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Happy Earth Day 2010
by Duane330＠aol.com 22 Apr '10

22 Apr '10

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Tb/IgrfiviKMkh2Roi9X…) _Stop Global Warming Virtual March_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=1c+GSXABhO50spUAcTcY…) 04/22/10 (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tOwXcp23SbNForRzgmLQ…) HAPPY EARTH DAY 2010 Today marks the 40th Anniversary of the first _Earth Day_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=c4GtHL4XPCy8oEpNODcF…) . Help make Earth Day 2010 a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Visit _Earth Day Network_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=QK0ZBrvBCh1sfWfviRjP… bLVLoxEv2) , and join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action today. You can add your voice by signing the _Earth Day 2010 Climate Declaration_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=20sgaf9buRahsqr3FQC6 3jQbLVLoxEv2) . Please join supporters this Sunday April 25 on the National Mall in Washington D.C. for a massive _climate rally_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=zkUyLfpwLHsDYQoP8jN7…) , featuring notable speakers and live music from Sting, The Roots, Jimmy Cliff and more. _Click here_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=PZYQ2k9aCIbMy5qRMevo…) for more info. (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=0/abQfGN7TNbBInwUH+O…) IN THEATERS Our friends at Participant Media ("An Inconvenient Truth") have a number of upcoming film projects. Opening today is the Disneynature documentary _Oceans_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=m+DzYud3QFMIPcIXNmZ2…) , a powerful film featuring spectacular never-before-seen imagery captured by the latest underwater technologies. To learn about the film and make a pledge to ensure healthy, clean oceans, visit _savemyoceans.com_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=CpIAkjXEUp4oIYLy7R7u…) . Also, check out the documentary _Climate of Change_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=QE//O7HyJ6ZN4dDPLQuP…) which highlights the efforts of everyday people in the fight against global warming. The film, narrated by actress Tilda Swinton, will be premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival and is also available via Video on Demand on most major cable systems. _Click here_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=MFf7RXSRf+ffSdiONuSc…) for more info. We also encourage you to see the new live action family comedy _Furry Vengeance_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=zi6WC2hXVmK2c95+xrk6…) , opening April 30th. Participant's Social Action Campaign for the movie will focus on endangered species and habitat preservation, and they have created a teachers curriculum and family activity booklet to help young people explore the issues. _Click here_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=vx5Hu8KY6Dq3J4BkrAvH…) for more on the campaign. MISSING HEAT Two recent news stories from _Time Magazine_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Srslml4DQjc294f+qTws…) and _US News and World Report_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=re5DHyi04PbPmeMPewiQ…) point to a troubling discovery that may affect future climate change. Over the past few years, while global CO2 emissions have continued to grow, the global temperature rise hasn't kept pace, suggesting that excess heat energy is getting trapped somehow. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) warn that this "missing" heat may be building up in the deep oceans or elsewhere in the climate system, and will come back to haunt us in the future. _Click here_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=IGwL1meEIlfKmddHbZ0z…) for more on the story. Keep Marching, Laurie David Founder _StopGlobalWarming.org_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=QDnfegIgD8vpRA8zI5pc…) _Privacy Policy_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Hl0ufqp0Zgks03rfoA/T…) | _Unsubscribe_ (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=0UI3tD0qu7B3U53j/8cx…) Stop Global Warming Virtual March, 15332 Antioch Street #168, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

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TMDL Session @ Parsons (4/26/10)
by Duane330＠aol.com 21 Apr '10

21 Apr '10

NOTE: There is a need for someone from CLEAR to attend the TMDL meeting in Parsons on April 26th and provide a brief report back to our organization. Please let me know if you can attend. CLEAR can pay for your gasoline and food. Thank you in advance. Duane Nichols [I will be in attendance at the National Water Monitoring Conference next week in Denver]. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Cheat Watershed TMDL allocations philosophy public meeting April 26, 2010. Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Parsons, W.Va. Tucker County Senior Center 206 Third Street >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> For information on cheat lake, visit: _www.cheatlaketoday.com_ (http://www.cheatlaketoday.com)

