VCN
E-NEWS: April 09, 2004
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NEWS
ITEMS
[For these and other news items, visit the VCN website
– www.vcnva.org - and go to the
NEWS page and the ISSUE UPDATES page where articles and
editorial are arranged by subjects and topics.]
ISSUE OF THE WEEK - - DEQ’s proposal for a Task Force
to address meaningful public involvement and Virginia’s
Environment - - - Visit the ISSUE UPDATE page at www.vcnva.org
for letters from VCN and related news articles.
DIRTY BUSINESS -- THE SAD RESULT OF
VIRGINIA'S DECISIONS: POLLUTED AIR, LAND, WATER April
2 2004 - - Daily Press Editorial
You may not be able to see it or smell it or taste it,
but it's there. Pollution in Virginia's rivers and streams,
in the air and on the ground.
Two recent state reports suggest that, far from making
significant new progress on the environmental front, Virginia
may be moving backward. One revealed that half the waterways
monitored by the state Department of Environmental Quality
are impaired (failed federal standards for protecting
fish, wildlife, swimming or public water supply). The
annual report on the release of toxins by industries put
the amount of pollution going into the state's water,
air and land at 71.2 million pounds. Most distressing:
an 18 percent increase in toxins released into waterways.
One can quibble about the numbers and how they fluctuate
from year to year. But the big picture is undeniable:
Virginia's environment is compromised by neglect and abuse.
That takes a toll on Virginians' health and on the many
livelihoods, from watermen to operators of recreational
ventures, that depend on the beauty and health of the
state of nature in Virginia.
There have been some bright spots, of course: Only a few
decades ago, raw sewage and poisons were blithely dumped
into the state's rivers. That has been sharply curtailed,
and once-foul smokestacks now sport scrubbers. Forest
buffers are being restored, wetlands are protected, rockfish
abound, and voters last fall approved a bond referendum
that will fund land conservation. But the latest reports
suggest that, of late, Virginia not only isn't making
things better at a desirable pace but is, in some ways,
letting them get worse.
What's the problem?
Lack of money, of course. Virginia is dead last among
states in spending on the environment and conservation.
Behind Mississippi. Behind Arkansas. Behind states that
have less wealth and, Virginians might proudly point out,
less at stake than the commonwealth's fabulous forests
and vistas, rivers and bays.
And lack of will. Virginia has failed, decade in and decade
out, governor in and governor out, General Assembly session
after General Assembly session, to muster the courage
for some of the tough actions that would stop and reverse
the damage already done to the environment. It is among
the bay states that haven't imposed limits on the nitrogen
that sewage treatment plants and factories can discharge,
feeding a nutrient overload that deprives the water of
oxygen and life. It has persisted in the delusion that
voluntary efforts will suffice and has been slow to respond
when they didn't.
The state is working toward nitrogen limits, but it will
be two years before they're in place. It's absurd that,
so many years after signing a pledge to clean up the Chesapeake
Bay and its tributaries, Virginia still hasn't taken this
obvious step. Yes, it will be expensive, but Maryland,
which is taking a more aggressive approach, is suggesting
one way to raise money. Gov. Robert Ehrlich is trying
to win approval of a $2.50 per month "flush tax,"
added to sewer bills to fund sewage treatment plant upgrades
to reduce nitrogen.
Virginia hasn't made environmental stewardship a priority
in other ways. It still lets combined sewer systems, like
the one in Richmond, dump raw sewage into rivers. The
General Assembly, in the recent session, turned away an
effort to make utilities reduce emissions from power plants,
which are among the worst polluters. It does not commit
enough money to reducing runoff of animal waste and chemicals
from farmland. And reluctant, perhaps, to weigh the pig
it is underfeeding, it refuses to come up with the money
for adequate monitoring (the monitoring budget only stretches
to cover one-fourth of the state's waterways). No one
still believes that Virginia will live up to the promises
it made to bay cleanup, which will leave it to the federal
government to take over the job.
