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Davis Trailhead dedicated in Tucker County | News, Sports, Jobs - The Intermountain
by Duane Nichols 29 Oct '20

29 Oct '20

https://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2020/10/davis-trailhead-de… Davis Trailhead dedicated in Tucker County, Intermountain News, Oct 24, 2020 Submitted photo Supporting organizations represented at the dedication included Heart of the Highlands (Dan Lehman, Cory Chase, Andy Dalton); Tucker Community Foundation (David Cooper, Jennifer Rexroad); Town of Davis (Mayor Doug Martin); Western Pocahontas Properties (Rich Flanigan); Highlands Trail Foundation (Fred Sikarsky, Jason Myers, Karen Carper, Bonnie Swyter Smith, Diane & Scott Hinkle); Tucker County (TC) Planning Commission (Robin McClintock, Emily Wilson-Hauger); TC Development Authority (Steven Leyh); TC CVB (Jessica Waldo); TC CDA (Brad Moore, Savannah Wilkins), and Canaan State Park Foundation (Mike Powell). DAVIS — A dedication to mark the completion of the Davis Trailhead was held at the site. The event was hosted by the Highlands Trail Foundation, Heart of the Highlands, and the Town of Davis Parks & Recreation Commission. The trail connector will tie into the Allegheny Highlands Trail project once the Davis exit of Corridor H is complete. The rail trail currently runs from Elkins to Parsons, Hambleton, and Hendricks and includes a section paralleling Corridor H near Davis. With the addition of the Davis Trailhead the trail has potential to connect all five of Tucker County’s municipalities. The trailhead project was a collaborative effort of the Tucker Community Foundation, the Town of Davis, and Western Pocahontas Properties with support from many entities. A WV Recreational Trail grant, along with corporate and private donations, provided funding for the project. The kiosk featuring two trail maps was designed and installed by Heart of the Highlands with maps and content provided by HOH and HTF. The trail connector borders the Davis Ball Field on Rt. 32.

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Attention Cheat Lake Property Owners and Boaters
by Duane Nichols 22 Oct '20

22 Oct '20

Attention Cheat Lake Property Owners and Boaters Starting at 12:00 am on Sunday November 1, 2020 winter lake level limits will go into effect on Cheat Lake. At that time, minimum reservoir levels will decrease from 868’ to 857’. Please remove all docks prior to this time. Winter lake levels will remain in effect until 11:59 pm on March 31, 2021. The winter boat launch ramp at the Cheat Lake Park will be open from November 1, 2020 until May 1, 2020 to accommodate boaters who wish to launch a boat on Cheat Lake. Lake Lynn Generation maintains levels at Cheat Lake in accordance with our FERC license. Karen Baldwin, Eagle Creek Hydro

