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We are a group of environmental advocates united in providing a one-stop source for Virginia's environmental news. We each focus on different issues, but share the vision of a Commonwealth that preserves and protects its natural resources. Please join us!
The gulf between rational Americans and the corporate manipulated Tea Party crazies is wider than the Grand Canyon when it comes to environmental protections. Unfortunately, most Americans for a variety of reasons are distracted and not aware that these right wing ideologues are stealing our country right from under us. Last week, Eric Cantor and the House Republicans approved an Appropriations bill for the Department of Interior and the US EPA that guts much our environmental law by denying funding and otherwise restricting agencies from doing their job. It is now up to the US Senate to perform environmental remediation on this toxic legislative Superfund site. Here is a sample of the House Republicans efforts to undo basic environmental protections:
Greenhouse GasesSec. 431. (a) During the one year period commencing on the date of enactment of this Act- (1) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall not propose or promulgate any regulation regarding the emissions of greenhouse gases from stationary sources to address climate change.
Cleaner Cars &Fuel EconomySec. 453. None of the funds made available under this Act shall be used- (1) to prepare, propose, promulgate, finalize, implement, or enforce any regulation pursuant to section 202 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7521) regarding the regulation of any greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines that are manufactured after model year 2016 to address climate change.
Mountaintop Removal MiningSec 432. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to develop, carry out, implement, or otherwise enforce proposed regulations published June 18, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 34,667) by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement of the Department of the Interior.
Uranium Mining in the Grand CanyonSec. 445. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the approximately 1,010,776 acres of public lands and National Forest System lands described in Public Land Order No. 7773; Emergency Withdrawal of Public and National Forest System Lands, Coconino and Mohave Counties; AZ (76 Fed. Reg. 37826) may be withdrawn from location and entry under the General Mining Law of 1872 (30 U.S.C. 22 et seq.) except as expressly authorized by a law enacted after the date of enactment of this Act that refers to this section.
Clean WaterSec. 435. None of the funds made available by this Act or any subsequent Act making appropriations for the Environmental Protection Agency may be used by the Environmental Protection Agency to develop, adopt, implement, administer, or enforce a change or supplement to the rule dated November 13, 1986, or guidance documents dated January 15, 2003, and December 2, 2008, pertaining to the definition of waters under the jurisdiction of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).
Coal AshSec. 434. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the Environmental Protection Agency to develop, propose, finalize, implement, administer, or enforce any regulation that identifies or lists fossil fuel combustion waste as hazardous waste subject to regulation under subtitle C of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq.) or otherwise makes fossil fuel combustion waste subject to regulation under such subtitle.
Florida WatersSec. 452. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce the rule entitled "Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters" published in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection Agency on December 6, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 75762 et seq.).
Wilderness ProtectionsSec. 124. None of the funds made available in this Act or any other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce Secretarial Order No. 3310 issued by the Secretary of the Interior on December 22, 2010.
In another environmentally friendly move by the "green generation" in Virginia, students and faculty at the University of Virginia (UVA) are throwing their support behind a plan to reduce UVA's adverse effects on the environment.
Included in the plan is a goal to decrease the school's greenhouse gas emissions, calling for emissions to be reduced by 25% from 2009 levels by 2025.
A presidential committee at UVA created the plan which the Faculty Senate and the Student Council have endorsed. The plan is now headed to the Board of Visitors at UVA.
Assuming that the plan is okayed by the Board of Visitors, it will remain to be seen whether or not this wave of "green" enthusiasm will continue to grip the time, attention, and actions of the UVA community.
With all of Virginia's universities watching these actions by UVA closely, this green initiative by the school's student and faculty leadership may well be the beginning of a statewide university effort to reduce their respective environmental impacts in a formalized manner.
We're all hoping that UVA succeeds because ultimately, it's every Virginian who wins.
Each year on Earth Day we see great coverage of all the wonderful things happening to clean the environment at the local level, politicians issue proclamations about the importance of breaking our addiction to fossil fuels and people think twice before they just throw the aluminum can in the trash. Earth Day is a time for celebration of our natural resources. This year, I'm calling on folks to few Earth Day as a time to reflect on the way we use those natural resources.
The past year was not a good one for mother-nature.
• On April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon BP oil rig failed and for four months oil spewed from the ocean floor polluting marsh lands, killing fish and threatening the economies of the entire Gulf region.
• In August, the United States Senate failed to take any meaningful action to stop the single greatest threat facing the planet when it passed the buck on comprehensive climate and energy policy.