There is some good news on the horizon; Dominion Virginia
Power will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in reducing
polluting emissions at some of its plants. But only after
outsiders (the federal government and state of New York)
filed suit. Virginia's own attorney general, Jerry Kilgore,
is championing the Bush administration's effort to gut
the very regulations that netted the settlement that will
make its air cleaner. Should Kilgore become governor,
what will the outlook be for the kind of aggressive regulations
and enforcement that are needed to protect the environment?
But to be realistic, given the General Assembly's disinclination
to pass environmentally friendly budgets, how much will
any governor be able to accomplish?
The adage that if you do what you've always done, you'll
get what you've always gotten certainly applies. Virginia
is still failing to devote enough money or political currency
to the environment, and it's getting dirty water, dirty
air and dirty land.
[VCN POSTSCRIPT: It's especially distressing when the
state makes the right move and localities undermine it.
That's the case with the requirement that localities ban
construction within 100 feet of wetlands, which help protect
water quality. Hampton, which for two years has defied
the state's bay-friendly order to expand the no-build
zone from 50 to 100 feet, is not stopping a developer's
plan to build six houses within the protected zone along
the southwest branch of the Back River. The city seems
intent on slipping in the project before its delayed adoption
of the regulations. Hampton is not alone in stalling on
the regulations, but it's also not right.]
TRIBUTARY STRATEGY PLANS RELEASED
AND PUBLIC MEETINGS SCHEDULED This week the state released
Tributary Strategy Plans. There in now a 30-day public
comment. Copies of the strategies and information on submitting
comments can be found at http://www.snr.vipnet.org/.
A series of public comment meetings are also being held
to help facilitate discussion on the draft strategies.
Contact Russ Baxter, Assistant Secretary for Chesapeake
Bay Programs at 804-786-0044 or russ.Baxter@governor.virginia.gov
for more information.
TRIBUTARY STRATEGY PUBLIC MEETINGS --Rappahannock-April
12, 9AM, Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Main Conference
Room 1201 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg
--Upper and Middle James-April 13, 1PM, Virginia Department
of Forestry, Central Office Training Room Fontaine Office
Park , 900 Natural Resources Drive, Charlottesville, Virginia
--York-April 14, 9:30AM, Aylett Fire Department, Route
360, Aylett, Virginia
--Potomac and Shenandoah-April 15, 10AM, The Barn, Lord
Fairfax Community College, Warrenton Campus, Warrenton
--Eastern Shore-April 16, 2PM, Eastern Shore Community
College Auditorium, Melfa
--Lower James- April 19, 2PM, James City County Board
Room, James City County Government Complex, 101 Mount
Bay Road, Building C, James City County
BACK TO THE BOARD? [I-81 Funding]-
Richmond Times-Dispatch, Friday, April 9, 2004
Last month Virginia Department of Transportation chief
Philip Shucet picked Star Solutions to design and build
its I-81 widening project. When the public-private partnership
is finished, the interstate - handicapped in recent years
by growing traffic, excessive speeding, and alarming wrecks
- would conceptually be eight lanes (instead of the current
four) and would separate cars and trucks.
Improving I-81 ranks as a necessity. Removing 18-wheelers
from general highway traffic is an added luxury. But it
is not necessary - and there's a problem.
The chosen Star Solutions plan relies on $1.6 billion
from federal coffers. (From a recent VDOT press release:
"The comprehensive agreement is contingent on the
project receiving $800 million in the pending federal
highway legislation." Another $800 million would
be needed in the 2010 version.) Yet the six-year, $275-billion
transportation bill just approved by the House of Representatives
does not specifically mention I-81; it does leave $910
million to nationwide pilot programs that separate cars
and trucks.
(a) Will the Senate go along? And if so, (b) Will U.S.
transportation officials, Congressmen, and Senators entrust
89 percent of the earmarked dough to only one project?
If either answer is no, then VDOT will have to go back
to the drawing board. And that's the inherent message
in adopting a plan predicated on Virginia receiving billions
in federal swag.
