MVCAC November 2012

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3 participants
7 discussions

: {GT} MPO Transportation Plan to be presented
by Duane 12 Feb '13

12 Feb '13

> From: "Chris Haddox" <Chris.Haddox(a)mail.wvu.edu> > Date: November 26, 2012 8:41:26 AM EST > To: morgantowngreenteam(a)googlegroups.com > Subject: {GT} Fwd: MPO Transportation Plan to be presented > > Hey MMGT folks, > Please see below for item of interest. > Chris > > The MPO will be presenting the draft 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan for our area on December 5th from 5 until 8 PM at the City of Morgantown Public Safety Building 300 Spruce Street. The meeting will be an informal walk through presentation. Please share this information with everyone so we may have the best attendance possible. Both a black and white and color flyers for this meeting are attached for your use. > > Thank you for your assistance in advertising this public meeting. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of assistance. > > Regards, > > Bill Austin, AICP > Executive Director > Morgantown Monongalia MPO > 82 Hart Field Road Ste. 105 > Morgantown, WVA 26505 > 304-291-9571 > 304-692-7225 Mobile > > J. Chris Haddox, LEED AP, > Visiting Assistant Professor, Sustainable Design > Division of Design & Merchandising > West Virginia University > 704M Allen Hall Box 6124 > Morgantown, WV 26505 >

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Stop the noise and air pollution at MFIP!
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 26 Nov '12