• In December, President Obama declared that we would not be drilling off our coasts anytime in the near future, but then reversed his course in March by saying we need to explore more domestic sources of energy including offshore.
• Just this week, a hydraulic fracturing well in Pennsylvania exploded releasing toxic chemicals into the air and forcing the evacuation of homes by nearby residents. I'd list the chemicals, but the industry has successfully stalled legislation in Congress that would require those chemicals be made public.
To be honest, these are tough times to work on environmental issues. Elected officials at every level of government seem to be more focused on corporate profits, and creating jobs no matter the cost, than they are protecting public health or the future of the planet.
The Sierra Club is often times asked why we get involved with issues involving labor unions. Many elected officials think that we make odd bedfellows, or simply don't believe there is a connection between the environment and workers.
One such case occurred with legislation in the Virginia General Assembly this session that dealt with regulation of the telecomm industry. The legislation, patroned by Delegate Tim Hugo (R) and Senator Dick Saslaw (D), was packaged as allowing telecomm companies to more easily use the innovations of the 21st Century.
The Sierra Club was concerned about the legislation because it makes it easier for companies like Verizon or AT&T to avoid running a hard wire into homes and businesses. The hard wire allows faster internet speeds, and is more reliable than wireless technologies in the more rural parts of the Commonwealth.
In the heated debate over offshore drilling, policymakers have only addressed "how much": how much gas and oil, how much tax revenue, and how many new jobs they think it would create. Yet, from the standpoint of healthy oceans, they've largely ignored the coastal environment and economies that would be subjected to potential harm from new offshore drilling such as off Virginia's coast.
Sometimes as an aside to their calls to "drill, baby, drill" comes the condition that drilling be done in an "environmentally safe manner." But what does that mean?
Lost in the debate is the realization that drilling has not occurred off our Atlantic coast for almost 30 years, and thus information on the possible effects of Atlantic drilling "is 30 years out of date," as Interior Secretary Ken Salazar points out.
Revealed at a Department of Interior workshop in Williamsburg in December 2008, large data gaps exist when it comes to endangered and protected species, fish and fisheries, the benthos and biology of the ocean floor, the ecosystems found in Virginia's offshore ocean canyons and coral reefs, as well as physical and geological oceanography.
In the interest of thorough environmental study, Salazar is rightly resistant to the rush to drill that is currently sweeping Virginia. For not only are there huge gaps in the scientific information needed to evaluate the impact of drilling off Virginia's coast, but Virginia's offshore zone is a small microcosm in a much larger coastal and oceanic ecosystem.
Rather than singling out a small area off a single state for an environmental study, the Atlantic coast as a whole needs to be studied. Tidal flows, ocean currents and winds often carry oil spills far from their source. Popular beaches, protected wetlands, sensitive marine habitats, and commercial and sports fishing all up and down the East Coast could be threatened by a large spill in Virginia's offshore zone.
Offshore oil and gas platforms continue to experience catastrophic failures despite the technological advances touted by drilling advocates. The recent blowout on the barely 2-year-old oil platform off the coast of Australia spilled an estimated 6-9 million gallons of oil during the 10 weeks it took to cap the well. Growing to almost the footprint size of New Jersey and observable from space, the spill has now contaminated Indonesian waters with its 5,800-square-mile spread.
It is disturbing that in their rush to drill, oil and gas drilling advocates in Virginia would oppose prudent studies on the impact of drilling on our precious Chesapeake Bay, our sensitive coastal wetlands, and our highly lucrative tourism and fishing industries that are completely dependent on clean beaches and healthy ocean waters.
Offshore drilling advocates cannot have it both ways. If they are being honest when they call for drilling to be done in an environmentally safe manner, then they should endorse Salazar's insistence on thorough studies of the environmental impact of drilling. If, instead, they oppose those studies in their rush to drill, then it is clear that they have failed to appreciate the bounty we have in coastal Virginia and how much we stand to lose if oil drilling were to occur irresponsibly.
Yesterday, on day #46 of the devastating oil spill that continues to dump oil into Australian seas, the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter released images of that spill plotted off Virginia's coast.
The images were commissioned from SkyTruth who used NASA and other government generated satellite images to depict the Australian oil spill that as of September 3 has grown to almost 9,900 square miles - larger than the square mile size of Vermont. The simple overlay of the Australian spill originating at a hypothetical well in the Lease Area 220 shows an oil spill of this size reaching Virginia Beach, Virginia's Eastern Shore and the northern Outer Banks.