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Water protection in WV Legislature
by duane330＠aol.com 31 Mar '10

31 Mar '10

HB-4001 Would Have Established A 500 PPM In Stream Limit On Total Dissolved Solids By Duane Nichols, CLEAR, duane330(a)aol.com Delegate Barbara Fleischauer and a number of other local house members sponsored HB-4001 during the last two legislative sessions. This bill was needed because of the Dunkard Creek disaster in which over 22,000 fish and 14 species of mussels were destroyed this past September of 2009. The Bill would have set a water quality standard for the streams of West Virginia, to be limited to 500 parts per million of total dissolved solids. These "solids" represent dissolved inorganic "salts" such as calcium sulfate, aluminum sulfate, sodium chloride, etc. The 500 ppm limit is actually quite generous to the polluters; the 500 ppm limit is actually problematic for public water supplies as well as industrial water supplies. This is higher than can be used in most power plants for evaporative cooling water or in the coke plant at Clairton, PA. Unfortunately, this HB-4001 was held up and never released by Delegate Jim Morgan, Chairman of the House Government Organization Committee. We appealed to him for his support, but representatitives of the Marcellus Shale drillers were able to convince him that the Bill is not needed; this is certainly not true in my opinion. Consider the disaster on Dunkard Creek or the fact that the Monongahela River has exceeded the 500 ppm limit on four or more times during the past year. Duane Nichols >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Marcellus Shale "Water Bill" Dies on Final Night By Donald S. Garvin, Jr., WVEC Legislative Coordinator HB 4513, "establishing requirements for Marcellus gas well operations’ use of water resources," died in a conference committee on the final night of the session. If it had passed, the bill would have set additional reporting requirements for water withdrawals from streams, the contents of water used for high-volume "slick water" hydraulic fracturing, and where the waste water was to be disposed. The bill would also have required drillers to have plans for handling water withdrawals and waste disposal prior to getting the permit to drill. One of those plans would have covered maintaining minimum instream flows when withdrawing water. HB 4513 passed out of House Judiciary Committee by voice vote, and was later passed by the full House by a vote of 89 to 8. The Senate referred the bill to two committees: first to Natural Resources, and then to Energy, Industry and Mining (EIM). Senate Natural Resources Chairman John Pat Fanning took the bill up in committee almost immediately, and he allowed a full hour for the public to make presentations to the committee. The committee then passed the bill by a unanimous voice vote. But that second reference to EIM was the kiss of death. Before we go any further, we need to tell you about another oil and gas bill – SB 369, the "deep well/shallow well" bill. SB 369 would have changed the definition of a "shallow well" so that it applies to many vertical Marcellus Shale wells. Industry REALLY wanted this bill. But it’s a terrible bill that would have essentially legalized stealing of gas from neighboring mineral owners, and been worse for the environment by eliminating the need for well spacing (meaning more wells drilled and more land disturbed). So keeping all this in mind, here’s how things played out during that final week, as described by WV CAG lobbyist Julie Archer in this week’s Capitol Eye: "The House Judiciary Committee essentially held SB 369 hostage in order to encourage the Senate Energy, Industry and Mining (EIM) Committee to act on HB 4513. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, EIM amended the provisions of SB 369 into HB 4513. In addition, the committee also weakened important protections for our water resources, specifically a requirement that operators have a plan to maintain minimum instream flows. What started out as a good bill aimed at protecting our water resources, turned into something that neither WV-SORO nor the WV Environmental Council could support. The bill ended up in a conference committee on the last night of the session. Delegate Tim Manchin (D-Marion), lead sponsor of HB 4513, tried convince the Senate conferees to agree to restore critical language needed to protect our waters. When it became clear no compromise could be reached, HB 4513 died, killing SB 369 along with it." So that’s that. But not quite. The process of attempting to pass this bill in the Legislature has pushed DEP to actually do more for protecting water from oil and gas operations. And as a result, much of what we proposed in the bill is actually now being done by the Office of Oil and Gas in the permit process. So all is not lost. Finally, I want to mention that this bill would never have been proposed in the first place were it not for Delegate Tim Manchin (D-Marion), the House Chairman of the Legislative Oversight Commission on State Water Resources. It was Delegate Manchin who had the bill drafted after a year’s worth of presentations on Marcellus drilling issues. It was Delegate Manchin who became the lead sponsor of the bill. It was Delegate Manchin who orchestrated the advancement of the bill. And it was Delegate Manchin who stood behind the principles of the bill to the bitter end. I have never seen a legislator "work a bill" so hard. You wore me out, Tim!

