Virginia Green celebrates important firsts

The Virginia Beach Convention Center became the first convention center in the Commonwealth to join the Virginia Green program. From left to right: Tom Griffin, DEQ; Jim Ricketts, Virginia Beach Convention Center and Visitors Bureau director; Courtney Dyer, VBCC manager; and Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf

Croc’s 19th Street Bistro in Virginia Beach became the first restaurant in the Commonwealth to be certified by Virginia Green. From left to right: Kal and Laura Habr, owners of Croc’s; Tom Griffin, DEQ; and Duff Kliewer, design architect

The Virginia Beach Convention Center became the first convention center in the Commonwealth to join the Virginia Green program on Aug. 29. Virginia Green is the Commonwealth’s campaign to promote environmentally friendly activities in Virginia’s tourism industry. The facility was designed to be very energy efficient and to minimize its effect on the environment. The convention center staff, led by facility director Courtney Dyer, minimizes the facility’s operational effects through the use of environmentally friendly practices and products.  

The same day Croc’s 19th Street Bistro in Virginia Beach became the first restaurant in the Commonwealth to be certified by Virginia Green. Croc’s owners Laura and Kal Habr have worked to implement many environmentally friendly features into their recent renovations such as modular carpeting, flooring, countertops and chairs made from sustainable materials, fluorescent lighting, and water efficient fixtures.  In addition, Croc’s bistro is meeting the newly established Virginia Green requirements for restaurants that include commitments to recycling, energy and water conservation.

Tom Griffin, Central Office

Volunteer opportunities available during October natural resources celebration

Virginia is celebrating Natural Resources Conservation Week Oct. 14 – 20 with hundreds of litter cleanups, educational programs and activities to be held across the Commonwealth. Natural Resources Conservation Week is a partnership activity with the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and this year's theme is litter and recycling. DEQ staff members Nancy Drumheller and Steve Coe have provided educational resources for the packets and training workshops on the importance of solid waste management and its effect on Virginia's watersheds. In addition, program managers affiliated with the Virginia Council for Litter Prevention and Recycling will be collaborating with district educators on this statewide event. These two organizations will oversee the cleanups and activities. Everyone is encouraged to become involved in these community efforts! For more information, see the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts website or contact your local litter and recycling program manager.

Nancy Drumheller, Central Office

Algal blooms continue in Hampton Roads

Algal blooms are occurring in several waters in the Hampton Roads area. Cochlodinium polykrikoides has been identified as the type of algae responsible for these blooms. This type of algae has caused algal blooms in Virginia waters during previous years. It turns the water a reddish-brown color and is commonly referred to as a "mahogany tide.” DEQ, the Virginia Department of Health, Old Dominion University, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission work together to monitor algal blooms.

Roger Everton, Tidewater Regional Office and Julia Wellman, Central Office

Algal bloom ends in the Potomac River

An algal bloom that began June 11 on the Potomac River appears to have ended. At its peak, the bloom was located from upstream of Colonial Beach to 30 miles downstream at Sandy Point. Locations of the densest areas of the bloom varied along the river.

Mark Alling, Piedmont Regional Office

South Central brings water quality message to local daycare

A biologist with the South Central Regional Office Mike Shaver held a “Water Quality and You” event at a Lynchburg daycare in August. The discussion focused on the water cycle and our place within it.  Twenty five school-aged children participated in the discussion and were quite impressed by the hands-on “bug picking.” The children were knowledgeable about several water quality issues, and the discussion was lively. The numerous live hellgrammites, collected from a local stream, were the hit of the show.

Mike Shaver, South Central Regional Office

Piedmont reaches out to fire and arson association

The Central Virginia Fire and Arson Association hosted a training session for fire marshals and association members on Aug. 9 in Chesterfield County. Piedmont Regional Office staff members Mike Kelly, Tony Somoza, Jason Williams and Lisa Elizardo presented information regarding underground and aboveground storage tank compliance, emergency responses for petroleum cleanups, and storage tank cleanups. All four presentations were well received and generated many questions from the participants.  

Jason Williams, Piedmont Regional Office

Traffic accident leads to fish kill in Henrico County stream

In late July, a truck overturned, spilling its entire load of eggs and about 200 gallons of diesel fuel.

The Piedmont Regional Office pollution response group responded to an accident on the Interstate 95 bridge over Upham Brook in Henrico County on July 25. A truck had overturned, spilling its entire load of eggs and about 200 gallons of diesel fuel onto the road and into Upham Brook. It took authorities 16 hours to fully open all lanes to traffic. The fish kill in the stream was attributed to the diesel fuel rather than the low oxygen levels related to the decomposition of eggs in the stream. On July 30, rain flushed the stream and oxygen levels rose.  No further fish kills were observed. 

Steve Morris and Mark Alling, Piedmont Regional Office

Tank case study presented

A study on tank removals focused on corrosion protection on several underground storage tanks.

The Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association held their annual summer meeting in Williamsburg during July.  The technical director of STI invited Steve Pollock, a petroleum compliance inspector in the Piedmont Regional Office, to present a case study and concerns related to recent underground storage tank removals. The case study focused on a potential problem encountered at recent tank removals that indicated corrosion protection on several STIP-3 underground storage tanks had been damaged prior to installation.  STIP-3 tanks had been one of the best selling steel tank systems of the late 1980s through 1990s to meet a 1998 deadline for corrosion resistance requirements. It appeared that the welded on corrosion protection had been damaged and even removed from the tanks before being placed into the excavation pit. Along with the case study, DEQ and the petroleum program was introduced to an international group of engineers, steel tank manufacturers and steel tank equipment wholesalers.

Stephen Pollock, Piedmont Regional Office

DEQ supports Northampton watershed plan

DEQ under the leadership of Laura McKay, program manager at the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program at DEQ, accepted an invitation from Northampton County to assist in the launching of a comprehensive watershed management plan in Cape Charles on Aug. 29. It is anticipated that the plan will help the county better plan and manage its growth.  Representatives from the county, communities and state agencies involved in water quality management were invited.  Included in the group were DEQ staff members from central office and the Tidewater Regional Office.

In this preliminary meeting, agencies described their mission and water quality duties to the county. The group then split into smaller work groups to discuss and present ideas and information to county officials on potential solutions to county watershed management problems and to provide sources of information to help the county begin development of their plan.  Issues of concern included controlling residential flooding, alternative septic systems for residential waste treatment, implementation of water quality tools, inclusion of total maximum daily loads in watershed planning strategies and protecting and expanding aquaculture.

DEQ staff members helped to provide the county information to start their planning process. TRO and central office staff members may participate in additional meetings as needed to assist the county in developing and implementing its watershed plan.

James McConathy, Tidewater Regional Office

Enhancing aquaculture waters on the Eastern Shore

Growth and changing land uses on the Eastern Shore are requiring the Commonwealth to consider the sustainability of aquaculture in Virginia. DEQ is helping address this issue by proposing additional water quality protection in areas suitable for aquaculture harvesting on the Eastern Shore. This proposed regulation would be an important enhancement to water quality protection in Virginia.

Read more...

David K. Paylor, DEQ Director