26 Nov '12

Remember Northeastern Natural Energy at the Morgantown Industrial Park and the public outcry? Same County Same type of location: Industrial Park Same type of Industry Health, Safety and Welfare of citizens threatened Visit http://stopthenoise.lwvwv.org for a better reading experience and to view the videos documenting the noise pollution. Stop the Noise! <http://www.lwvwv.org/2012/11/20/stop-the-noise/> <http://www.lwvwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/P1010334.jpg><http://www.lwvwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/P1010336.jpg> Stop the noise! <http://stopthenoise.lwvwv.org/> Sounds simple, doesn't it? But it is not. At the Natural Resources committee meeting ofLWV of Morgantown-Monongalia <http://www.lwvwv.org/category/league-of-women-votes-of-wv/morgantown/>on November 19th, 2012, the brutal reality of what happens when citizens have no recourse when their welfare is threatened became painfully apparent to us all in a loud way. In the videos below Cassandra Harvey records the almost constant 24/7 noise her family had to experience in the vicinity of the Mon Fayette Industrial Park (MFIP). "Had to" because after several month of grating, constant, maddening, unrelenting, drive a person insane noise, she and her family had to move. Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Manager Edward Limas ofInspection Oilfield Services (IOS) <http://www.iospci.com/> states in a noise survey conducted on 8/27/2012 that the noise level ranged from 86.3-105.8 dB. According to the OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Standards concerning Occupational noise exposure <http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_i…> ("Paragraphs (c) through (n) <http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/oilgaswelldrilling/index.html#standards>of this section shall not apply to employers engaged in oil and gas well drilling and servicing operations."), sound protection is required for workers spending over 2 hours at the 100 dB range. Table G-16 below provides a detailed dB/hr explanation. TABLE G-16 - PERMISSIBLE NOISE EXPOSURES (1) ______________________________________________________________ | Duration per day, hours | Sound level dBA slow response ____________________________|_________________________________ | 8...........................| 90 6...........................| 92 4...........................| 95 3...........................| 97 2...........................| 100 1 1/2 ......................| 102 1...........................| 105 1/2 ........................| 110 1/4 or less................| 115 ____________________________|________________________________ This video speaks for itself. IOS workers are not protected from potential injury from loud sound! If they were working for short periods of time, perhaps, but the residents beside the Industrial Park have been observing the same workers over an extended time period. The residents have been experiencing air pollution from the rust and chemicals being removed from the pipes. Sometimes there is a chemical odor in the air, and they have observed a film from the particulates depositing on surfaces. Ruth Stone explained how the chemistry of her swimming pool water has been altered. Photos were shown of a bird bath filled with a rust color substance. Observe in the video above how workers are not wearing any respiratory protection either! Another known violation. I asked Bill Myers, one of over 10 residents who attended the meeting, whether the pipes are cleaned on location at the drilling site, or whether they come in dirty with drilling mud. Although he was not completely sure whether they are being delivered with toxic mud, he said, they are cleaned at the Industrial Park, and the dirty water, drains into a tributary that empties into Cheat Lake. It would be interesting to find out the results from a chemistry test of the effluents being dumped from the site. IOS is only 1 of several companies with a lease at the Park. According to MFIP leasing specs, there are nowmore than 20 tenants <http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16835952/1100-Heavy-Haul-Road-Morgantown-WV/>mainly focused on the oil and gas industry. <http://www.lwvwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Mon-Fayette-Industrial-Park…> Resident's home in relation to the Industrial Park site. View Larger Map <http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Clark+Road,+M…> When the Industrial Park was being constructed beside the residents homes, a 15 foot high vertical drop was built right along their property lines. No attempt was made by the operators to put a protective fence along this wall to protect residents, in particular, their children. Both of Cassandra's children were adversely affected by the noise in the nighttime and suffered from the inability to sleep. Cassandra observed behavioral changes in both children resulting from the extreme fatigue. There were specific instances when her 6 year old was screaming and crying due to an incredibly high-pitched squeal. Both she and her husband, Wade, a physician, have developed tinnitus. The video below provides good insight into why they had to move. But, many of the residents cannot move from the location. Some have been there for 40+ years. This is the place they have loved and enjoyed, but now their faces bare deep frowns. I could sense the heaviness and despair in the air. These folk do not oppose good jobs, and IOS promised them they would be a good neighbor. But that has not happened, instead it has become a waking nightmare that they cannot fall asleep from. <http://www.lwvwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2012-0829-15.33-4.jpg> Burning behind the IOS facility. There are many other violations the residents have been observing at the Industrial Park. One repeated violation involves burning without a permit on an industrial site which is illegal in West Virginia. <http://www.lwvwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/blasting11.jpg><http://www.lwvwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/blasting111.jpg><http://www.lwvwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/blasting1111.jpg> Blasting is being performed by Mountaineer Drilling & Blasting from Clarksburg. Some resident's homes have sustained structural damage. The response from the Industrial Park's insurer, Chartis (Mountaineer Drilling sent Smith Adjusting) is that the blasting has not been strong enough to cause damage. The residents were made aware that seismographs were used after they complained; however, they have never been granted access to the data collected. What is worst is that no offer for pre-appraisals were initially offered, and there was never a notice about the blasting being performed. Sirens were occasionally used, but not according to blasting regulations or with any regularity. Complete violations. Paul Panson, incorporator and President (owner) of LPG Land & Development Corp., the corporation operating the Mon Fayette Industrial Park, allowed more blasting to occur on November 8 and 12 despite complaints from the residents. Bonnie Hughes (the resident who originally contacted me on this website) says that an unknown company was performing blasting on those two dates, and speculates that LPG Land & Development may have been performing the work themselves without an outside contractors help. Why hasn't anything been done? Apparently, the regulations that pertain to permanent sites do not apply to the transient Oil & Gas industry's temporary sites. But temporary is a relative term, it could be an indefinite amount of years, as long as drilling continues up the road in Pennsylvania, the Industrial Park is conveniently located right near the end of the Mon-Fayette expressway. As for the noise, the worst complaint of all, Bonnie explains it in this way, "The buck keeps getting passed around from EPA to DEP to County Commission back to EPA". While deeply concerned, the Monongalia County Health Department <http://www.monchd.org/>andHUD <http://hud.gov/>have not been able to help. <http://www.lwvwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/mckinley-noise.jpg> WV Congressman David McKinley's response On October 19, 2012, WV Congressman David McKinley responded to Bonnie's complaint regarding the excessive noise level at the MFIP. He explains, "TheNoise Control Act of 1972 <http://www.epa.gov/air/noise/noise_control_act_of_1972.pdf>andQuiet Communities Act of 1978 <http://www.epa.gov/air/noise.html>were not rescinded, and remain in effect today." However, McKinley says, "In 1981, the Administration concluded that noise issues were best handled at the state or local governmental level." McKinley copied this information in his letter verbatim from EPA's website <http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/history/topics/noise/index.html>. Neither does he believe that current Federal regulations enforced by the EPA or a designated agency would apply to her complaint. Then he offers to forward a very detailed written statement of her concerns to the EPA to determine if help is available, and ask the County Commission, and WV DEP to contact her personally. Bonnie sent this statement to McKinley on October 22, 2012, and has not heard back. But, the residents have already been through this circuit with the EPA, DEP and County Commission over and over again. He says, "I am hopeful these officials will be successful in convincing the drilling company to commit to being a "good neighbor" and offer a suitable resolution which will be aimed at reducing the noise levels associated with their drilling activities." What the residents desperately want now is relief. They cannot wait for County Planning to implement a sound ordinance, or the state legislature to implement a law that the County Commission would have to obey. They hope that theNoise Control Act of 1972 <http://www.epa.gov/air/noise/noise_control_act_of_1972.pdf>will come to their rescue and will preempt, or perhaps their new neighbor will pay close attention to the part in the Constitution that promotes the general Welfare of all her people. One more video to whet your whistle. In this video, a fire whistle competes with the background sound. Yes, sirens are still used in our region in this modern age of pagers, radios and telephones!

