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Birthplace of Rivers, Monday at 10 PM
by Duane 15 Feb '14

15 Feb '14

‘Birthplace of Rivers’ will air as part of PBS series02/15/2014 3:22 PM The focus for most southern West Virginians lately has been on snow. But the cameras turn to the state’s rivers, with West Virginia’s PBS 2 set to air “Birthplace of Rivers” Monday at 10 p.m. as part of the “This American Land” series. The episode focuses on the Birthplace of Rivers, an area in the Monongahela National Forest that contains the headwaters of six rivers that are a source of drinking water, recreation and tourism for downstream communities. The six rivers are the Cranberry, Cherry, Gauley, Williams, Greenbrier and Elk. The Birthplace of Rivers area has long been prized by hunters, anglers, hikers, birders and wildlife watchers for its pristine waters, rugged forests and natural beauty. The area is so important to the region’s recreation and tourism industries that a collection of businesses, sportsmen and conservationists joined together to have the Birthplace of Rivers receive special designation as a “national monument.” Since the Elk River chemical spill, interest in the monument ideas has increased. “Now, more than ever, people in West Virginia are thinking about the importance of clean water to their health, well-being, and economic security,” said Angie Rosser, executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition. “The Birthplace of Rivers represents a recovery for our state on many levels. Protecting our drinking water at the headwaters is an important step toward restoring our confidence now and giving us hope for the future. “The monument,” Rosser said, “would show the world that we are proud of our rivers and our heritage — it would provide a spark to help us be the West Virginia we know in our hearts we can be.” The “Birthplace of Rivers” segment of “This American Land” features stunning footage of waterfalls, trout streams, bogs and forests in and around the Cranberry Wilderness Area, plus generations-old music from a local fiddler and interviews with monument proponents, including a small business owner explaining how a national monument would boost tourism. Share Story

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Re: [CLEAR] Sheepskin Trail: Construction+Up+Ahead.pdf
by Reger-Nash, Bill 14 Feb '14

14 Feb '14

Outstanding Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S®4 -------- Original message -------- From: Duane Date:02/14/2014 3:38 PM (GMT-05:00) To: CLEAR Subject: [CLEAR] Sheepskin Trail: Construction+Up+Ahead.pdf http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1106683796118-5… Construction Up Ahead -- Sheepskin Trail connection to Morgantown Civic and municipal officials in the River Town of Point Marion, Fayette County could not be happier as it appears construction will begin this spring on the 1 1?4 mile Sheepskin Trail connection to Morgantown, West Virginia. Over twenty years has passed since some leading citizens approached Borough officials about connecting to Morgantown with a hike/bike trail. Even back then, Morgantown, the home of West Virginia University, was a growing community, and civic leaders were aware of the possible economic boon to Point Marion if a recreation and commuter trail connection were made to Morgantown. The Point Marion section will connect with the Mon River and Caperton trail and continue a distance of 48 miles to Fairmont, West Virginia. The trail property is owned by Fayette County. In 2012 the County Commissioners by resolution, named the National Road Heritage Corridor with offices in Uniontown, PA. as its development and project manager to work to complete the 34 mile trail and be the liaison with community officials. For the last three years, Executive Director, Donna Holdorf has aggressively sought the funds to complete the trail segment; joined by River Town Program staff, Point Marion residents, civic leaders, business owners and municipal officials. This unified approach has proven successful as a combination of private foundation funding, and grant funds from the Commonwealth's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) were matched with resources allocated for trailhead amenities, parking lot upgrades, and improvements to the contiguous Point Marion Community Park (details of this project can be found in this newsletter as well). Construction on this 1 1?4 mile connection is expected begin late spring /early summer of this year and should be completed by fall, 2014. Stay tuned for a spectacular opening ceremony! Private donations are still being sought to support the Sheepskin Trail / Point Marion construction project. Send your tax deductible contribution check made payable to the NRHC with note in the memo line "For the Point Marion segment" 65 West Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401 Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535.