"Supporters of offshore drilling have been saying there is no risk of a spill in Virginia waters with modern drilling technology. What is happening in Australia right now with a new rig built in 2007 proves that claim wrong," added Besa. "Plotted off Virginia's coast, the Australian oil spill should give Virginia great pause" said Glen Besa, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Director. "All it takes is one spill to virtually shutdown Virginia's coastal economy, both tourism and fisheries, for years. Oil is still disrupting the natural environment in Prince William Sound 20 years after the Exxon Valdez spill."
North Carolina citizens have a chance to comment on their perceptions of the risk from a rise in sea level and what to do about it.
The state Division of Coastal Management said the online poll will help identify perceptions held by the public as it develops a policy on the issue.
Tancred Miller is the primary author of the survey and says the state is seeking everyone's perception regardless of their knowledge about the topic or whether they believe it.
The survey is here at www.nccoastalmanagement.net. Curious as to the questions, I took the survey - of course identifying myself as a resident of Virginia Beach and the Sierra Club as my affiliate organization. The survey is on the flip. What's interesting is the items suggested as possible adaptations and mitigation. I wonder how well a survey such as this would go over in Virginia.
Ison Rock Ridge extends from Black Mountain on the Virginia/ Kentucky border and runs southeast toward the Town of Appalachia. A&G Coal Corp. wants to destroy 1,200+ acres of this mountain that borders several communities and hundreds of homes, putting lives at risk and impairing ecosystems for generations to come. Despite federal action intended to block this proposed mine, we have reason to believe that state agencies still intend to allow the destruction of Ison Rock Ridge, with only minor changes to the scope of the permit.
This message is going out across the Commonwealth today and is part of a coordinated effort to pressure the Governor to take action. Sierra Club, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and our allies are working hard on this two-year long struggle to protect Ison Rock Ridge from total destruction.
Ison Rock is the last ridge of Black Mountain in Virginia that hasn't been totally decimated by mountaintop removal strip mining--and for good reason. Along its flanks lie several communities, home to hundreds of people. Because of this, and the cumulative impact of other strip mines in the area, the EPA took action earlier this year by directing the US Army Corps of Engineers to suspend the federal permit required to create valley fills.
This action attracted national media attention, but it's not enough to save this mountain. The mining company now wants to go forward with a revised mining plan, and that application is currently pending before the state agency.
Congressman Perriello would love for you to join him at a town hall meeting with US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu this Saturday, July 18, from 1:30 to 2:30. Please come and ask questions, listen to answers and spend some time with your neighbors.
During their visit, the Secretaries will see first-hand the potential our communities have for being on the forefront of the new energy economy. We hope to impress upon them--and upon those who hear about our region through this visit--that we have the vision and the capacity to realize this potential right here. Central and Southern Virginia served as the cradle of American liberty and also the economic driver of the Commonwealth for more than a century. We can be that again as we blaze a trail toward energy independence and a clean technology future.
I hope you can join us. The town hall will take place on the farm of Buddy Mayhew, on Carters Lodge Road in Chatham, Virginia. Buddy's farm is just 1.5 miles off of Route 29 south of Chatham. Turn on Carters Lodge Road, bear right at the fork and his farm will be 1.5 miles ahead on your left.
What's the "Rural Tour"? "The Rural Tour will crisscross the country so that we can listen to residents in small towns and get their thoughts on how to best rebuild and revitalize America", writes Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Our communities, big and small, are struggling, but President Obama and I are committed to doing what we need to to create jobs and stimulate local economies."
[07/07/09] Rocky Mount, VA - Surrounded by small business owners and energy entrepreneurs at the Gereau Center on Friday, Congressman Tom Perriello unveiled "New Energy for the Fifth District: A Blueprint for Putting Southside and Central Virginia at the Forefront of the Clean Energy Economy." The strategy document outlines why the 5th District of Virginia is positioned to become a leading region in the nation for the clean energy economy.(Click here to read the rest...)
Bravo, Rep. Perriello. Bravo both for your rollout of this energy plan and your brave vote for the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES).
Climate change coalition partners delivered Sign On letters to 2nd congressional district representative Glenn Nye on Friday, June 19. It's not too late to get your letter to Rep. Nye.Click here to pull up a letter that you can personalize as one of his constituents. You can then either hand-deliver it yourself or email it to me at Eileen.Levandoski@SierraClub.org and I'll hand-deliver it on your behalf next week.
Rep. Glenn Nye's District office is located at 4772 Euclid Rd., Suite E, Virginia Beach. (map) District office: Phone: (757) 326-6201 Fax: (757) 326-6209
Even if you're not in Rep. Nye's district, follow the link to the customizable letter then hand-deliver, fax or mail it to your representative ASAP! Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated that she wants this bill through the House before they go on their July 4th congressional recess.
