VCN
E-NEWS: September 10, 2004
NEWS
ITEMS
VA
WEIGHS CAP ON BAY POLLUTANTS
By Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 2, 2004; Page A05
The Virginia State Water Control Board has endorsed proposals
that would require sewage treatment plants to dramatically
reduce the amount of pollution they release into streams
and rivers that feed the Chesapeake Bay.
The proposals, estimated to cost as much as $1.1 billion,
would target nitrogen and phosphorus discharges from wastewater
treatment facilities. The pollutants are blamed for spurring
the growth of algae in the bay, which in turn eats up
the oxygen that crabs, fish and bay plants require.
The move comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
last month proposed a federal effort to limit similar
discharges from treatment facilities. New reports this
summer also have shown that pollutant levels in the major
rivers feeding the bay have shown no decline in recent
years.
Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources W. Tayloe Murphy
Jr. said reductions of the kind envisioned in the regulations
are the only way Virginia can live up to its commitment
to limit the amount of nitrogen dumped in the bay yearly
as part of a regional effort to clean up the bay.
"I think the regulations are as important as any
water quality initiative I have seen in the past 20 years
of public service in Virginia," he said. "We
know what we need to do to restore the bay. The question
is finding the political will to do it."
Under the proposals, existing treatment facilities would
be required to reduce nitrogen levels to 8 milligrams
per liter, and new or expanded plants would have to drop
levels to 3 milligrams per liter, considered the best
modern technology will allow. Annual limits would also
be set on major plants.
Industry experts say that most plants would need to add
new equipment and capacity and introduce biological processes
using microbes to gobble up nitrogen.
There is no limit on the amount of nitrogen released by
sewage treatment plants, and many dump as much as 20 milligrams
per liter of water, said Bill Hayden, spokesman for the
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
The public will be invited to comment on the proposals
before they are revised and officially adopted next year
by the water control board, he said. At that time, treatment
facilities will be required to reduce pollutant discharge
to retain their operating permits, and officials hope
all plants will be in compliance by 2010.
Environmentalists blame sewage treatment plants for much
of the nitrogen that flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Nutrient
runoff also comes from other sources, including agriculture,
but restricting releases by municipal and industrial treatment
facilities would be a "significant step" toward
cleaning up the bay, said Chuck Epes, a spokesman for
Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Virginia. He called such
emissions "the big 800-pound gorilla of the bay pollution
problem."
Epes said the foundation probably will push for legislation
during Virginia's next General Assembly to help pay for
the proposals, including a possible "flush tax"
on sewage users, much like the one enacted in Maryland
this year.
The regulations would probably cause sewer rates to rise,
warned Christopher D. Pomeroy, an attorney for the Virginia
Association of Municipal Wastewater Agencies.
In addition, he argued that the yearly pollution limits
for Northern Virginia plants do not allow for population
increases, especially in the fastest-growing localities.
"The trends show the population in the region outstripping
the ability of even the most advanced treatment plants
using the most advanced technology to live within those
[yearly limits] set by the state," he said.
Murphy said, however, that the pollution limits took into
account how much sewage treatment plants could achieve
and do in fact allow room for population growth. He said
he would anticipate hearing from operators who feel their
cap is too low before the regulations are finalized.
"That's the reason for public comment," he said.
MEMBER ORGANIZATION REQUESTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
BIKE WALK VIRGINIA ANNOUNCES
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL MINI-GRANTS
BikeWalk Virginia
is making available $1,500 for Walk to School programs
this fall. Any school, school district, public agency,
or non-profit is eligible to apply. These grants are intended
to supplement primary funding from your local community
for new or existing Safe Routes to School programs. The
funds may be used for local programs as a part of International
Walk to School Day Wednesday October 6. Applicants can
request any amount up to $1,500.
The applicant needs to answer the following three questions:
(answers can be returned in an email to info@bikewalkvirginia.org
Please include your name, your organizations name, address,
phone number, and email contact.
1. Dollar amount requested $ ___________________
2. Is this a new or existing program? If existing, when
did it begin?
3. How will the money be spent?
Deadline: All applications must be received by September
15, 2004. Applicants will be notified on September 17.
Applications can be sent to info@bikewalkvirginia.org
or BikeWalk Virginia, PO Box 203, Williamsburg, VA 23187-0203,
Questions? Call 757-229-0507 or email info@bikewalkvirginia.org
ONLY
FOUR DAYS LEFT TO COMMENT ON THE ROADLESS RULE!