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Keep Our Drinking Water Safe in West Virginia!
by Duane 06 Feb '14

06 Feb '14

Hi, As West Virginians, we all support clean and safe drinking water and these strong recommendations will help make sure that we have it! Read the recommendations here: http://www.wvrivers.org/news/wvriverscoalitionreleaseswaterprotectionrecomm… That's why I signed a petition to The West Virginia State House, The West Virginia State Senate, and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, which says: "I want my delegates and senators to know I support real protections for clean water, and that I want them to implement the recommendations of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and the Chemical Safety Board. " Will you sign this petition? Click here: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/keep-our-drinking-water?source=s.em.mt&r_b… Thanks! Duane

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Observed vs Forecast Flows for the Monongahela River
by Duane 04 Feb '14

04 Feb '14

Monongahela River at the Pt. Marion Lock and Dam. The current river level is at 15 feet with flood stage at 26 feet. The prediction is for a peak level at 19.5 feet at about 50,000 cfs. Source: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=pbz&gage=pmrp1

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The Cheat River at Albright in Preston County
by Duane 04 Feb '14

04 Feb '14

Here is the flow in the Cheat River as measured at Albright, near Kingwood, In Preston County. Albright can be considered to be at the mouth of the Cheat Canyon. At 7:45 am today, the flow was 10,400 cubic feet per second. Source: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?03070260

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The Cheat River
by Duane 04 Feb '14

04 Feb '14

See the Cheat River flow at Parsons in Tucker County. There is lots more water to come as we get rain and melting snow today! This is called a "log - linear" plot because one axis, the discharge in this case, has been calibrated as a logarithm scale. While convenient for displaying large numbers, a log scale does not visually represent the true magnitude of the numerical values.

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Fwd: Can't Make It to the Public Hearing? Send your comments by email and tune in this evening....
by Duane 03 Feb '14

