmental Quality office in Richmond. For more information: George Cosby, (804) 698-4067, george.cosby@deq.virginia.gov. The committee is assisting the DEQ and State Water Control Board in reissuing and possibly amending this regulation, located at 9 VAC 25-194 in the Virginia Administrative Code.
Finally, in educational and recreational events, here are three chances to jump into fishing season:
  • On April 2 and 3, at Graves Mountain Lodge in Madison County, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Trout Unlimited, and many other partners present Trout Heritage Weekend and Kids' Days, with fishing, educational activities, and fun. Event 8. For more information: Graves Mountain Lodge at (540) 923-4231, info@gravesmountain.com.
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 Virginia Water Resources Research Center. We invite you to visit the center online at www.vwrrc.vt.edu.

Show notes and production assistance were provided by Patrick Fay. Emily Whitesell helped write this week’s Water Sounds and Music segment. Recording assistance was provided by the Office of University Relations at Virginia Tech.

Opinions expressed on this show are not necessarily those of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, Virginia Tech, or our broadcasting stations.

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.
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Monday, March 7, 2011

Virginia Water Radio 56: Week of Mar. 7, 2011

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio (Episode 56), for the week of March 7, 2011.

Audio archived 6/22/12; please contact Virginia Water Radio for access to audio file (length = 7:40).

NEWS

Our opening item this week is the Monthly Water Status report as of the end of February, prior to the widespread, heavy rain on March 5 and 6 that caused some stream and river flooding and—at least temporarily—relieved the dry conditions seen in Virginia during January and February:
  • First, here are National Weather Service preliminary precipitation totals for February at five Virginia locations: Bristol, 4.5 inches, or 1.1 inches above normal for February; Danville, 2 inches, or 1.4 below normal; Richmond, 2.1 inches, or 0.9 below normal; Dulles Airport, 2.2 inches, or 0.6 below normal; and Norfolk, 2.2 inches, or 1.1 below normal.
  • Second, in stream flow: According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s WaterWatch, streamflows averaged over February were below normal at about 83 percent of gages in Virginia and just beyond the state border. Flows were in normal at about 17 percent of gages.
Now, here’s a lightning-fast look at some other stories:
  • This spring over 2000 acres or 41 percent of the shellfish grounds in Virginia Beach’s Lynnhaven River will be open for unrestricted clam and oyster harvesting, the highest percentage in about 50 years, reflecting efforts by the City to reduce sewage spills and by citizens to prevent pet waste from reaching the river.
  • Virginia Tech and Virginia State will join nine other southern U.S. land-grant institutions on a five-year, $20 million project to study the effects of climate change on southern pine forests. 
And in our last news item: 
  • On March 1 in Baltimore, University of Virginia faculty members Jorg Sieweke, Robin Dripps, and Lucia Phinney presented their idea for uncovering part of Jones Falls, the stream where the city’s first European settled in the 1600s but which has been covered by city roads since 1915. Uncovering, or “daylighting,” streams covered by urban architecture has been done in other places to improve water quality and increase public stewardship of waterways. Jones Falls in Baltimore would be a difficult case, being covered by—among other things—a downtown expressway. According to Dr. Sieweke, the idea is “truly speculative” but might be the kind of bold thinking that could help transform the city and the water quality of its harbor. News Source: Blog: A radical idea for helping Baltimore's harbor - uncover the Jones Falls, Baltimore Sun, 3/1/11.

WATER SOUNDS AND MUSIC

This week we feature another mystery sound: The Osprey

Sometimes mistaken for Bald Eagles, adult Osprey differ from our national bird in having white under their wings and dark marks on their head and tail. Like Bald Eagles, however, an Osprey’s sharp talons, hooked beak, and keen eyesight make it a raptor, a word whose Latin root means “to seize.” While many raptors capture a variety of animals, aquatic-based Osprey feed almost completely on fish—giving rise to its nickname, Fish Hawk. A ban on the use of the pesticide DDT in the United States greatly helped the recovery of severely diminished populations of Osprey, eagles, and other birds, whose eggshells were thinned by the chemical. The Chesapeake Bay Program estimates that the Bay area now has about 2,000 pairs of nesting Osprey, which return to the region in March. Thanks to Lang Elliott of NatureSound Studio for providing this recording.  Information on Osprey was taken from A Guide to Field Identification of Birds of North America, by Chandler S. Robbins et al. (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2001); Life in the Chesapeake Bay, by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006); the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology’s “Bird Guide” Web site at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search; and the Chesapeake Bay Program Web site at http://www.chesapeakebay.net/birds.htm. Another good source of information is “Birds of North America Online” at http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna. Information on the effects of DDT was taken from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ Web site at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/birds/raptors/.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS

First, in Virginia government policy and regulatory meetings, occurring between March 10 and 16:
  • Also on March 10, at 10 a.m., the Virginia Department of Health’s Marina Regulations Advisory Committee meets at the Perimeter Center in Richmond. The advisory committee is to make recommendations to the State Board of Health on possible amendments to Virginia’s Sanitary Regulations for Marinas and Boat Moorings (12VAC 5-570 in the Virginia Administrative Code). For more information: Preston Smith, (804) 864-7468 or preston.smith@vdh.virginia.gov.
Now, here are two meetings about Total Maximum Daily Loads, or TMDLs, for impaired waters:
  • And March 16, 6:30 p.m. at the public library in Floyd, on the TDML study for aquatic life, bacteria, and temperature impairments in Little River and ten of its tributaries in Floyd, Montgomery, and Pulaski counties. For more information: Mary Dail, (540)562-6715 or mary.dail@deq.virginia.gov.
Finally, in educational and recreational events:
  • 8. On March 15, at 9:45 a.m., many Virginia schools, agencies, and other organizations will participate in the annual Statewide Tornado Drill. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management coordinates the event. For more information, see this February 3 news release from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

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 Virginia Water Resources Research Center. We invite you to visit the center online at www.vwrrc.vt.edu.

Show notes and production assistance were provided by Patrick Fay. Emily Whitesell helped write this week’s Water Sounds and Music segment. Recording assistance was provided by the Office of University Relations at Virginia Tech.

Opinions expressed on this show are not necessarily those of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, Virginia Tech, or our broadcasting stations.

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.
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