Join Gov. Warner in urging the Administration to protect
America’s roadless forests
Warner pans the proposal
On July 30, Gov. Mark Warner wrote the U.S. Secretary
of Agriculture to voice his concern about the Administration’s
plans to abandon federal protection of America’s last
remaining, wild areas – including some 387,000 acres in
Virginia’s national forests. The proposal would replace
the widely supported Roadless Area Conservation Rule of
2001 with a state-by-state “opt-in” policy, putting some
58.5 million acres of national forest land in jeopardy
of road building and commercial logging in the foreseeable
future.
Gov. Warner said the proposal would be “unduly burdensome”
on the states, and would is unlikely to ensure protection
of the roadless areas. (The Governor’s letter is available
at http://www.southernenvironment.org/Cases/Roadless/warner_letter.pdf
.) He urged the Administration to withdraw the proposal
and reinstate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001,
which he has supported several times in the past.
This is a no-win proposition for all Virginians! Roadless
areas on our publicly owned national forests provide premiere
recreation opportunities, wildlife habitat and scenic
views, and are the source of much our drinking water.
The 2001 rule, supported by 98% of the thousands of Virginians
who sent comments back then, bans road construction for
logging and most other commodity uses. Among the dozens
of roadless areas in Virginia are the Bear Creek/Crawfish
Valley in the Jefferson National Forest, and the Big Schloss
in the George Washington National Forest.
The Bush Administration proposal ignores strong public
and scientific support for protecting these wild lands,
and wrongly puts the fate of America’s natural heritage
in the hands of state governors. It would force governors
to undertake a burdensome, costly process to petition
the Secretary of Agriculture to protect roadless areas
in their states – with no guarantee the Secretary would
accept the petition.
Be 1 in a million!
The national Heritage Forest Campaign has set a goal of
sending 1 million comments to the Forest Service – once
again sending a loud and clear message to protect America’s
roadless lands.. All comments must be received by September
14.
Contact the Governor’s office to thank him for opposing
this proposal.
www.governor.virginia.gov/Contact/email_form.html
P: 804-786-2211
Send your comments to the US Forest Service TODAY expressing
opposition to the rollback of roadless protections. E:
statepetitionroadless@fs.fed.us See http://www.SouthernEnvironment.org/Cases/Roadless/roadless.shtml
for more information, talking points and sample comment
letters.
THANKS! Submitted by David Carr, Director of the Public
Lands Project of the Southern Environmental Law Center
HELP
FROM THE IRS – “LIFE CYCLE OF A PUBLIC CHARITY”
Help from the IRS. The IRS has posted "Life Cycle
of a Public Charity" on its website to provide information
on the five life cycles of charities: starting out, applying
to IRS, annual filings, ongoing compliance, and significant
events. Each cycle has links to forms, publications and
other resources applicable to that phase of a charity's
life. This is the result of a two year study on how to
provide better information to small charities. For more
information, go to http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html
and click on the link.
"CHARITY
OVERESIGHT AND REFORM: KEEPING BAD THINGS FROM HAPPENING
TO GOOD CHARITIES”
The above announcement (Help from the IRS) was provided
to VCN by the State Environmental Leadership Program (SELP).
SELP also provide the following - - Senate Finance Committee.
On June 22, 2004, the Senate Finance Committee held a
hearing on the regulation of charities called "Charity
Oversight and Reform: Keeping Bad Things from Happening
to Good Charities." The committee staff recently
released a discussion draft on proposed regulatory changes
for nonprofits, similar to what Sarbanes-Oxley did for
publicly traded companies. The announced goal is the establishment
of best practices for charities. The proposals range from
a recommended board size of 15 or less to requiring tax-exempt
organizations to reapply for exemption from the IRS every
five years. The staff discussion draft is available at
http://finance.senate.gov/hearings/testimony/2004test/062204stfdis.pdf
. For more information from the charities' perspective,
visit Independent Sector's website at http://www.independentsector.org/programs/gr/Finhrng.htm.
(Some portions of the site are only available to members
but there is a lot of public information available.) There
is a lot of buzz about the June hearing and the discussion
draft, and we can expect this to result in the enactment
of new regulations for charities in the very near future.
CALENDAR
THE VIRGINIA
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSEMBLY IS ONE WEEK AWAY-REGISTER TODAY!
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Historic Barboursville Ruins
Barboursville, Virginia
This year’s Virginia Environmental Assembly will be unique
from any other. We are excited to offer for the first
time, a joint venture between the Virginia Conservation
Network and the Piedmont Environmental Council for a special
gathering of Virginia’s environmental community.