SUPREME COURT DECISION MAJOR SETBACK
IN INDUSTRY PUSH TO REMOVE CLEAN WATER ACT PROTECTIONS
FROM MANY WETLANDS AND STREAMS - - April 8, 2004
[VCN Note: The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court not
the hear the Newdunn and other wetlands cases is good
news for wetlands in Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation
and Southern Environmental Law Center had filed an amicus
brief in the Newdunn case when the issue was before the
Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. See below for the
story.]
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today's U.S. Supreme Court decision not
to review three lower court decisions asserting Clean
Water Act protection for waterways that are connected
only through ditches or intermittently "is a major
setback for industry efforts to strip Clean Water Act
protection for many of the nation's waters," says
National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Counsel Jim Murphy.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear two decisions
by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (United
States v. Deaton and Treacy v. Newdunn) and one decision
by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (United
States v. Rapanos). All three decisions held that Clean
Water Act protections can appropriately be extended to
waters connected to navigable waters through ditches or
intermittent surface flow.
"The highest court in the land signaled today that
industry pressure to broadly interpret the extremely narrow
SWANCC decision is not appropriate," says Jim Murphy,
Clean Water Counsel with the National Wildlife Federation.
"It doesn't matter if waters bodies are connected
to navigable waters only seasonally or only from a great
distance, pollution doesn't stay in one place and these
waters require protection."
The parties appealing the three cases were attempting
to expand upon the January, 2001 Supreme Court decision
in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (the SWANCC decision), which held
that Clean Water Act protections do not extend to certain
"isolated" waters where the only connection
to other waters is through use by migratory birds. After
the SWANCC decision, industry groups argued that only
navigable waters and those directly touching navigable
waters merited Clean Water Act protections. Such an interpretation
would have opened up nearly 80 percent of the nation's
waters to unlimited pollution or destruction.
Although the Supreme Court's decision in SWANCC was narrow,
removing Clean Water Act protections only for certain
"isolated" waters, industry groups seized on
the decision to push for much more significant reductions
in Clean Water Act protections. At the same time that
industry interests pursued dozens of court cases, they
also pushed the Administration to re-write Clean Water
Act rules to exclude tens of millions of acres of wetlands
and thousands of miles of streams from Clean Water Act
safeguards. A public comment period was held on these
rule changes in the spring of 2003. After an enormous
outcry from the public, members of Congress, and the states,
the administration announced in December, 2003 that it
would abandon efforts to change the rules.
"Today's decision by the Court should send a strong
message to developers and polluters that their efforts
to contort the SWANCC decision to gut the Clean Water
Act will not succeed," says NWF's Wetlands Policy
Specialist Julie Sibbing.
Details of the three cases include:
In United States v. Rapanos, the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Sixth Circuit overturned a lower court decision
in ruling that wetlands adjacent to a non-navigable manmade
drain which eventually flowed 11 to 20 miles before emptying
into a navigable waterway are subject to Clean Water Act
jurisdiction.
In United States v. Deaton, U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Fourth Circuit affirmed a lower court finding that
Clean Water Act jurisdiction applied to Maryland wetlands
adjacent to a roadside ditch ultimately connecting to
the navigable Wicomico River and the Chesapeake Bay.
In Treacy v. Newdunn, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Fourth Circuit overturned a lower court ruling and found
that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had jurisdiction
under the Clean Water Act to require a developer to obtain
a permit prior to filling approximately 38 acres of wetlands.
The court ruled that the wetlands, which historically
had a natural hydrological connection to the navigable-in-fact
waterway Stony Run prior to the construction of an interstate,
maintained a connection to Stony Run through 2.4 miles
of intermittent surface water flow through natural streams
and manmade ditches.