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US EPA priorities
by Duane330＠aol.com 22 Mar '10

22 Mar '10

MESSAGES FROM THE EPA ADMINISTRATOR: WHY ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY GO HAND IN HAND AND WHAT EPA'S SEVEN PRIORITIES ARE EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson spoke at the National Press Club on March 8 on how environmental protection and economic prosperity go hand in hand to build a healthier, more prosperous nation, that "…economic opportunity is not possible without sustainability," and that "Without clean energy, the global economy will be running on empty within our lifetimes." _Full text of her remarks_ (http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/8d49f7ad4bbcf4ef852573590040b7f6/7…) . She also spoke earlier to EPA employees about EPA's seven priorities for EPA's future: * Taking Action on Climate Change * Improving Air Quality * Assuring the Safety of Chemicals * Cleaning Up Our Communities * Protecting America's Waters * Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice * Building Strong State and Tribal Partnerships _Read Administrator Jackson's memo_ (http://blog.epa.gov/administrator/2010/01/12/seven-priorities-for-epas-futu…) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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Flood warnings in WV & PA
by Duane330＠aol.com 13 Mar '10

13 Mar '10

March 12, 2010 Flood warnings issued for 3 W.Va. rivers CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Flood warnings are in effect for sections of the Cheat, Greenbrier and Tygart rivers due to melting snow and expected rain. By _The Associated Press_ (mailto:) CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Flood warnings are in effect for sections of the Cheat, Greenbrier and Tygart rivers due to melting snow and expected rain. The National Weather Service says the Cheat River is expected to exceed flood stage at Rowlesburg by Saturday morning. The Greenbrier River is expected to rise above flood stage at Buckeye and Marlinton on Saturday and at Alderson by Sunday morning. The Tygart River is expected to exceed flood stage at Belington and Philippi on Saturday. Moderate flooding is expected. Small-stream flooding is possible in other parts of the state.

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New web site for dep.wv.gov
by Duane330＠aol.com 03 Mar '10

03 Mar '10

To: CLEAR members and friends. Have you tried the new web-site for WV-Department of Envirnomental Protection at _www.dep.wv.gov_ (http://www.dep.wv.gov) Under _Special Studies_ (http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/watershed/wqmonitoring/Pages/SpecialStudiesonwate…) you will find extensive information on Dunkard Creek. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Water and Waste _Water and Waste Home_ (http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/Pages/default.aspx) _Permitting_ (http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/permit/Pages/default.aspx) _Stream Information_ (http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/WATERSHED/Pages/default.aspx) _Rules and Regulations_ (http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/regulations/Pages/default.aspx) _Water Use_ (http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/wateruse/Pages/default.aspx) _Special Studies_ (http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/watershed/wqmonitoring/Pages/SpecialStudiesonwate…)

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Wonders (photos) of the Natural World
by Duane330＠aol.com 02 Mar '10

