CLEAR August 2020

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Dog reduces wildlife.docx
by Duane Nichols 31 Aug '20

31 Aug '20

Dogs and cats have their place(s). But, wildlife have a birthright to a life on Earth, also.

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Fwd: Lake Lynn - Cheat Lake South Trail
by Ella Belling 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

Forwarding this good news on Cheat Lake Trail and just posted on MRTC Facebook if you would like to share post. I believe the trail is 4.5 miles- is this correct? Hope you all have a good day, Ella Ella Belling Executive Director Mon River Trails Conservancy P.O. Box 282 Morgantown, WV 26507 http://montrails.org 304-692-6782 > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Jody Smet <Jody.Smet(a)eaglecreekre.com> > Subject: Lake Lynn - Cheat Lake South Trail > Date: August 24, 2020 at 11:47:35 AM EDT > To: Ella Belling <ella(a)montrails.org> > > Ella, > > We’re planning to fully open the Cheat Lake South Trail this Wednesday, August 26. > __________________________________________________________________ > Jody J. Smet, AICP | Vice President Regulatory Affairs > Eagle Creek Renewable Energy > Desk: 804 739 0654 > Mobile: 804 382 1764 > Email: jody.smet(a)eaglecreekre.com <mailto:jody.smet@eaglecreekre.com> > > This message is intended only for the named recipient and may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any misdirected transmission. If you received this message in error, please notify sender immediately and delete this message from your system. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use, disclose, distribute or copy any part of this message.

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Water Sports are Quite Popular
by Duane Nichols 23 Aug '20

23 Aug '20

Be Local: Get outside with region's many attractions By John Sacco For the Observer-Reporter newsroom(a)observer-reporter.com, Washington, PA, August 22, 2020 Facebook Twitter SMS Email Families have turned to more outdoor activities in lieu of vacations this summer. More people are spending leisure time on boats, going fishing, water skiing, kayaking, hiking and other outdoor activities. One of the spots is near Ohio Pyle where folks are making use of Wilderness Voyageurs. The Ohiopyle-based company features whitewater rafting on 15 rivers in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. It offers Youghiogheny River, Cheat River and Savage River rafting trips. People can also learn to kayak, mountain bike or fly fish with instructors at Ohiopyle. Fully supported Inn to Inn Bike Tours throughout the United States are offered by the nationwide company. Von Braddock, of West Brownsville, said he has taken his boat out on the Monongahela River quite a bit this year and has seen a big increase of activity on the water through kayaking, jet skiing and people just enjoying time on the water. “I’ve been out there more this year than any of the previous 15 years I’ve had the boat and by a lot,” Braddock said. “The weather has really been good, especially compared with last year when it wasn’t too good. I’ve had the boat out at least 20 times.” Braddock said equipment and accessories are difficult to find. He said his son needed an oar several weeks ago. Not only was it hard to find, but Braddock said, “it was about $20 more than usual. Go try and buy a kayak right now. You’ll have a tough time finding them. “People are out more on the water because they are looking for things to do (in the face of the pandemic). It’s hard to but a used or new boat right now. Nobody has them.” Others who launch boats from Greene Cove in Clarksville reported more activity than usual. “It’s something to do,” said a patron who preferred anonymity. “Many people skipped vacations this year and are enjoying more water activities to make up for lost vacation and down time.” Ed Schultz, co-owner of Greene Cove, said while the restaurant there has been steady in the face of restrictions because of the pandemic, the uptick in water activity is certain. “I’ve seen a lot more boating this year,” Schultz said. “We have had groups of kayakers come up and have lunch. They are out in full force.” Schultz confirmed accessories and boats are hard to find. “Kayaks are scarce,” he said. “They are really tough to find. I’ve heard boat sales are up 20%. We don’t sell boats, but we do supply motors for boats. One guy in Fairchance was worried in March about what he was going to do with all his boats. By mid June, he didn’t have any. “People are traveling as much and are not traveling abroad and they are spending more on toys to have some fun at home.” Leanne August, of Monessen, said she’s enjoyed activities in Deep Creek, Md., this summer. “It’s all related to the lake,” she said. “I enjoy breakfast at Little Sandy’s (a diner) and all sorts of other restaurants and shops. At Bill’s Marina, you see a lot of boats, kayaks and paddle boarders. “There so much to do, ice cream shops, shopping. I just like hanging out.”