The nation's largest member-supported conservation education
and advocacy group, the National Wildlife Federation unites
people from all walks of life to protect nature, wildlife
and the world we all share. The Federation has educated
and inspired families to uphold America's conservation
tradition since 1936. Julie M. Sibbing, Wetlands Policy
Specialist, National Wildlife Federation
WINNERS OF THE 2004 VIRGINIA ENVIRONMENTAL
LEADERSHIP AWARDS ANNOUNCED – April 2, 2004
LEXINGTON, VA -- Environment Virginia Symposium today
announced the winners of the 2004 Virginia Environmental
Leadership Awards. The awards honor Virginia environmental
leaders for their work on environmental concerns and for
their inspiration to other Virginians to help preserve
Virginia's natural resources. Winners were announced in
six categories: Local Government, State Government, Federal
Government, Business & Industry, Not-for-Profit, and
Education at the 15th Annual Environment Virginia, the
Commonwealth's largest environmental conference which
took place at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington
Virginia, March 30 - April 1.
"The only way that we will truly preserve our natural
resources is if individuals take on the responsibility
in their jobs and the rest of their lives and inspire
others to do the same," says Ronald A. Erchul, conference
founder and conference coordinator. Dr. Erchul is a professor
of Civil and Environmental Engineering at VMI and founded
the school's Environmental Leadership minor. He is also
one of the editors of "Essays on Leadership in Environmental
Management."
In honor of each of the six winners, the conference will
make a $500 contribution to the not-for-profit environmental
group of the choice of the winner.
The Local Government winner is John Carlock, Deputy Executive
Director of Physical Planning, Hampton Roads Planning
District Commission. Mr. Carlock was recognized for his
ability to build regional consensus on complex environmental
issues. "Working tirelessly to foster common-sense
solutions through improved intergovernmental communication
and cooperation, Mr. Carlock has consistently focused
his efforts on finding win/win answers to difficult problems,"
his nomination reads. John Knapp, Mayor of Lexington,
Virginia and former Superintendent of the Virginia Military
Institute, presented the award to Mr. Carlock.
The State Government winner is David K. Paylor, Deputy
Secretary of Natural Resources, Commonwealth of Virginia.
Secretary Paylor was honored for his leadership as the
state's, "Drought Czar" and for his work at
the Department of Environmental Quality, where he served
for many years as director of operations. "Mr. Paylor
was able to help contain the effects of the severe drought
that struck Virginia in 2002," sites his nomination.
Secretary of Natural Resources, W. Tayloe Murphy, presented
the award.
The Federal Government winner is David L. Nelms, Groundwater
Specialists, U.S. Geological Survey. Mr. Nelms was sited
for his work to identify threats and solutions to groundwater
problems across the state and for guiding the Governor's
recent Drought Task Force. "Mr. Nelm's latest report
identifies contaminant threats to public wells across
the state," his nomination states. Col. Yvonne Prettyman-Beck,
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers presented the award.
The Business & Industry winner is Robert L. Dunn,
Environmental Affairs and Community Relations Manager,
DuPont. Mr Dunn founded Friends of the Chesterfield Riverfront.
His nomination sites his leadership and dedication to
environmental efforts by Virginia industry. Mr. Dunn served
as the chairman of the VMA Outreach, an organization affiliated
with the Virginia Manufacturer's Association, for many
years. The Not-for-Profit winner is Katherine (Kay) Slaughter,
senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center. Ms.
Slaughter, a former mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia.
Her nomination sites her knowledge and dedication; "Kay
Slaughter has effectively toiled in the environmental
vineyard for many years. While other voices may have at
times been shrill, hers has consistently been firm, yet
reasonable and respectful. She is widely respected for
her knowledge and dedication." Joseph P. Maroon,
director, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation,
presented the award. [Kay is long-time member of the VCN
Board of Directors.]
The education winner is Ann M. Regn, Director, Virginia
Office of Environmental Education, Department of Environmental
Quality. Governor Mark Warner recently appointed her staff
director of the Virginia Commission on Environmental Education.
She was cited for her work training hundreds of teachers
and volunteers and for developing a business plan for
environmental education in the Commonwealth. "In
addition to her willingness to lead and her skill, Ann
brings enthusiasm and a marvelous sense of humor to everything
she does." Jay Gilliam, coordinator, Virginia Save
our Streams presented the award.
