The Piedmont View
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The Piedmont View A MEMBERSHIP NEWSLETTER OF THE PIEDMONT ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL AUTUMN 2017 IN THIS ISSUE Free Flow: Water, It’s PAGE 2 Complicated Restoring Rivers & Connecting Habitat By Claire Catlett ivers naturally flow from and streams throughout Virginia’s the mountains to the sea. Piedmont. This survey, directed Dams and other barriers by our former habitat manager, like culverts can disrupt James Barnes, identified over 133 Rnatural stream flow, disconnect sites where barriers exist on public fish and wildlife habitat and impair and private roads and driveways. water quality. Removing unnatural PEC has taken on the work of barriers and disruptions is particu- restoring local rivers by removing larly important for conserving our culverts and low-water crossings waterways. that can be roadblocks to stream Greenway “I have seen hundreds of health. By replacing these barriers The removal of culverts at Sprucepine Branch in Rappahannock. PAGE 3 Effort miles of streams disconnected on roads and driveways with fish- by these barriers throughout the friendly designs, we are improving Photo by Claire Catlett Rappahannock River watershed. habitat and water quality. The big picture, ecologically Many aquatic species, 1900s,” says Peter Hujik, our downstream effects on water speaking, is to reconnect as many including Virginia’s state fish, the Orange and Madison County field quality are impressive, too. At miles of stream as we can, so Eastern brook trout, benefit from representative and project lead on Robinson River, 350 linear feet that fish can spawn and swim these restoration projects. Ideally, the stream restoration efforts in of stream were restored to its upstream to find new habitat,” we hope these projects will Madison. “Many are beginning to natural channel, stabilizing banks says Celia Vuocolo, our wildlife influence government agencies to fail and will need to be replaced from erosion, and ultimately habitat specialist. incorporate fish-friendly designs within the next five or ten years, removing sediment from going Celia’s work on a PEC survey as they update roads and stream so our initiative is timely.” downstream to the Chesapeake conducted in 2014 of aquatic crossings. While everyone loves Bay. In all, 5.3 miles of aquatic passage and barriers has directed “Most of these culverts seeing native trout thriving in habitat were restored. recent efforts to restore rivers were put in during the early our headwater streams, the Continued on page 5 $1 Million in PAGE 4 Solar Installed Eight Reasons By Gem Bingol s their name implies, “zom- usually share an unfortunate set County, Maryland is one such help commuters by increasing bie projects” have a way of characteristics: they benefit zombie project. During the sum- access to transit: Aof coming back every few few, siphon off limited transporta- mer of 2017, the Loudoun County • Improve the Waxpool Rd/ years. Proponents of these proj- tion funding from real solutions, Board of Supervisors brought Loudoun County Pkwy ects keep spending money. They and worse yet, they often lead to the project back into focus by intersection gin up public relations campaigns increased congestion by contrib- voting unanimously to add the • Extend Prentice Dr from and eventually convince policy- uting to sprawl. project into the Countywide Lockridge across to Gre- makers that the project deserves The proposed Potomac Transportation Plan. enway transit another look. In the transporta- River crossing between Loudoun The bridge, a long sought- • Extend Shellhorn Rd tion world, these zombie projects County, Virginia and Montgomery after component of the Outer Provide transit connec- Beltway, is a bad idea. Here are • tions to the Metro stations just some of the reasons: Support PEC • Construct Moorefield Blvd Construct Greenway loop Limited dollars means • Make a donation 1. we can’t build everything. • Loudoun Metrorail Station or get in touch with PEC at: Pedestrian improvements We have to pick. Post Office Box 460 • Complete planned park Warrenton, VA 20188 There are limited transportation and ride lots for com- 540.347.2334 funds and an endless stream of muters [email protected] traffic problems that need to or make a secure online donation be addressed. To best serve the • There are also road improve- at www.pecva.org region’s residents and employers, ment projects that would do projects should be scored and more to relieve commuter congestion. For example: Thank you for helping prioritized based on congestion to protect the Piedmont! relief, mobility improvement and • Complete Riverside Pkwy community impacts. • Construct VA 606 ramp • In Loudoun, here are several • Complete Russell Branch options for projects that would Pkwy Continued on page 4 Potential area of study for a Potomac Bridge crossing. www.pecva.org The Piedmont View Proposed Atlantic MD The Insufficient Process Coast Pipeline WV for The Atlantic Coast Pipeline DC C h e Staunton s ! a By Dan Holmes p ! e