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CMU Project at GASP
by Duane 21 Nov '12

21 Nov '12

What’s in your air? Help us pilot test a tool for low-cost air quality sensing! We are researchers at Carnegie Mellon’s Human Computer Interaction Intitute, organizing an air quality workshop. We would like to send you a tool for capturing particulates in the air. Use this sensor anywhere you like and then mail it back to us or bring it to our workshop. During the workshop, we will show you how to create your own particle sensors and conduct particle counts using a microscope. Discussions around air quality, particulate matter sensing, and data visualization will offer insights into how this approach might be scaled to larger groups. What: Air quality workshop When: Thursday, December 13 at 6pm Where: GASP Headquarters, 5135 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 If you are interested in participating in the study or have any questions regarding the project, please contact Stacey Kuznetsov (stace(a)cs.cmu.edu) This research is voluntary and will take up to 3 hours. We welcome anyone over the age of 18.You will be compensated $10 for each hour of your time during workshops and interviews.

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UPDATED URL: Draft Mon County Comprehensive Plan web site
by Paula Hunt (pjhunt＠xemaps.com) 13 Nov '12

13 Nov '12

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Draft Mon County Comprehensive Plan web site
by Paula Hunt (pjhunt＠xemaps.com) 13 Nov '12

13 Nov '12

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Vote Elevates Community Rights Over Corporate Privileges—Bans Fracking and Injection Wells « EcoWatch: Uniting the Voice of the Grassroots Environmental Movement
by Duane 07 Nov '12

07 Nov '12

Vote Elevates Community Rights Over Corporate Privileges—Bans Fracking and Injection Wells http://ecowatch.org/2012/vote-bans-fracking-injection-wells/ Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund Voters in Ferguson Township, Centre County Pennsylvania adopted a Community Bill of Rights guaranteeing the right to clean air, pure water, a sustainable energy future, the peaceful enjoyment of home, the right of ecosystems to exist and flourish, and the right to exercise self-government in the local community. To protect these rights, the amendment also bans corporations from conducting shale gas drilling and related activities in the community. The Ferguson Township charter amendment was drafted by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) at the invitation of the community groups Community Rights Activism for Ferguson Township (CRAFT), a group of local citizens, lead by Pam Steckler and Groundswell, headed up by retired Penn State professor Jeffrey Kurland. Groundswell organized last year’s successful charter amendment campaign in State College Borough. When Kurland presented the petitions to the Centre County Board of Elections for inclusion on the ballot, Ferguson Township officials threatened to file an injunction in county court, seeking a ruling on the question’s constitutionality. CELDF, representing the petitioners, notified the Township that in similar cases it had argued, the courts had ruled in favor of petitioners’ rights against prior restraint. Following receipt of that information, Solicitor Lewis Steinberg advised the Township Commissioners that residents must first have their say at the polls. The amendment survived pre-election public opposition by the Township Commissioners, Municipal Solicitor Lewis Steinberg and Township Manager Mark Kunkle, including Township-funded mailers sent to each household in the community and commentaries on the Township’s official website advising residents to vote against the Community Bill of Rights. Despite claims made by opponents, the Community Bill of Rights amendment does not “regulate” oil or gas extraction. Rather, it asserts fundamental rights that are beyond regulation by the state and then protects those rights by prohibiting corporate behavior deemed by the community to pose threats to those rights. Fracking and related activities are permitted by the state and allow corporations to site drilling and injection wells against the consent of the community. The amendment recognizes the rights of community members as superior to the regulatory laws of Pennsylvania and finds the issuance of such permits, in violation of those rights, to be an illegitimate exercise of state power. With passage of the law, Ferguson Township joins a dozen other communities in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Ohio and New Mexico that have taken a stand for fundamental rights by banning fracking and related activities. Corporations that violate the prohibitions or that seek to drill or site injection wells in the Township will not be afforded “personhood” rights under the U.S. or Pennsylvania Constitution, nor will they be afforded protections under the Commerce Clause or Contracts Clause under the federal or state constitution. Visit EcoWatch’s FRACKING page for more related news on this topic. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535.

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Public Meeting On Comprehensive Plan
by Duane 07 Nov '12

07 Nov '12

>> From: "Richard Wood" <director(a)moncpc.org> >> Date: November 7, 2012 11:46:24 AM EST >> Cc: "Patricia Diederich" <planner(a)moncpc.org> >> Subject: Public Meeting On Comprehensive Plan >> >> All; >> >> Please find attached a flyer concerning the next public meeting on the Monongalia County Comprehensive Plan for the Four Planning Districts. The public meeting will be held in conjunction with the Monongalia County Planning Commission's regular meeting, next Wednesday, November 14, 2012 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM in Courtroom 1 on the third floor of the Monongalia County Courthouse. >> >> Thanks >> >> Rich Wood >> >> Richard L. Wood, AICP >> Director of Planning >> Monongalia County Planning Commission >> 82 Hart Field Road, Suite 105 >> Morgantown, West Virginia 26505 >> >> Phone: 304 291-9572 >> Email: director(a)moncpc.org >> Website: www.moncpc.org >> >>

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MVCAC November 2012