The theme of the day’s activities will be “Reconnecting
Virginia” and will provide a comprehensive look at the
connection between land use, the Commonwealth’s major
rail and road transportation corridors and our environment.
Hank Dittmar, President & CEO, Reconnecting America
will give the keynote address. Lieutenant Governor Tim
Kaine will give his perspective on the Reconnecting Virginia
theme.
Workshop sessions include:
--Headwaters and the Bay
--Land Conservation Planning through Mapping and Spatial
Analysis
--Transportation 101: Prelude to Reconnecting Virginia
--Green Building and Sustainable Design
--Historic Preservation Innovations
--A Citizen’s Guide to Legislative Process
--Working Landscapes and Ag Solutions
--The State of the Roads We Travel: The Good, the Bad,
and the Ugly
--Model Land Stewardship and Conservation Funding
--The State of the Air We Breath: An Update on Air Quality
in Virginia
--Affordable Housing and “Smart Growth”
--Successes in Communication
***VCN Member organizations - - if you will not have a
representative at the Annual Meeting (noon during the
VEA), make sure you provide your proxy to VCN. If you
haven't received the meeting notice and proxy ballot,
give us a call at the office. David & Ellen 804-644-0283
For additional information about the program, exhibiting,
directions and to register
online go to www.vcnva.org.
SCENIC
340 PROJECT, INC., 5th ANNUAL “MUSIC FOR THE ROAD” BENEFIT
CONCERT
The concert will be held at Big Sky Ranch, 4768 Reliance
Road in Front Royal, Virginia, Sunday, September 19 from
2:00 to 6:00 pm.
Featured performers will include: The Nighthawks, who
over the last 30+ years, have earned a reputation as one
of the best and hardest working bands around. They are
among the top musical acts to come out of the Washington,
D.C. area—and are still based there. They were a roots
rock band before there was such a thing as “roots rock.”
They play a wide variety of music that has appeal to a
diverse audience, mixing the blues, rock and soul—along
with rockabilly and swing. Also playing is the Tommy Lepson
Band - combine the soulful, award-winning vocals of Tommy
Lepson with the Versatile Instrumental backing of his
band (Veterans of Nils Lofgren, Danny Gatton, The Nighthawks,
Mary Ann Redmond, Catfish Hodge, Tom Principato) and you
get what the Washington Post calls " A sweltering
mix of good-foot funk, blue-eyed soul and Southern rock
romps." Also not to be missed are Bill Baker who
plays acoustic folk/ountry and Flatbroke, a good-time
county band.
The concert will be held rain or shine. Bring your own
picnic, lawn chairs and blankets (no dogs, please). There
will be food and beverages to purchase. 50-50 raffle,
silent auction, hay rides, separate motorcycle parking.
A donation of $10 is suggested; kids under 10 free.
Directions to Big Sky Ranch: Interstate 66 to exit 6 (Front
Royal). Take 522/340 North approx 1 mile to Cedarville.
Turn left onto Reliance Rd (Route 627). Go 3/4 of mile
and watch for blackboard fence and marked entrance on
left. Jennifer J. Keck
Executive Director
Scenic 340 Project, Inc.
P.O. Box 340
Bentonville, Va 22610
540-622-6340
scnic340@shentel.net
JAMES
RIVER ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL MEETING – SEPTEMBER 26
The Annual Meeting of the James River Association will
be held on Sunday, September 26, 2004. JRA is pleased
to announce that Board Member Jack Ferguson and his family
will host the 2004 JRA Annual Meeting at Malvern Hill,
the site of a decisive, battle during the Civil War. JRA
will welcome John V. Quarstein from the Virginia War Museum
as our guest speaker. Mr. Quarstein is an award-winning
historian, preservationist, and author. Please call the
James River Association at (804) 730-2898 for reservations.
When: Sunday, September 26 at 1 p.m.
Where: Malvern Hill on Route 5 in Henrico County
Details: Tickets are $30 per person (includes lunch)
What: JRA Annual Meeting
Who: Anyone is welcome
Contact: Sherrie Tribble at 804-730-2898 to register
ENVIRONMENT VIRGINIA
2005-PLANNING MEETINGS
Dear Environmental Leader,
Captain Ron Erchul would like to invite you to attend
a brainstorming session for the planning of Environment
Virginia 2005.
The purpose of these brainstorming sessions is to elicit
your early input as we begin to develop the conference
program. As an environmental leader and supporter of the
conference, you have valuable insight. We would like your
ideas regarding theme, topics, speakers, workshops, and
more.