03 Feb '14

> From: "Chuck Wyrostok" <wyro(a)appalight.com> > Date: February 3, 2014 1:58:24 PM EST > To: "Chuck Wyrostok" <wyro(a)appalight.com> > Subject: Can't Make It to the Public Hearing? Send your comments by email and tune in this evening.... > > Please relay to your membership lists…thanks. > > If you can’t make it to the Public Hearing on Water at the Capitol today, here’s four ways you can participate > > 1. You can send your comments by email to members of the House Health Committee (see attachment for email addresses) > > 2. You can send your comments by email before 3:30pm today to either Julie Archer (julie(a)wvcag.org) or Chuck Wyro (outreach(a)marcellus-wv.com) and we will print them and hand deliver them at the hearing. > Please do not send to both of us. > > 3. WV Public Broadcasting will be covering the hearing live. You can tune in by radio, internet or TV. http://wvpublic.org/post/water-crisis-public-hearing-air-live-west-virginia… > > 4. Go to http://www.legis.state.wv.us/live.cfm , scroll down to the 5:30pm box and listen on online. > > > TAKE ACTION ~ PUBLIC HEARING ON WATER AT THE CAPITOL ~ THIS MONDAY FEB. 3RD, 5:30PM > What: Public Hearing on SB 373 related to water resources protection > When: Monday, February 3rd, 5:30pm > Where: House Chambers, State Capitol Building > Who: Joint Committee on Health & Finance > Why: For legislators to hear citizen input > > > WV House of Delegates to Host Public Hearing on Ongoing Water Crisis > Here’s your chance to speak to your legislators and fellow citizens, from a podium with a P.A. system, about how this chemical spill crisis has affected you. > This public hearing will take place in the House Chambers. House Speaker Tim Miley, D-Harrison said "The House leadership would like to give everyone who wants input in this important legislation to have the opportunity to participate. Legislation of this magnitude should be addressed very methodically and with great care. We want to ensure that the final product takes meaningful steps to truly protect our state's water supply and the health of the public." > > Pat McGinley, an environmental law professor at West Virginia University, said, "The events of the last few weeks have severely damaged West Virginians' confidence in leadership provided by the Legislature, governor, and DEP.” > > Sen. Chris Walters, R-Putnam said, "This should be a deliberate, slow study process. This doesn't need to be a knee-jerk reaction. I have a pregnant wife and a three-year-old daughter -- I'm not consuming the water. I'm not cooking with it. I'm worried about my unborn child. I can't get answers." > > The spill revealed once again that porous legislation and murky assumptions about industry self-policing hinder oversight of dangerous chemicals. U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigators have found that chemical storage tanks at the Elk River site were "very old" and "designed to a very old standard, without leak detection or secondary containment." > > Downstream Strategies consultant Evan Hansen said, “"This is not just about Charleston. This is not just an issue about above-ground storage tanks. This issue affects us all." > > After attempting to take contaminated water from his father's tap to decision-makers in Charleston last Thursday, Dustin White, of Boone County, was told by Capitol police to leave the Statehouse for carrying the "unidentified liquid." Bring your bad water to the Capitol steps for the hearing on Monday—they need to know what we deal with everyday. Then come inside for the Public Hearing. > Our legislators need to face the truth. > Let’s hear what you have to say about this travesty. We urge as many of you as possible to come out as a show of support for stringent water protection law and no-nonsense enforcement. > > After the Public Hearing there will be a Town Hall meeting at First Baptist Church on Shrewsbury St. 7-9pm. > Logistics: > > Easy Parking: Perry Bryant of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care tells us: > > I have confirmed with the Capital Security folks that we can park in the state employees parking lot after 5:00 pm on Monday. So if you get off the Greenbrier exit (Exit 99), go down the hill towards the Capitol building. Turn left at the light on Washington Street, Take an immediate left at the guard shack. There is metered parking (probably don’t have to pay after 5 pm) slightly to the right, and unmetered parking for state employees further to the right. The state employee parking is behind a wrought iron gate. This gate will be closed (and you won’t be able to get out) ½ hour after the end of the public hearing. If you park behind the wrought iron gate, do not dally after the public hearing. > While this parking has some limitations, it is significantly better than parking at the Laidley Field public parking areas on Elizabeth Street. See you Monday evening. > Attached is an information and talking points document, courtesy of Maya Nye and Angie Rosser. Here are some tips. > · Arrive ten minutes (or earlier) to sign up to speak. > > · Each speaker can expect only to have 1-2 minutes to speak. > > · Written comments can be submitted for the record. > > · Below are some suggested talking points as a guide. Citizens are encouraged to give their own perspective, in their words, of how the government needs to better protect drinking water supplies and public health. > > Citizen messaging framework: > · We deserve thorough protection from all contamination threats to our water supplies. > > · The government is failing us and needs to do a better job in regulating and enforcing protections. > > · We deserve to have all available government resources applied to understand and responsibly advise the public on risks and solutions to this health crisis. > > Needed technical improvements to SB 373: > · Close loopholes – there are many exclusions to tanks that are regulated under the new program, these need carefully analyzed. All tanks and all additional sources of potential contamination need adequately regulated. > > · Require individual permits and regular inspections for all potential significant contaminant sources within zones of critical concern for public drinking water systems. > > · Require and fund development of source water protection plans that address all significant contamination threats and include full stakeholder and community involvement. > > Assure that all pollution sources can be enforced via the Clean Water Act with provisions for citizen involvement. > Additional actions needed: > · Implementation of Chemical Safety Board Recommendations. > > · Continuation of bottled water distribution to all affected communities. > > · An environmentally sound and safe mechanism to flush the chemical from the water treatment plant, distribution lines, sewage systems, residences etc. > > · Immediate institution of a medical surveillance program. > > · Immediate studies on the short and long term effects of MCHM and its breakdown chemicals on human health. > > Chuck Wyrostok > Outreach Organizer > Sierra Club, WV Chapter > T: 877 252 0257 > E. outreach(a)marcellus-wv.com > www.marcellus-wv.com > > Water is Life...Keep It Clean > > Whenever there is a huge spill of solar energy, it's just called a nice day..... >

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Riverkeepers & Clearwater Leaders Remember Pete Seeger (1919 - 2014)
by Duane 29 Jan '14

