VA's Bay Watershed Plan Falls Short

Map from DCR website.

On March 30, the Commonwealth's Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) submitted Phase II of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan, (WIP Phase 2) to the EPA. WIP Phase II is intended to guide Virginia's bay restoration activities for the next 13 years, but it is so lacking in specifics, detailed data, and clear locality strategies for implementation that it is, as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Executive Director Ann Jennings said, "little more than a statewide wish-list of possibilities that, unless revised, falls far short of providing Virginia citizens with reasonable assurance Virginia can meet its Bay cleanup goals."

Although it runs some 80 pages, WIP Phase 2 (PDF) is filled with vaguely hopeful phrases like "seek opportunities," "promote," and "encourage" and is so lacking in specific implementation actions and targets that it is virtually meaningless. It is kind of like a fellow saying he will graduate from college but not having any specific plans as to how to pay for it, what courses he will take, what major he will pursue, or even what college he will attend. Perhaps this is by design and decree of the McDonnell administration? He and his party have resisted many of the EPA's bay cleanup targets and strategies from the beginning.

The public comment period runs through May 31 - contact DCR and tell them the plan lacks so many specifics it really isn't a plan at all. Tell DCR to describe specific locality-by-locality plans that will make Chesapeake Bay cleanup a reality rather than a pipe dream. You can email comments to vabaytmdl@dcr.virginia.gov or mail them to James Davis-Martin, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 900 East Main St., 8th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219. Be sure to include your name, address, and phone number in all correspondence.

About 60% of Virginia's land area and more than two-thirds of the state population live the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Major river watersheds draining into the Chesapeake include the Potomac (including Shenandoah), Rappahannock, York and James rivers as well as coastal lands on the bay's shoreline.

Toxic Commonwealth

With over 15 million pounds of toxins dumped into the Commonwealth's waterways, Virginia "ranks" among the worst states for pollution from industrial plants posing a threat to human health and the environment. While we all think of southwest Virginia as being pristine wilderness, the New River ranked #3 in the nation for toxic discharges with 12,529,948 pounds purposely dumped in the water. The Roanoke River came in at #15 in the nation with 2,762,330 pounds of toxic discharges. Sadly, the facts and figures about toxic discharges don't tell the whole story - industrial facilities must report Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) only if they exceed certain limits. Smaller plants may never report anything, yet their discharges get stirred into the witches' brew that has become our streams, lakes, and rivers.

The major contributor of toxins in the New River is the Radford Army Ammunition Plant which dumps over 12,000,000 pounds of toxins into the water. That's the second highest toxin discharge in the nation.  Bringing death to our hometowns....

Nationwide, the largest category of releases are nitrates which may be toxic "particularly to infants consuming formula made with nitrate-laden drinking water...." And, there are many other sources of nitrates (agricultural runoff, over application of lawn fertilizers, etc.) that are NOT included in the TRI.

Of course the problem isn't only found in the Toxic Commonwealth (but unfortunately we are one of the big uglies) but in every state from sea to shining sea:

• Pollution from just five states—Indiana, Virginia, Nebraska, Texas, and Georgia—accounted for nearly forty percent of the total amount of pollution dumped into our waterways in 2010
• Food and beverage manufacturing (slaughterhouses, rendering plants, etc.), primary metals manufacturing, chemical plants, and petroleum refineries were some of the largest polluters. AK Steel dumped the most toxic pollution—nearly 30 million pounds—into our waterways in 2010.
• In 2010, industries discharged approximately 1.5 million pounds of cancer-causing chemicals, like arsenic, chromium, and benzene, into America’s waterways. Nevada’s Burns Creek received the largest volume of carcinogens in 2010, while neighboring Mill Creek placed third.
• Nitrates accounted for nearly 90 percent of the total volume of discharges to waterways reported in 2010. Nitrates are toxic, particularly to infants consuming formula made with nitrate-laden drinking water, who may be susceptible to methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby” syndrome, a disease that reducesthe ability of blood to carry oxygen throughout the body.

So, I guess the question is: are the governor, the General Assembly, and representatives like Bob Goodlatte and Morgan Griffith looking out for the people of Virginia or for the profits of their big donors? You decide. But, don't drink the water... or swim in it either!

For more information visit Environment America and read their report, Wasting Our Waterways 2012 Toxic Industrial Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act.

Springsteen tells it like it is to Washington, D.C. politicians

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band invaded the nation's capitol with a message of robber barons and greedy bankers, politicians failing to "take care of their own," and a better future in our "land of hope and dreams." It was a rousing performance that from my perspective was just about perfect. The sound and lighting crews did a fantastic job - better than I recall at JPJ during the Magic Tour. And, although I am easily intimidated by D.C. traffic, we got in and out easily enough although there are a couple of truly bizarre intersections that bring pedestrians, tourists, rookie urban drivers (like me), and aggressive taxi drivers into close quarters. I am surprised there aren't more bumps and bruises.