Over 75 nominations were received on-line at the Environment
Virginia web site from Virginians. An on-line "primary"
was held among conference registrants to narrow each field
to four finalists. During the three-day conference, attendees
voted on-line at stations provided by Gateway for the
winners. A complete list of the awards rules and finalists
is available at the conference web site. www.environmentva.org
FUNDING
PROGRAMS
Funding Available
for the Purchase of Conservation Easement to Protect Farms
and Ranchland - - The Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) is soliciting applications for its Farm and Ranch
Land Protection Program (FRPP). The program provides matching
funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive
farm and ranchland in agricultural uses. Proposals must
be received in the NRCS State Office by May 3, 2004. For
more information, click
here.
Communities Eligible for Greenways
Planning Grants - - - The Kodak American Greenways Awards
Program, a partnership project of the Eastman Kodak Company,
The Conservation Fund, and the National Geographic Society,
provides small grants to stimulate the planning and design
of greenways in communities throughout America. Applications
are due June 1, 2004. For more information, click
here.
Localities Eligible for Innovative
Conservation Technology Grants - - - The U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) is accepting applications for its Conservation
Innovation Grants (CIG) program. This grant program will
stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation
approaches and technologies. CIG will help develop, test,
implement and transfer innovative environmental solutions. For
more information,
click here.
CALENDAR
PUMP HOUSE PARK TOUR
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
April 10, Sat., 10.00 am & 1:00 pm - (entrance to
Kanawha Canal) Celebrate George Washington’s April 1791
batteau trip through the first operating canal system
in the United States. Meet the author of the book on this
site. Bring your own lunch and join us on the Arch. Tours
at 10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. of the canal and Pump House
Park. Meet in Pump House Park, located on Pump House Drive
(north of Boulevard Bridge toll booth). www.jamesriverassociation.org/calendar.html#April
Horseback Riding Trip*
April 17, 2004
Guide Tommy Seay of Fredericksburg Trails will lead participants
on a unique and exciting horseback tour of Civil War sites,
canals and locks, a conservation easement and the River.
Lunch Provided. Ages 12+ only. 9:30am to 1:00pm or 12-3:30pm
- - *fee
Friends of the Rappahannock: http://for.communitypoint.org/year_calendar.html#April
Open House - Wildlife Center of
Virginia
April 18, 2004,
Waynesboro, Virginia
These Open House days give people a chance to see our
wildlife rehabilitation center in action. There is no
charge for the Open House, but reservations for the tours
are required. Tours on each day run at the following times:
12:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:30 pm. Located in Waynesboro, Virginia,
WCV is just 1/2 mile off I-64. Dates are subject to change,
so please call (540) 942-9453 for reservations and directions.
E-mail information to wildlife@wildlifecenter.org.
Transportation
Initiatives for a Greater Richmond (TIGR) Meeting
April 19, 6:30 PM
Historic St John's Episcopal Church - Parish Hall
2401 E. Broad Street, Richmond (Church Hill) Virginia.
The speaker is Alan Tobias, Manager of Passenger Rail
Programs Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
If you care about children's health physical fitness,
seniors and people with disabilities, family time, affordable
housing, vibrant communities, clean air and clean water,
sprawl and traffic congestion then transportation IS your
business!
Sponsors:
Restore the Core (An urban revitalization program of Sierra
Club - Virginia Chapter and Sierra Club - Falls of the
James Group) and League of Women Voters of the Richmond
Metropolitan Area. RSVP: Please R. S.
V. P. to Elaine Rubins at (804) 741-2579 or ekrubin@erols.com
ICMA
to Host Free Consensus Building for Watershed Protection
Webcast
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
will conduct a webcast, Collaborative Problem Solving
and Consensus Building: Effective Approaches for Watershed
Protection and Restoration, on April 21, 2004.
The webcast will feature Tanya Denckla, Senior Associate,
Institute for Environmental Negotiation, University of
Virginia, who will provide an introduction to consensus
building techniques, and watershed organization and local
government representatives who will provide case studies
demonstrating improved watershed management through collaborative
problem solving and consensus building.
A webcast combines telephone and Internet technology to
give local government mangers and their staffs the opportunity
to gain relevant, useful information without travel, at
low cost, and through a medium that encourages collegial
discussion of concerns and issues.