29 Jan '14

http://rye.dailyvoice.com/news/riverkeepers-clearwater-leaders-remember-fri… Riverkeepers & Clearwater Leaders Remember Pete Seeger (1919 - 2014) From Danny LoPriore, Rye Daily Voice, January 28, 2014 Beacon, N.Y. -- A true friend of the Hudson River and its valley where he lived for 70 years, legendary folk singer/songwriter and political and social activist Pete Seeger is being remembered for his many contributions to his nation after passing away at age 94. Seeger and his wife Toshi, who died in July 2013, founded Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc., and the Great Hudson River Revival, the annual music and environmental festival that takes place at Croton Point Park in Croton. The Seegers lived in Beacon, New York, on the Hudson River for 40 years. The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Beacon-based environmental group that shares its name with its sailing vessel, took a leading role in passage of the Clean Water Act, the fight to make General Electric Co. remove PCBs from the river mud and a number of other key chapters in the Hudson’s history. Clearwater Communications Director Julia Church said "Pete planted the seed that started Hudson River SloopClearwater with the belief that a majestic replica of the sloops that sailed the Hudson in the 18th and 19th centuries would bring people to the river where they could experience its beauty and be moved to preserve it." "The sloop Clearwater has become recognized for its role in the environmental movement," Church wrote. "And thanks to Pete Seeger, the over 12,000 school kids who sail each year will never see the river in the same way that they did before their voyage. Perhaps more importantly, they will be moved to protect the river every time they look at it." Leaders of the river’s other influential organizations — the state’s Hudson River Estuary Program, Ossining-based Riverkeeper, Scenic Hudson — got their start on board the Clearwater. Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay said the conservation organization is pledged to "carry on his work and make the most of the gifts he left us." "Pete Seeger was unique in that he was a musical genius, and courageous in his beliefs and a generous man with a heart as big as anyone's," Gallay said. "Pete will go on inspiring those who endeavor to heal us humans and our one lonely planet, long after we say our final goodbyes to the man himself." The Riverkeeper group conducts water quality studies aboard the "Riverkeeper" patrol boat. The primary goal of this ongoing project is to characterize and report on the highly variable conditions of the Hudson River Estuary through testing for sewage indicating microorganisms, oxygen and turbidity levels, and other indicators of water quality. - - - > See more at: http://www.riverkeeper.org/water-quality/hudson/#sthash.UTOYZJqo.dpuf "River Of My People" By Pete Seeger There's a river of my people And its flow is swift and strong, Flowing to some mighty ocean, Though its course is deep and long. Flowing to some mighty ocean, Though its course is deep and long. Many rocks and reefs and mountains Seek to bar it from its way. But relentlessly this river Seeks its brothers in the sea. But relentlessly this river Seeks its brothers in the sea. You will find us in the mainstream, Steering surely through the foam, Far beyond the raging waters We can see our certain home. Far beyond the raging waters We can see our certain home. For we have mapped this river And we know its mighty force And the courage that this gives us Will hold us to our course. And the courage that this gives us Will hold us to our course. Oh, river of my people, Together we must go, Hasten onward to that meeting Where my brothers wait I know. Hasten onward to that meeting Where my sisters wait I know.

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Geese can be trouble; how to deal with them? By Dave Milne
by Duane 27 Jan '14

27 Jan '14

Publication: Page Number:8-C The Dominion Post; Date:Jan 26, 2014; Section:Mountain State Outdoors; Geese can be trouble; how to deal with them? WHEN YOU MENTION Canada geese to someone, you’ll usually get one of two reactions: People either love them or hate them. We haven’t always had the huge numbers of geese we do now. In the early 1940s, the Canada goose was nearing extinction due to overhunting. Sound familiar? Remember the buffalo? Hunting is the best wildlife management tool we have, but if it gets out of hand, the wildlife numbers will suffer. It wasn’t until the early ’50s that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) began to trap and distribute the geese to states that wanted them. This began as an accident. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was playing golf and stepped in goose dung while wearing his white golf shoes. He asked one of his aids what could be done about this. After a few meetings, the trapping and moving began. The rest is history. There are basically three problems with the Canada goose: The defecation, their feeding habits, and their attitude. The good things are that they are pretty, and it’s nice to see them flying over in a V and honking. I watch them from my office window flying over the Monongahela River. Anyone who plays golf or swims in a lake that has geese living there knows the amount of defecation there is. It’s horrible. Contrary to what some people think, goose dung does not spread any disease that the experts have been able to find. A former director of the Wildlife Research Center Water Fowl Disease USFWS said, “On occasion, we have been wading in that stuff and dead birds up to our elbows and there is not a single documented case of us coming down with any kind of disease problem. We do not have a human health situation in the urban geese, the wild geese, nor the captive geese that we have worked with.” On the other hand, there are those who say that when captive geese are force-fed and slaughtered for their livers, the pate de foie gras made from the liver can cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome, or mad cow disease, in humans. Goose poop in lakes is a large contributing factor to algal blooms and excessive plant growth. One goose will add a half pound of phosphorous to a lake every year. Geese will clip off new grass right down to the root. They love a newly planted field of oats, wheat or rye. When they move in by the hundreds, the crop will suffer. Geese may look pretty, but they can be mean. They’ll hiss and charge you if you invade their territory. Three ways you can get rid of geese are using a repellant, scaring them, or capturing and euthanizing them. I only know of one repellant you can use: Methyl anthranilate. It’s found in Concord grapes and is used to flavor grape chewing gum, but geese hate the taste and won’t eat anything treated with it. It’s available in spray form. Chasing or scaring them can be entertaining both for you and a dog. Border collies or any other herding dog will do. Geese don’t like to be herded and will leave. If you would not mind another type of bird around, get a pair or two of swans. A few geese will stay, but most will leave. Plastic swans will also work. Killing the geese is often very controversial with the public. Capture and euthanasia will get rid of the geese for a while, but more will take their place. This method can be expensive. It’s usually done in the early summer, when the birds molt or lose their flight feathers. They are rounded up and then asphyxiated. Where laws and public sentiment will permit, the geese can be hunted. Keep in mind that geese are federally protected. Only resident geese can be killed when the migratory birds are not present. DAVE MILNE serves on the state Natural Resources Commission.