The packed house was an interesting mix of ages from preteens through greying and balding fans older than the Boss himself. Many were wearing T-shirts or other symbols of past concerts or their love of all things Springsteen. Some, like my daughter, were probably more curious than actual fans - but she did call the experience more "entertaining" than she'd expected. The most noticeable characteristic was the overwhelming whiteness of the crowd - the E Street Band has far more diversity than the fans.

I could not have designed a better playlist if I had been given the opportunity to tell Bruce and the band what I wanted to hear - 26 great songs, six of them (if you count "Land of Hope and Dreams") from Wrecking Ball:

• We Take Care of Our Own
• Wrecking Ball
• Night
• Death to My Hometown
• My City of Ruins
• Seaside Bar Song
• Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
• Jack of All Trades
• Trapped
• Adam Raised a Cain
• Easy Money
• She's the One
• Waitin' on a Sunny Day
• The Promise
• Apollo Medley
• American Skin (41 Shots)
• Because the Night
• The Rising
• We Are Alive
• Thunder Road

• Rocky Ground (with Michelle Moore)
• Out in the Street
• Born to Run
• Dancing in the Dark
• Land of Hope and Dreams
• Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

The horn section is great and adds an unexpected dimension to the E Street Band. Jake Clemons has developed his own presence on the stage and he plays the sax pretty damn well. The fans seem to accept and love him. Nils Lofgren has always been a great guitarist and his talents shown brightly in a couple of jams - as the tour progresses I expect fans will hear more of his magic. He's the only one of the E Street Band I've met personally. In the early 70s Lofgren's band, Grin, performed at Bridgewater College. I was part of the student government that signed the newly formed Grin on the cheap hoping they'd hit the charts before the scheduled show. Despite his talent and some great songs, Grin never took off.

In spite of all the talent around him, the focus of everyone's attention was, as always, Bruce Springsteen himself. Whether it was wading into and being carried by the crowd, dancing with a young girl with bunny ears, or turning the mic over to a 9-10 year old boy during "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" the man has more energy and raw charisma than anyone who has not been to one of his concerts can ever imagine.

I'd been following the tour playlists. I thought I knew what to expect and was waiting in anticipation for favorites like "Thunder Road," "Dancing in the Dark," and (hopefully) "Land of Hope and Dreams" and I was not disappointed. Bruce and the band played them flawlessly. Classics like "Because the Night" and "Seaside Bar Song" thrilled the sold-out crowd! But, I was totally blown away when Bruce and the band dove into "The Promise," in my mind the most poignant and penetrating of all of Bruce's songs. Only the third time it has been played by the full band, "The Promise" haunts me - as soon as I think I've figured out an interpretation I think about another one or read something totally different from what I was thinking. Although the crowd seemed to appreciate the performance of "The Promise" I don't think most were that familiar with the song that coulda and shoulda been on Darkness on the Edge of Town. Here is a wonderful piano version of "The Promise" from a few years ago.

But the central theme of the performance was, of course, Wrecking Ball, and Springsteen's lyrics spoke truth to the deaf ears of power on Capitol Hill. He laid the blame for hard times (that come and go, come and go, and come again) at the "bastards" on "bankers' hill" and the "money changers." Tracks like "Easy Money" and "Jack of All Trades" tell stories of families finding different ways to make it through lost jobs and lost hopes. The gospel-like "Rocky Ground" urged the shepherd to "find your flock, get them to higher ground" with the promise of "a new day's coming." And the rousing opening song, "We Take Care of Our Own" taunted the D.C. politicians: "Where's the promise from sea to shining sea... wherever this flag is flown... we take care of our own." Clip below from the Grammy Awards 2/12/12:

Springsteen's lyrics also contained anthems and ideas of the path to a better future. The Irish marching beat of "Death to My Hometown" admonished people to stand together and be "ready when they (robber barons) come" and to "get yourself a song to sing, and sing it 'til you're done, sing it strong and sing it well, send the robber barons straight to hell." And the eerie lyrics and cadence of "We Are Alive" suggests that all those who fought for human rights and dignity through the ages are with us today "to carry the fire and light the spark, to fight shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart."

As The Washington Post noted, Springsteen "dove headfirst into the heart of America, and if what he found wasn’t always pretty, it sure was powerful."

Did Capitol Hill listen and heed voices from the heart of this great nation? I am sure at least a few representatives and senators were in the crowd along with their staffers, members of the media and shapers of opinion. New York Times columnist, Tom Friedman, was two rows in front of us and NBC's political guru, Chuck Todd a few rows in front of him. Like he has done for over 40 years, Springsteen delivered his message with energy, depth, and clarity.

Is there anybody alive out there?

Follow the Wrecking Ball tour at Backstreets.com.