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Netflix’s ‘David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet’ Is The Most Important Documentary Of The Year
by Duane Nichols 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2020/10/08/netflixs-david-attenb… Netflix’s ‘David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet’ Is The Most Important Documentary Of The Year Dani Di Placido, Forbes|Oct 8, 2020, Sir David Attenborough in Ukraine. There’s likely no one on Earth who has had a life quite like David Attenborough. The BBC broadcaster has been the soothing voice of nature documentary narration since the beginning of, well, nature documentaries; Attenborough set off to explore the globe in his twenties, and has been broadcasting the wonders of the natural world to the public ever since. Attenborough is now 94, and throughout his long life, has watched the natural world wither before his eyes. He seems tired of keeping quiet about it. The scale of the problem is so overwhelming, so gargantuan, that it can be difficult to absorb, and to communicate through a single documentary. But by framing environmental destruction through Attenborough’s eyes and unique career, A Life on Our Planet manages to humanize an issue that can often seem distant, and somewhat abstract. Like the Lorax, who speaks for the trees, Attenborough attests to the fact that a significant amount of wildlife has been forever lost, painting a terrifying picture of a not-so-distant future in which humanity continues down the path of senseless self-destruction. As the film moves through the decades, marking each stage of Attenborough’s career with the ever-declining state of the natural world, the percentage of remaining wildlife takes a dramatic plunge in the last thirty years, as the cumulative damage begins to snowball. Thankfully, the documentary soon takes a more optimistic turn, as major environmental victories are highlighted, and the film begins to focus not on a scorched, apocalyptic future, but a world restored. Rewilding seems key; while certain scientists, and Silicon Valley bros, focus on technological solutions like carbon capture, or even blocking the light of the sun with a giant screen (just try and stop me, Mr. Bond), nature has its own regulatory systems that are ready to help tackle the problem - if we just allow it to do so. The world’s jungles and rainforests, packed with an almost unimaginable abundance of life, should be viewed as sacred, simply by their very existence, but the fact that they capture carbon so effectively makes them absolutely vital to our future. The “problem” with trees, however, is that they aren’t profitable unless they are being harvested. And here’s where Attenborough holds back - the incessant, unquenchable greed and manufactured demands of capitalism are barely mentioned, nor are the obscene excesses of the wealthy. An analysis by Oxfam recently found that the world’s richest 1% are responsible for double the emissions of the poorest 50%, while a mere 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global carbon emissions. A Life on Our Planet doesn’t dare touch the political element of this problem, and with a deranged climate change-denier like Donald Trump in the White House, currently opposed by Joe “I don’t support the Green New Deal” Biden, there’s a lot left unsaid. The real purpose of the documentary, however, is to highlight the scale of the problem, warn of the potential consequences, and lastly, install a sense of hope. I think A Life on Our Planet does that very successfully. There’s a light on the horizon; it might look like a forest fire, but hopefully, it’s the dawn of a new era of environmental consciousness.

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Springhill Township in Fayette County PA is adjacent to Cheat Lake, to the north
by Duane Nichols 06 Oct '20

06 Oct '20

PA Permit Violation Issued to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette County Description: Administrative violation issued on 10/02/2020 to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette county. 78.121(A) - WELL REPORTING - PRODUCTION REPORTING - Conventional operator failed to submit annual conventional production and status report for permitted or registered well. Incident Date/Time: 2020-10-02 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, violation, drilling PA Permit Violation Issued to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette County Description: Administrative violation issued on 10/02/2020 to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette county. 78.88(e) - OPERATING WELLS - MECHANICAL INTEGRITY OF OPERATING WELLS - Operator failed to submit an annual report to the Department identifying the compliance status of each well with the mechanical integrity requirements for structurally sound wells in compliance with 25 Pa. Code Section 78.73(c). Incident Date/Time: 2020-10-02 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, violation, drilling PA Permit Violation Issued to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette County Description: Administrative violation issued on 10/02/2020 to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette county. OGA3211(H) - WELL PERMITS - LABELING - Failure to install, in a permanent manner, the permit number on a completed well. Incident Date/Time: 2020-10-02 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, violation, drilling SkyTruth P.O. Box 3283 Shepherdstown, WV 25443 info(a)skytruth.org +1 (304) 885-4581

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Drilling Started in the Cheat Lake Area
by Duane Nichols 29 Sep '20

29 Sep '20

INR OPR LLC Reports Drilling Started (SPUD) in Springhill Twp Township Description: INR OPR LLC reports drilling started on 9/29/2020 at site COASTAL 4H in Springhill Twp township, Fayette county Incident Date/Time: 2020-09-29 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, spud, drilling INR OPR LLC Reports Drilling Started (SPUD) in Springhill Twp Township Description: INR OPR LLC reports drilling started on 9/29/2020 at site COASTAL 2H in Springhill Twp township, Fayette county Incident Date/Time: 2020-09-29 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, spud, drilling SkyTruth P.O. Box 3283 Shepherdstown, WV 25443 info(a)skytruth.org +1 (304) 885-4581

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Drilling/Fracking permits near Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols 28 Sep '20

28 Sep '20

PA Gas Drilling Permit Issued in Springhill Twp Township, PA Description: Gas permit issued on 9/22/2020 to INR OPR LLC for site COASTAL 2H in Springhill Twp township, Fayette county Incident Date/Time: 2020-09-22 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, permit, drilling, Gas PA Gas Drilling Permit Issued in Springhill Twp Township, PA Description: Gas permit issued on 9/22/2020 to INR OPR LLC for site COASTAL 4H in Springhill Twp township, Fayette county Incident Date/Time: 2020-09-22 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, permit, drilling, Gas SkyTruth P.O. Box 3283 Shepherdstown, WV 25443 info(a)skytruth.org +1 (304) 885-4581