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FERC approved sale of Cheat Lake Hydrodam in November 2013. (aka Lake Lynn Hydrodam)
by Duane 20 Jan '14

20 Jan '14

FirstEnergy Subsidiaries Apply for Authorization to Sell Eleven Hydroelectric Power Stations to Harbor Hydro Holdings, LLC AKRON, Ohio, Sept. 4, 2013 -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiaries have applied for authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to sell 11 hydroelectric power stations in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia to Harbor Hydro Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of LS Power Equity Partners II, LP. A sales agreement was reached on August 23, and if approved, the proposed transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2013. The agreement is subject to customary and other closing conditions, including FERC, the Commonwealth of Virginia's State Corporation Commission and various other approvals. The hydroelectric power stations included in this proposed sale are owned by FirstEnergy Generation, LLC, Allegheny Energy Supply Company, LLC and Green Valley Hydro, LLC and have a total capacity of 527 megawatts, which represents less than 3 percent of FirstEnergy's generation fleet output. The sale includes: Seneca Pumped Storage (451 MW) in Warren, Pa.; Allegheny Lock & Dam 5 (6 MW) in Schenley, Pa.; Allegheny Lock & Dam 6 (7 MW) in Ford City, Pa.; Lake Lynn (52 MW) in Lake Lynn, Pa.; Millville (3 MW) in Millville, W. Va.; Dam 4 (2 MW) in Shepherdstown, W. Va.; Dam 5 (1.2 MW) in Falling Waters, W.Va.; Warren (750 kW) in Front Royal, Va.; Luray (1.6 MW) in Luray, Va.; and Shenandoah and Newport (860 kW and 1.4 MW, respectively) in Shenandoah, Va. Resolution of a potential competing license application and other claims related to the Seneca facility also is a condition to closing the proposed transaction. The 35 current employees at these power stations are expected to be retained by the new owner. FirstEnergy subsidiary Allegheny Generating Company will continue to own 1,200 MW of the 3,000 MW Bath County Pumped-Storage Hydro facility in Warm Springs, Va. In addition, FirstEnergy subsidiary Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) will continue to own 200 MW of the 400 MW Yards Creek Pumped-Storage Hydro facility in Blairstown, N.J. FirstEnergy operates one of the nation's largest, cleanest and most diverse generating fleets, with 60 percent coal, 20 percent nuclear, 11 percent hydro and other renewables, and 9 percent gas/oil. FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. Its generation subsidiaries currently control more than 20,000 megawatts of capacity from a diversified mix of scrubbed coal, non-emitting nuclear, natural gas, hydro, pumped-storage hydro and other renewables. LS Power, an employee-owned, independent power company with offices in New York, New Jersey, Missouri and California, is a developer, owner, operator and investor in power generation and electric transmission infrastructure throughout the United States. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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