02 Mar '10

Phenomenal Wonders Of The Natural World WebEcoist and Environmental Oddities Sailing Stones The mysterious moving stones of the packed-mud desert of Death Valley have been a center of scientific controversy for decades. Rocks weighing up to hundreds of pounds have been known to move up to hundreds of yards at a time. Some scientists have proposed that a combination of strong winds and surface ice account for these movements. However, this theory does not explain evidence of different rocks starting side by side and moving at different rates and in disparate directions. Moreover, the physics calculations do not fully support this theory as wind speeds of hundreds of miles per hour would be needed to move some of the stones.. Columnar Basalt When a thick lava flow cools, it contracts vertically but cracks perpendicular to its directional flow with remarkable geometric regularity - in most cases forming a regular grid of remarkable hexagonal extrusions that almost appear to be made by man. One of the most famous such examples is the Giants Causeway on the coast of Ireland (shown above), though the largest and most widely recognized would be Devils Tower in Wyoming. Basalt also forms different but equally fascinating ways when eruptions are exposed to air or water. Blue Holes Blue holes are giant and sudden drops in underwater elevation that gettheir name from the dark and foreboding blue tone they exhibit when viewed from above in relationship to surrounding waters. They can be hundreds of feet deep and while divers are able to explore some of them they are largely devoid of oxygen that would support sea life due to poor water circulation - leaving them eerily empty. Some blue holes, however, contain ancient fossil remains that have been discovered, preserved in their depths. Red Tides Red tides are also known as algal blooms - sudden influxes of massive amounts of colored single-cell algae that can convert entire areas of an ocean or beach into a blood red color. While some of these can be relatively harmless, others can be harbingers of deadly toxins that cause the deaths of fish, birds and marine mammals. In some cases, even humans have been harmed by red tides though no human exposure are known to have been fatal. While they can be fatal, the constituent phytoplankton in ride tides are not harmful in small numbers. Ice Circles While many see these apparently perfect ice circles as worthy of conspiracy theorizing, scientists generally accept that they are formed by eddies in the water that spin a sizable piece of ice in a circular motion. As a result of this rotation, other pieces of ice and flotsam wear relatively evenly at the edges of the ice until it slowly forms into an essentially ideal circle. Ice circles have been seen with diameters of over 500 feet and can also at times be found in clusters and groups of different sizes as shown above. Mammatus Clouds True to their ominous appearance, mammatus clouds are often harbingers of a coming storm or other extreme weather system. Typically composed primarily of ice, they can extend for hundreds of miles in each direction and individual formations can remain visibly static for ten to fifteen minutes at a time. While they may appear foreboding they are merely the messengers - appearing around, before or even after severe weather. Fire Rainbows A circumhorizontal fire rainbow arc occurs at a rare confluence of right time and right place for the sun and certain clouds. Crystals within the clouds refract light into the various visible waves of the spectrum but only if they are arrayed correctly relative to the ground below. Due to the rarity with which all of these events happen in conjunction with one another, there are relatively few remarkable photos of this phenomena. Sinkholes Sinkholes are one of the worlds scariest natural phenomena. Over time, water erodes the soil under the planets surface until in some cases, quite suddenly,the land above gives way and collapses into the earth. Many sinkholes occur naturally while others are the result of human intervention. Displacing groundwater can open cavities while broken pipes can erode otherwise stable subterranean sediments. Urban sinkholes, up to hundreds of feet deep have formed and consumed parts of city blocks, sidewalks and even entire buildings. Penitentes Named after peak-hooded New Mexican monks (lower right above), penitentes are dazzling naturally-forming ice blades that stick up at sharp angles toward the sun. Rarely found except at high altitudes, they can grow up taller than a human and form in vast fields. As ice melts in particular patterns, valleys formed by initial melts leave mountains in their wake. Strangely, these formations ultimately slow the melting process as the peaks cast shadows on the deeper surfaces below and allow for winds to blow over the peaks, cooling them. Lenticular Clouds Ever wonder the truth about UFOs? Avoided by traditional pilots but loved by sailplane aviators, lenticular clouds are masses of cloud with strong internal uplift that can drive a motorless flyer to high elevations. Their shape is quite often mistaken for a mysterious flying object or the artificial cover for one. Generally, lenticular clouds are formed as wind speeds up while moving around a large land object such as a mountain.. Light Pillars Light pillars appear as eerily upright luminous columns in the sky, beacons cast into the air above without an apparent source. These are visible when light reflects just right off of ice crystals from either the sun (as in the two top images above) or from artificial ground sources such as street or park lights. Despite their appearance as near-solid columns of light, the effect is entirely created by our own relative viewpoint. Sundogs Like light pillars, sundogs are the product of light passing through crystals. The particular shape and orientation of the crystals can have a drastic visual impact for the viewer, producing a longer tail and changing the range of colors one sees. The relative height of the sun in the sky shifts the distance the sundogs appear to be on either side of the sun. Varying climactic conditions on other planets in our solar system produce halos with up to four sundogs from those planets perspectives. Sundogs have been speculated about and discussed since ancient times and written records describing the various attributes of our sun date back the Egyptians and Greeks. Fire Whirls Fire whirls (also known as fire devils or tornadoes) appear in or around raging fires when the right combination of climactic conditions is present. Fire whirls can be spawned by other natural events such as earthquakes and thunderstorms, and can be incredibly dangerous, in some cases spinning well out of the zone of a fire itself to cause devastation and death in a radius not even reached by heat or flame. Fire whirls have been known to be nearly a mile high, have wind speeds of over 100 miles per hour and to last for 20 or more minutes. Orange Moons This last phenomena is something most people have seen before - beautiful orange moon hanging low in the sky. But what causes this phenomena - and, for that matter, does the moon have a color at all? When the moon appears lower on the horizon,rays of light bouncing off it have to pass through a great deal more of our atmosphere which slowly strips away everything but yellows, oranges and reds. The bottommost image above is true to the hues of the moon but has enhanced colors to more clearly show the differences in shade that illustrate the mixed topography and minerology that tell the story of the moons surface. Looking at the colors in combination with the craters one can start to trace the history of impacts and consequent material movements across the face of our mysterious moon.