Charlottesville a k ew natural gas pipelines in Virginia would cross VDEQ isn’t likely to consider anything outside of a very e steep mountains, national forests, streams and narrow scope they have designed. To put it bluntly, the B ! a Lynchburg y rivers, fertile farm fields, unstable karst geol- process is not a good one. Below are just a couple of ! Richmond ogy and public water supplies. They have the ! reasons why we believe it is flawed, potentially allowing Roanoke Npotential to severely impact communities and natural for violation of WQS: and historic resources, while increasing greenhouse gas Norfolk! emissions in the Commonwealth. • The timeline associated with the process fails to VIRGINIA Virginia Department of Environmental Quality provide adequate public review and appears to be (VDEQ) closed the comment period for the 401 designed to meet Dominion’s timeline instead of NC certification process for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline on ensuring WQS are met. August 22. According to the agency, this certification This map shows the route of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline within Virginia. would assure protection of our waters, meaning Virginia • Artificial segmentation of stream crossings and would meet Water Quality Standards (WQS) under the Erosion and Sedimentation (E&S) issues avoids a Clean Water Act. cumulative impact review. E&S issues will be decided of responsibility for stream crossings. In our opinion, VDEQ’s preliminary decision is to recommend by the agency staff. All stream crossings will be in the there is no way to ensure the plan provided by issuance of a Section 401 Certification to the State Water hands of the Army Corps of Engineers, not the state. Dominion will meet Water Quality Standards without a Control Board (decision maker for the permit) for final comprehensive approach to the 401 permit. This is not decision in November. Numerous organizations and We are most concerned by the artificial a precedent we wish to set, especially when considering individuals submitted comments to the agency. But segmentation of E&S issues and the agency’s abdication how the agency will evaluate future proposals. Water ... Chimney Dedicated It’s a Little More Complicated in Rappahannock By Paula Combs By Paula Combs mportant questions to ask about local water supply are: how much do we have, he Shenandoah National how much can we use, and will we have enough to support future growth? Park is a wonder- I This year, PEC conducted a build-out analysis of the current zoning and ful resource for the land use plans for the service districts in Fauquier County, and water supply is public, and it’s important an important aspect to understand. The bottom line is the County doesn’t have toT remember and honor those who unlimited funds to drill wells and build infrastructure. Although there may be lost their homes when it was cre- plenty of raw water, much of the water resources are needed to serve ecological ated. This is exactly what the Blue purposes, and there should always be reserve in case of drought. It is dangerous Ridge Heritage Project has set out to assume all rainfall is available for human use. to do. “Our build-out analysis showed that none of the service districts have excess PEC's historic preservation capacity and some need nearly three times the current capacity to meet the manager, Kristie Kendall, is on the needs that are allowed through by-right zoning,” Julie explains. “With develop- board of the Heritage Project and ment picking back up and several areas facing drinking water challenges, now is the committee that helped dedi- the time to start thinking about this.” cate a chimney memorial, located Going forward, planning for water resource infrastructure should be more in Rappahannock County, to the strategic and less reactive. We all need to better understand the water and sewer former residents of the Blue Ridge resources that the current zoning and future plans would require, and then plan Mountains. accordingly. “As someone with deep ties PEC's historic preservation manager, Kristie This past summer, we participated in a Water Information Session to discuss to the mountains, it is incredibly Kendall, is on the board of the Blue Ridge the drinking water challenges facing Fauquier County, and Julie presented PEC’s moving to see these memorials, with Heritage Project and the committee that build-out analysis. The event hundreds of family names, erected helped dedicate this chimney memorial in was organized by the Conser- around Shenandoah National Park. Rappahannock County. She is part of three vation Roundtable, and other It is our hope that these people, and generations in this photograph, with her guests included the Marshall their sacrifices, will never be forgot- son and father, both Thomas Kendall, to District Water and Sanitation ten,” says Kristie. remember their family members that once Authority and the U.S. Geo- Bill Henry established the lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains before the logical Survey.