Rep. Nye's office is being bombarded by calls and emails. Hand-delivered/faxed/mailed letters are different and hopefully more memorable. For more info on the ACES Act of 2009, go to RepowerVirginia.com.
Former congresswoman Thelma Drake has a new job. As the Virginian-Pilot reports today, she is "a consultant at the Richmond-based law, lobbying and consulting firm, FutureLaw" where she "expects to work in areas such as alternative energy and commercial real estate."
Considering how Thelma Drake along with State Senator Frank Wagner are the original instigators of Virginia Lease Sale 220, one can assume oil and gas from drilling off Virginia's clean-for-now beaches are included in that redefinition of "alternative energy".
Other evidence of the redefinition of the term comes from Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms who recently formed as "Mayor's Alternative Energy Task Force". Last Wednesday they had their first meeting. On the agenda were presentations by Dominion Virginia Power and Virginia Natural Gas.
The Virginia Beach Hotel Motel Association is hip on the new terminology too. They recently penned a letter to Mayor Sessoms voicing their support for "exploration for alternative energy sources off the coast of Virginia to include oil, natural gas and wind."
"Our position is predicated on the fact that exploration or extraction will have no adverse implications on the hospitality industry, as presented by the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium", writes Verne Burlage, President of the VBHMA.
First off, VCERC made no such presentations. Their research has been exclusively focused on "renewable" energy resources off our coasts to include wind, wave and bio-diesel from algae. Nice try though.
According to Wikipedia, the term indeed appears to have been hijacked:
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels. Typically, official uses of the term, such as qualification for governmental incentives, exclude fossil fuels and nuclear energy whose undesired consequences are high carbon dioxide emissions, the major contributing factor of global warming according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and difficulties of radioactive waste disposal. Over the years, the nature of what was regarded alternative energy sources has changed considerably, and today because of the variety of energy choices and differing goals of their advocates, defining some energy types as "alternative" is highly controversial.
Remarkably clever move by the "Drill Baby Drill" forces - hitch your wagon to the popular pursuits of wind and solar energy, re-brand and push a term "alternative" that still to most folks infers clean energy resources. Damn, will this be a tough nut to crack!
Kudos to State Senator Donald McEachin for this terrific op-ed appearing in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch. "Curbing Carbon: House Bill Will Help the Environment and the Economy" lays out a strong argument for why Congress needs to strengthen and pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), aka the Waxman/Markey bill.
Our Congress must pass strong, comprehensive energy and climate legislation like ACES. We must dramatically expedite America's transition to cleaner, cheaper energy sources, slash energy waste to reduce global warming quickly and cheaply, close pollution loopholes, and make polluters pay. By doing this, we also will achieve our critical goals of jump-starting the economy, reducing global warming, and transitioning to clean homegrown energy.
At the coal industry's bidding, U.S. Senators Brownback and Conrad are trying to put pressure on the EPA to reject federally enforceable coal ash disposal standards - undermining the EPA's authority to ensure that coal companies cannot continue to put communities in danger with toxic coal fly ash.
Tell them about local problems with coal ash with which you may be familiar such as in SW Virginia, Chesapeake and York County.
It is unconscionable that, in the wake of the tragic Tennessee coal ash disaster late last year, King Coal lobbyists are pushing for relaxed federal "guidelines" that would treat coal ash like household trash, rather than the hazardous pollution it is.
If King Coal lobbyists get their way, communities close to these toxic coal ash sites will be left vulnerable to arsenic, mercury, selenium, and other coal toxins, and they will continue to face a very high, 1 in 50, risk of cancer.
You can also call Senator Webb at 202-224-4024 and Senator Warner at 202-224-2023.
By weakening the EPA on this issue, the coal industry is not only trying to preserve the status quo with regards to coal ash, but also to challenge the EPA's ability to take action on any piece of a Big Picture plan to create a clean energy economy.
It's time that we protect the communities close to these sites; it's time that we demand safe, clean energy, and it is time that we authorize the EPA to ensure we get both. Please send a message to your Senators today.
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The USDA's Rural Tour comes to Chatham, Virginia this Saturday!
From the media release:
Special Delivery to Rep. Glenn Nye (VA-02)!
Former congresswoman Thelma Drake has a new job. As the Virginian-Pilot reports today, she is "a consultant at the Richmond-based law, lobbying and consulting firm, FutureLaw" where she "expects to work in areas such as alternative energy and commercial real estate."
Kudos to State Senator Donald McEachin for this terrific op-ed appearing in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch. "
Take Action on Coal Ash TODAY!