Who Should Attend ? - - The targeted audience for this
webcast is local government officials and representatives
of community watershed organizations.
When ? - - April 21, 2004, at: 2:00 - 3:30 P.M., Eastern
Time
Register Now - - For more information and to register,
visit http://www.lgean.org/html/webcast/.
information is also available toll-free at 877/ 865-4326.
The webcast is FREE to the first 100 registrants, and
$95 per site to subsequent registrants.
Technical Requirements ? - - Participants must have a
computer with Internet access (56K modem or higher) and
a separate telephone line for the audio portion of the
webcast.
Acorn
to Acres Open House – VA
April 22, 2004
Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Richmond County, VA - - Laurel Grove Tract Field Day
Schedule of Events:
10:00 am - 12 noon Acorn planter Demonstration
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Restoration Site Tour
10:00 am - 2:00 pm Students Planting Final Acre
Location: Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife
Refuge, Laurel Grove Tract, Richmond County, Virginia
Take 360 to Warsaw; travel east on Route 3; turn right
onto route 608; turn left onto Route 647; turn right onto
Route 610; Refuge entrance on the right; watch for CBF
event signs.
>From Kilmarnock, travel west on Route 3; turn left
onto Route 608 and follow the directions from Route 608
above.
Dress: the event will be held outdoors so please come
prepared for the cold and wind (and possibly rain). Please
also wear boots as the ground can be soggy.
Contact: Nina Luxmoore at nluxmoore@cbf.org
by April 19 if you plan to attend or have questions. Please
bring your lunch if you plan to stay all day. Drinks will
be provided.
Acorns to Acres would not have been possible without funding
from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and strong
partnerships with the Potomac Watershed Partnership, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Northern Neck Soil and Water
Conservation District, and Virginia Department of Forestry.
We are particularly pleased to count this project within
the multi-year, statewide effort to collect native tree
seeds for Bay restoration spearheaded by The Potomac Watershed
Partnership through their Growing Native project. Establishment
and restoration of the Laurel Grove Unit of the Rappahannock
River Valley National Wildlife Refuge would not have been
possible without funding from the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation and Bass Pro Shops and the partnership efforts
of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, The Conservation Fund,
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Botanic
Garden and Buffalo Creek Field Trip
April 24, 2004
Randolph-Macon Woman's College
Botanic Garden and Buffalo Creek Field Trip.
We will begin with a guided tour of the Garden; bring
your lunch or have lunch at a nearby restaurant. (Magnolia
Foods is very close and has good food). After lunch, we
plan to continue our search for spring flowers at Buffalo
Creek. Sandra Elder, 434-525-8433, and Dot Bliss, 434-845-5665,
leaders. In the Roanoke area, contact Butch Kelly, 540-384-7429.
JAMES RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE
REFUGE EXPLORATORY WALK
April 24 - Sat., 9:00 a.m.
Enjoy the bounty of spring as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service naturalist guides you through parts of the rarely-visited
James River National Wildlife Refuge, a 4,000+ acre forested
tract on the James River in Prince George County. Rain
or shine. Trip is limited to fifteen people. No donation
requested. For further details, contact Cyrus Brame at
cyrus_brame@fws.gov
or (804) 829-9020 prior to April 22nd.
Earth Day Celebration in Madison
County
April 24, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
More info earth-day22727@lycos.com,
540-923-5121
Our Forest Treasures Protect Our
Watershed: How We Sustain, Enjoy and Benefit from Them
April 24, 10 a.m. through lunch at Mt. Vernon Farm in
Sperryville, VA. For more info rappflow@earthlink.net
***************************
VCN's mission is to protect the Commonwealth's air, lands,
and waters for the benefit of the people, as guaranteed
by the Virginia Constitution.
If
you have an item that should be included on this list,
please send it to Jim Wamsley at jwamsley5@comcast.net
. VCN E-NEWS is emailed the second and fourth Friday
of every month, except during the session when it is weekly.
Deadline for submissions is Thursday.
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