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Environmental Film Festival on Tuesday
by Duane330＠aol.com 13 Feb '10

13 Feb '10

Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Time: 7:30pm - 10:00pm Location: Warner Theater, 147 High St., Morgantown, WV The largest environmental film festival in the USA is hosted by The West Virginia Rivers Coalition and sponsored in-part by Adventure's Edge. Not only are these great films, but the proceeds support an important WV resource...Rivers! For more info call 304.637.7201 or _www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org_ (http://www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org) . Tickets are available at Adventure's Edge, 131 Pleasant St, Morgantown or online at _www.wvrivers.org_ (http://www.wvrivers.org) Maddy Madeleine S. Hoden Mountaineer Adventure Programs Graduate Assistant _mshoden(a)mail.wvu.edu_ (mailto:mshoden@mail.wvu.edu) (814) 779-9265 Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at door. <>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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AE value = $4.7 (stock) + $3.8 (debt)..???
by Duane330＠aol.com 11 Feb '10

11 Feb '10

FirstEnergy, owner of Jersey Central Power & Light, agrees to buy Allegheny Energy for $4.7B By _The Associated Press_ (http://connect.nj.com/user/njoapnews/index.html) , February 11, 2010, 8:13AM Utility company FirstEnergy said today it is buying rival Allegheny Energy for about $4.7 billion in stock in a deal that will create one of the nation's largest power companies with customers from Ohio to New York. The combined company will have about $16 billion in annual revenue and $1.4 billion in profit and serve more than 6 million customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia. "The combination of our companies is a natural fit that will accelerate our efforts to strengthen the operating performance of our generating fleet while building on our long-standing dedication to customers, shareholders and employees," Anthony J. Alexander, CEO of FirstEnergy, said in a statement. Alexander will remain the top executive of the combined company, which will be based at FirstEnergy's headquarters in Akron, Ohio. The deal is expected to close within 14 months. Shareholders of Allegheny, based in Greensburg, Pa., will receive 0.667 shares of FirstEnergy common stock in exchange for each share they own. Based on Tuesday's closing price, those shares will be valued at $27.65 and represent a 32 percent premium over Allegheny's closing price of $21.02 on Wednesday. Allegheny shares rose 19 percent to $25 in premarket trading. The deal will also include FirstEnergy's assumption of $3.8 billion in debt.

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Take care driving now
by Duane330＠aol.com 10 Feb '10

10 Feb '10

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