Andy Schmookler Town Hall Meeting

Andy Schmookler recently submitted petitions with more than enough signatures to qualify as the Democratic candidate for Virginia's 6th District - since no other candidate filed, the primary will be cancelled and Andy will be the Democratic nominee in the November General Election. Meet Andy at 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 31 at a Town Hall in the Staunton Public Library. Visit his website to learn more about the issues, other opportunities to meet Andy, and how you can help his campaign to replace Bobblehead Bob.

Coal Bucket Outlaw

Coal Bucket Outlaw examines a day in the life of a coal truck driver. Although set in Kentucky, it could be anywhere in Appalachian coal country, including southwest Virginia. The economics of the coal business pushes drivers to exceed the limits and break the laws every day. The documentary asks a fundamental question - if outlaws deliver half our nation's energy, don't consumers and policy makers share some of the responsibility?

For more information about Coal Bucket Outlaw and for complete programming details, visit Free Speech TV online or check it out 24/7 on DISH Network channel 9415 or DIRECTV channel 348. Also on FSTV, King Coal is Dead (Sorta).

Morgan Griffith comes out against cleaner air

 Yesterday, Representative Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) opened fire on President Obama's administration because of new greenhouse emissions limits announced by the Environmental Protection Agency. Playing the fear card and reciting the GOP's well-honed anti-EPA screeds, Griffith stated, "In my opinion, these new regulations make it crystal clear that the Obama Administration wants to end the use of coal in our country. This is a very sad day for coal employers, coal employees, and coal customers... I believe this new rule will undoubtedly lead to higher energy prices for the average American family and the average American business. If the President has his way, coal will be out of business in America."

Well, Representative Griffith how about a few facts about the true costs of coal:

• Virginia's coal-fired plants have earned the commonwealth a dubious ranking of 6th in the nation for health impacts on residents, including nearly 650 premature deaths and almost 900 additional heart attacks per year;
• The Asthma and Allergy Foundation has "awarded" Richmond the dubious distinction of Top Asthma Capitol in the U.S. for the second year in a row;
• Coal-fired plants pass on health related costs to everyone who lives in the state - to the tune of about 3.2 cents per kwh;
• Mountaintop removal coal mining is a job-killer that destroys the ecology of the Appalachian mountains - so far 67 mountains have been blown apart, over 156,000 acres of forest clearcut, and 151 miles of streams contaminated and destroyed.

Dominion Resources, Appalachian Power, and other Virginia utilities could create energy and jobs by moving towards wind and solar power. Solar alone could provide nearly 20% of the state's electricity. Dominion is making a serious play to monopolize how and when off-shore wind power comes online. Dominion will use it deep pockets and friends in high places to block smaller wind energy companies and the proposed giant transmission cable that would service the off-shore turbines. Typical of Dominion, they want a monopoly and they are willing to use powerful political connections to get it... do they also want to drag their feet on clean energy while keeping others out of the business? Under the leadership of Tom Farrell, Dominion Resources has done just that. Should we trust Dominion, and Dominion alone, to move Virginia forward or will misplaced trust consign the commonwealth to perpetual first place in pollution caused asthma and to last place in clean, renewable energy?

Time to go solar?

According to an article entitled "Cost of Solar Energy Plummets" that I first read in the April/May 2012 edition of Mother Earth News, the cost of a residential solar power system has dropped about 40% in the last couple of years. The same article is posted online at a site called Academic Articles.

The writer, Dan Chiras, points out that conventional energy costs about 17 cents per kwh in New Jersey and in many major cities conventional electricity costs 10 to 12 cents per kwh. In the Midwest, the unsubsidized cost of solar has fallen to 13.7 cents per kwh and federal tax credits bring it to less than 10 cents. To sweeten the financial incentives even more, some U.S. utilities currently buy renewable energy credits from customers that help them meet state goals for renewable energy production.

I get my electricity from Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative and, since I'm just beginning to check this out I, don't know if it makes economic sense in my situation. At our pre-Civil War home I mostly heat with propane (and wood) and cook with propane. In addition to lighting, the water heater and dryer (we hang 75% of laundry on the line) are electric and one room has electrically warmed flooring. In short, we are far from a totally electric home. I do know that (including the basic consumer charge; riders, distribution charges, and adjustments; and local/state taxes) I am paying about 11.75 cents per kwh used.

At this point I don't know the viability and costs of installing a photovoltaic (PV) system at my location. I don't know how quickly I could recoup the upfront costs or how it would impact resale value. I don't know how cooperative my co-op will be, although I am reasonably impressed with their conservation programs and overall service. And, I certainly don't know if federal tax credits will make a PV system cost effective.

But, I recently watched construction nearby of a solar system to provide heating at a poultry house and I do know that with costs of PV systems coming down quickly, the current environment may be a good time start humming the 1969 George Harrison song, "Here Comes the Sun."