Virginia Water Radio: January 2012

Monday, January 30, 2012

Episode 97 (January 30, 2012): Coal and Water, Part 1

Click to listen to episode (4:28).

Please see below (after the transcript and show notes) for links to news and upcoming events.

TRANSCRIPT
From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of January 30, 2012.

This week, we start a series of episodes on some of the connections between water quality and coal-mining in southwestern Virginia and in Appalachia generally. This week’s installment is a short introduction to coal mining in Virginia and to the unique water resources found in Virginia’s coalfields area. The speaker is Richard Davis, coordinator for abandoned mine land projects for the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. This three-minute excerpt is from Mr. Davis’ presentation at the symposium, “Coal and Water in Appalachia—The Challenge to Balance,” held November 15, 2011, in Blacksburg.

SOUND (ABOUT 3 MIN).

The next installment in this series will look at some specific water-quality challenges for Appalachian coal-mining.

For other water sounds and music, and for more Virginia water information, visit our Web site at virginiawaterradio.org, or call us at (540) 231-5463. From the Virginia Water Resources Research Center in Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

SHOW NOTES
Acknowledgments: Virginia Water Radio thanks Richard Davis for permission to use excerpts from his talk at the November 15, 2011, symposium, “Coal and Water in Central Appalachia: The Challenge to Balance.” The symposium was organized by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, West Virginia Water Research Institute, and Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute. More information on the symposium and links to slide presentations by speakers are available online at http://vwrrc.vt.edu/symposium_coal2011.html.

Additional Information: The Virginia Water Central News Grouper blog site (online at http://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/) has a Coal and Water category, providing annotated links to recent news articles and other materials regarding the connections between water resources and the mining or use of coal.

Recent Virginia Water News

For news relevant to Virginia's water resources, please visit the Virginia Water Central News Grouper, available online at http://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/.

Water Meetings and Other Events

For events related to Virginia's water resources, please visit the Quick Guide to Virginia Water–related Conferences, Workshops, and Other Events, online at http://virginiawaterevents.wordpress.com/. The site includes a list of Virginia government policy and regulatory meetings occurring in the coming week.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Episode 96 (January 23, 2012): Polar Plunges for Special Olympics

This episode has been replaced by Episode 356 (2-20-17).

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Episode 95 (January 16, 2012): Pelicans

This episode has been replaced by Episode 456, 1-21-19.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Episode 94 (January 9, 2012): State Water Control Board

Click to listen to episode (3:17).

Please see below (after the transcript and show notes) for links to news and upcoming events.

TRANSCRIPT

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of January 9, 2012.

This week we listen in on a recent meeting by one of Virginia’s key citizen boards that oversees state policies and regulations on water resources. Have a listen for about 90 seconds.

SOUND.

You’ve been listening to excerpts from the September 22, 2011, meeting of Virginia’s State Water Control Board. The Board’s key duties include water-quality standards, wastewater permits and their enforcement, water-supply planning and policy, wetlands regulation, groundwater management, petroleum storage-tank regulations, and financial assistance for wastewater infrastructure. According to the Virginia Code, Water Control Board members are “by their education, training, or experience, [to] be knowledgeable of water quality control and regulation and...fairly representative of conservation, public health, business, and agriculture.” The seven-member board meets at least quarterly, usually in Richmond. Thanks to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for providing a recording of the board’s September 2011 meeting.

SHOW NOTES

Acknowledgments and Sources:

Audio of the September 22, 2011, State Water Control Board (SWCB) meeting was provided by Cindy Berndt of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). PDF files of SWCB meetings are available through the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall Web site at http://www.townhall.state.va.us/index.cfm (posted by meeting date; the site is searchable for specific agencies). Information on the SWCB was taken from the “State Water Control Board Overview” provided online by the Virginia DEQ at http://www.deq.state.va.us/cboards/#water (accessed 1/9/12), and from the Virginia Code, Sec. 62.1-44.15. (The Virginia Code is available and searchable online at the Virginia General Assembly’s Legislative Information System, online at http://leg1.state.va.us/.