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2020 Summer Recreation: Peak Harmful Algae Season and the Pandemic | NRDC
by Duane Nichols 23 Aug '20

23 Aug '20

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/arohi-sharma/2020-summer-recreation-peak-harmf… 2020 Summer Recreation: Peak Harmful Algae Season and the Pandemic August 17, 2020 Arohi Sharma, National Resources Defense Council As many head to local swimming holes for a socially distant way to cool off, an updated NRDC report shows state agencies are largely unable to keep up with the growing threat of harmful algal blooms. Visitors enjoy a day in Buffalo National River near Tyler Bend, Arkansas. T. Fondriest/National Park Service Quarantining and sheltering in place from COVID-19 has a lot of us going stir-crazy—myself included. With summer in full swing, more of us are itching to get outside safely. Unfortunately, we’re also right in the middle of peak harmful algal bloom (HAB) season. While state agencies are understandably redirecting resources to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the resources normally used to test recreational freshwater bodies for HAB events—including the dangerous toxins that are harmful to humans and pets—are on hold. This concerns me because, as NRDC’s updated What’s Lurking in Your Lake assessment shows, state agencies are already under-resourced to address HABs. Furthermore, our updated scorecards and mapping efforts show there is not enough comprehensive freshwater HAB data collection. With state budgets being redirected, it’s unclear whether proactive freshwater HAB data collection will get necessary funding in coming years. First, what are harmful algal blooms—or HABs? While HABs along our ocean coastlines—like red tide events in Florida—garner more media attention, HAB events also occur in our nation’s freshwater bodies. As I wrote last year, HABs occur when excess nutrients make their way into water ecosystems. Nutrients are food for the cyanobacteria that are normally present in freshwater ecosystems. But when excess nutrients are paired with other enabling factors like warmer weather and stagnant water, cyanobacteria proliferate. Some species of cyanobacteria leech cyanotoxins, which can be harmful to humans, especially children, as well as dogs. The increased outdoor recreation in the summer, and the fact that some states’ capacities are constrained due to COVID-19 response (like in Utah and Kansas), make it all the more important to be aware of these events and how they can impact us. For states like Maine, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, which are home to tens of thousands of freshwater bodies, funding constraints could have severe impacts on efforts to prevent exposure to HABs. Buffalo River, the same river pictured above, suffers from a freshwater HAB outbreak National Park Service Results of NRDC’s updated assessment Last year, NRDC mapped freshwater HAB events across all 50 states from 2008 to 2018 because no such map exists at the federal level. This week, we updated that map to include 2019 freshwater HAB data and revised each state’s freshwater HAB program scorecard. Those updated scorecards provide a baseline understanding of each state’s freshwater HAB program. They also signal whether states are prepared to proactively prevent exposure to, and respond to, freshwater HAB events. As the chart below shows, there are noticeable improvements in state freshwater HAB programs from last year, but the overall outlook remains the same: State agencies don’t have the resources to effectively address HABs. Results from NRDC’s “What’s Lurking in Your Lake” Some of the improvements observed from our updated scorecards include: Seven more states (California, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming) scored an overall “excellent” rating compared to last year. Five states (Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee) have created new websites that share information on freshwater HABs in their states. Seventeen states improved the information made available on their websites. Six additional states (Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin) adopted cyanotoxin thresholds since last year. Nine additional states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee) developed and/or created response protocols for how to respond to HAB outbreaks. From this list, unfortunately, only Arkansas and Michigan have made their protocols available online. Nine additional states claim to be leveraging relationships with NGOs and local organizations to communicate HAB information to the public compared to last year. We found 11 new states using social media to communicate HAB information to the public. Some disconcerting trends from our updated analysis include: 36 states do not collect comprehensive HAB data. 34 states do not make HAB data easily available to the public. 29 states do not make their response protocols available online. 24 states do not proactively sample for cyanobacteria or cyanotoxins. 20 states claim they do not have the authority to issue recreational advisories. The role of data in decision-making The adage “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” plays into my work every day. The troubling trends highlighted in NRDC’s assessment have common threads: lack of data collection and inaccessibility of data. I firmly believe that comprehensive data collection is a necessary pillar of effective decision-making. Data show trends that can help address the root causes of problems, help us understand what we know and reveal what we don’t know, illuminate gaps in management and program efficacy, and provide information to hold decision-makers accountable. When states don’t collect comprehensive data nor make data available to the public, it’s tough to accomplish any of those goals. The Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately crystalizes what happens when decision makers politicize and withhold data. Public health decisions and emergency response become undermined by politics instead of empowered by evidence. Double down on prevention The federal government could be preventing the kind of excess nutrient runoff that contributes to HABs by enforcing the Clean Water Act, but it isn’t, so states are bearing the costly burden of testing, researching, responding, monitoring, and mitigating freshwater HAB events. Now, with the health and economic crises emerging from the pandemic, state agencies responsible for responding to freshwater HAB events are being asked to do more with less. According to NRDC’s updated assessment, 62 percent of states do not dedicate financial resources to respond to or research HAB events, which means state agencies tasked with HAB response must pull funding from other environmental remediation or water quality protection funds, compete with other agencies for funding, reduce funding for one area of HAB activity to supplement another, or simply forgo proactive testing altogether. Climate change will increase the frequency and duration of HAB events nationwide so the reactive approach to freshwater HAB response will only increase states’ future costs. While we all do everything we can to keep our families and loved ones safe this summer, NRDC will continue to hold states and the federal government accountable. Prevention is the smartest and most underutilized tool in our toolbox to combat HAB events so we will continue fighting this administration’s rollbacks to the Clean Water Act. We will also continue our advocacy for healthy soil stewardship because we know that building healthy soil addresses one of the root causes of freshwater HAB outbreaks—nutrient runoff. What to know for 2020 summer recreation I understand the need to get outdoors this summer—I’m feeling the urge too. Should you seek out lakes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, and streams, please look out for HAB indicators (e.g., blue-green colored water, a funky smell, dead fish, or caution signs, like the one below) and keep these things in mind: Dangerous HAB toxins that can harm your families and your pets are not visible to the naked eye. Removing blue-green algae or pond scum from the top of a freshwater body is not enough to keep your loved ones safe. If you see anything suspicious, stay out of the water and report the potential event to the appropriate state agency. If you need help figuring out how to report a HAB event, you can download your state’s scorecard. Keep your eyes peeled for caution signs that inform you whether the water is safe to recreate in. Finally: The lack of a caution sign doesn’t mean the waterbody isn’t experiencing a HAB event. It’s possible that your state doesn’t have the resources it needs to proactively test every single freshwater body, especially with COVID-19 still surging across the United States. Call the appropriate state agency or waterbody manager to inquire whether that waterbody has been tested for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins.