The conference itself will take place at the Virginia
Military Institute, Monday, April 11 – Wednesday, April
13, 2004.
The brainstorming sessions will take place in three locations:
RICHMOND – Tuesday, September 14, 1:30 - 3:30 pm, Natural
Resources Conservation Service, Culpeper Building, 1606
Santa Rosa Road, refreshments provided
LEXINGTON – Thursday, September 30, 12:00 – 2:30 pm, Turman
Room, Preston Library, Virginia Military Institute, lunch
provided
HAMPTON ROADS – Thursday, October 7, 1:00 – 3:00 pm, HR
Planning District Commission Building, 723 Woodlake Drive,
Chesapeake, refreshments provided
We hope that one of these locations will be convenient
for you to attend. If you can attend, please respond to
dehartak@adelphia.net. If you are unable to attend, I
hope you will email me any thoughts or ideas you may have
for Environment Virginia 2005. Or, please feel free to
contact Captain Erchul directly, 540-464-7408, erchulra@vmi.edu.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Amy DeHart
Program Coordinator
Environment Virginia 2005
dehartak@adelphia.net
DATE
SET FOR CLEAN WATER WEEK CONFERENCE: February 12-15, 2005
A venue has been selected and dates are set for Clean
Water Week 2005. The Conference will be held in Washington,
DC at the Conference Center at Resources for the Future
in Northwest Washington. Attendees will be guests at the
Governors Hotel just two blocks from the conference facilities.
Clean Water Week will provide CWN members an opportunity
to network with their colleagues in the field as well
as Washington’s water policy advocates and will also serve
as a forum to advance the collective agenda of the Network
and of its member organizations. Clean Water Week will
culminate with a citizen lobby day on Capitol Hill where
participants will meet with their elected officials to
encourage them to become Clean Water policy champions.
For more information on attending Clean Water Week 2005
contact Josh Klein at 202-289-2421 or by email at jklein@nrdc.org
GRANT
OPPORTUNITIES
CHESAPEAKE
BAY LICENSE PLATE GRANT APPLICATIONS DUE OCTOBER 1
You can visit the website below for information. http://dls.state.va.us/GROUPS/cbrfac/guidelns.htm
BRING BACK THE NATIVES
PROGRAM OFFERS FUNDING FOR AQUATIC SPECIES PROJECTS
Deadline: September 17, 2004 (Pre-proposals)
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in cooperation
with partner organizations, requests pre-proposals from
nonprofit organizations, universities, Native American
tribes, and local, state, and federal agencies interested
in restoring native populations of sensitive or listed
aquatic species.
The Bring Back the Natives (BBN) program will fund on-
the-ground efforts to restore native aquatic species to
their historic range. Projects should involve partner-
ships between communities, agencies, private landowners,
and organizations that seek to rehabilitate streamside
and watershed habitats, and should focus on habitat needs
of species such as fish, invertebrates, and amphibians
that originally inhabited waterways throughout the United
States.
The program will award between twelve and fifteen matching
grants annually. The average grant amount will be about
$60,000. This funding requires a $2 non-federal match
for each federal dollar requested by applicants. For complete
program information, application instructions, and an
online application form, see the NFWF Web site. RFP Link:
<http://www.nfwf.org/programs/bbn.htm>
ALTRIA OFFIERS ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS
FOR WATER PROJECTS
Altria Group, Inc. <http://www.altria.com/>
has announced its 2004 environment request for proposals.
The goal of this initiative is to support innovative programs
and projects that encourage collaboration among stakeholders
to address water impairment and water use issues, and
their impact on watersheds and constituent water bodies.
Altria Group will award up to 20 grants ranging from $10,000
to $75,000 per project. Grants may be used to cover costs
associated with project development and implementation,
including printing, materials, travel expenses, office
supplies, planning costs, and key staff salaries.
Applicants may request grant funds for either, but not
both, of the following categories: 1) foster scientific
understanding/build best practices; and 2) promote community
engagement/encourage responsible policy.
In order to apply for a grant, an organization must: have
three or more years of experience in water conservation
and/or water resource management; have demonstrable tangible
results in its programming; and be a U.S. nonprofit, tax-exempt
organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS tax code.
Applications will only be accepted through the online
request for proposal process. See the Altria Group Web
site for complete program guidelines and application instructions.
Go to <http://www.altria.com/>
for more information.
*****************************************************************
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 Ellen Shepard at ellenshepard@yahoo.com.
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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