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Progress being made on repairs to the Cheat Lake rail trail (south section)
by Duane Nichols 19 Aug '20

19 Aug '20

From: Michael Strager <mstrager(a)wvu.edu> > Date: August 18, 2020 at 8:45:26 PM EDT > To: Duane Nichols <duane330(a)aol.com> > Subject: Progress being made on the Cheat Lake rail trail > > Picture from today. >

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Boat reportedly explodes in Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols 17 Aug '20

17 Aug '20

https://www.wdtv.com/2020/08/17/boat-reportedly-explodes-in-cheat-lake/ Boat reportedly explodes in Cheat Lake Officials say a boat exploded in Cheat Lake Sunday.(WDTV) CHEAT LAKE, W.Va (WDTV) - Officials from Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department (Co. 14) confirm a boat exploded Sunday afternoon. Officials also say there were multiple transports. Adam Romesburg, who was fishing at Cheat Lake’s Mt. Chateau Rd. dock when the incident occurred, said he saw a large parade of emergency services vehicles travel through Mt. Chateau Rd. at around 7 o’clock. “We thought someone was in trouble,” says Romesburg. “We didn’t see anything except for all the emergency vehicles coming, for that many fire trucks and police cars, especially the ambulances - there were five or six ambulances as well, we knew there was some kind of big accident with boats.” This is a developing story. Stick with 5 News for updates. Copyright 2020 WDTV. All rights reserved. Sent from my iPad

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Lawsuit Alleges Union Carbide Failed To Report Toxic Landfill | West Virginia Public Broadcasting
by Duane Nichols 11 Aug '20

11 Aug '20

Lawsuit Alleges Union Carbide Failed To Report Toxic Landfill | West Virginia Public Broadcasting Leigh Anne Keener, August 10, 2020 — And this is another fine example of corporate greed in WV. Always leaving us the collateral damage. "But the full extent of what could be going on remains hidden. The bulk of the monitoring data and information about this landfill remains under a protective order asked for by Union Carbide. West Virginia Public Broadcasting has joined Green and some members of the Davis Creek Watershed Association in asking the judge to make the records public, given the possible public health and safety ramifications of the dumping. The judge is currently considering unsealing about two dozen documents. " West Virginia Rivers Coalition, August 10, 2020 — I've been doing environmental law in some form or fashion for 30 years, and I have never seen anything like this - Michael Callaghan, attorney https://www.wvpublic.org/post/lawsuit-alleges-union-carbide-failed-report-t…

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Permit Supervisor Findings.pdf
by Duane Nichols 05 Aug '20

05 Aug '20

Note. CLEAR opposed the attached permit for renewal of a surface coal mine on Beaver Creek of the Blackwater River of the Cheat River. CLEAR recommended that if the permit is approved, continuous monitor of pH and conductivity would be practical and useful to help protect the waters downstream of the mining and reclamation activities. The permit has been approved, as shown in the attachment. Sent from my iPad

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CLEAR August 2020