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NEW .... Climate Change Report for WV
by Duane Nichols 23 Sep '20

23 Sep '20

A CITIZEN’S GUIDE TO CLIMATE CHANGE — The Causes, Impacts and Potential Solutions https://wvrivers.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/wvclimate.pdf Sent from my iPad

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W.Va. Native Takes Reins As New National Park Service Head | West Virginia Public Broadcasting
by Duane Nichols 16 Sep '20

16 Sep '20

https://www.wvpublic.org/post/wva-native-takes-reins-new-national-park-serv… W.Va. Native Takes Reins As New National Park Service Head West Virginia Public Broadcasting Listen to West Virginia Morning on Sept. 16, 2020. Find out about her life in the Cheat Lake Area ....... https://www.wvpublic.org/post/wva-native-takes-reins-new-national-park-serv… On this West Virginia Morning, the National Park Service has a new person in charge, and she’s from West Virginia. We have a conversation with Margaret Everson, the organization’s new leader. Also, in this show, we hear about a new book titled “The Southern Wildlife Watcher: Notes of a Naturalist” written by author Rob Simbek. ‌The‌ ‌National‌ ‌Park‌ ‌Service‌ hired ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌leader‌ ‌last month.‌ ‌Margaret‌ ‌Everson‌ ‌grew‌ ‌up‌ ‌in‌ ‌West‌ ‌Virginia‌ ‌and‌ ‌has‌ ‌decades‌ ‌of‌ ‌natural‌ ‌resources‌ ‌experience.‌ ‌Most‌ ‌recently‌ ‌she‌ ‌was‌ ‌principal‌ ‌deputy‌ ‌director‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ U.S. ‌Fish‌ ‌and‌ ‌Wildlife‌ ‌Service,‌ ‌but‌ ‌has‌ ‌also‌ ‌worked‌ ‌for‌ ‌Ducks‌ ‌Unlimited‌ ‌and‌ ‌as‌ ‌general‌ ‌counsel‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌Kentucky‌ ‌Department‌ ‌of‌ ‌Fish‌ ‌and‌ ‌Wildlife‌ ‌Resources. Reporter‌ ‌Brittany‌ ‌Patterson‌ ‌spoke‌ ‌with‌ ‌Everson‌ ‌about‌ ‌how‌ ‌growing‌ ‌up‌ ‌in‌ ‌West‌ ‌Virginia‌ ‌affected‌ ‌her‌ ‌outlook‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌natural‌ ‌world,‌ ‌how‌ ‌the‌ ‌agency‌ ‌is‌ ‌balancing‌ ‌newfound‌ ‌interest‌ ‌in‌ ‌its‌ parks‌ ‌during‌ ‌the‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌pandemic‌ ‌and‌ ‌how‌ ‌a‌ ‌recently-passed‌ ‌law‌ ‌could‌ ‌bring‌ ‌big‌ ‌changes‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌National‌ ‌Park‌ ‌Service.‌ In a new book titled “The Southern Wildlife Watcher: Notes of a Naturalist,” author Rob Simbek explores the wonders and curiosities of wild animals you might be taking for granted, like coyotes, American Robins, or even often underappreciated earthworms. The book features essays about 36 animals — 12 each that closely share land, water and air with humans throughout the southeastern United States. Eric Douglas spoke with him to learn more. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning SOURCE: https://www.wvpublic.org/post/wva-native-takes-reins-new-national-park-serv…

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Dog reduces wildlife.docx
by Duane Nichols 31 Aug '20

31 Aug '20

Dogs and cats have their place(s). But, wildlife have a birthright to a life on Earth, also.

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Fwd: Lake Lynn - Cheat Lake South Trail
by Ella Belling 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

Forwarding this good news on Cheat Lake Trail and just posted on MRTC Facebook if you would like to share post. I believe the trail is 4.5 miles- is this correct? Hope you all have a good day, Ella Ella Belling Executive Director Mon River Trails Conservancy P.O. Box 282 Morgantown, WV 26507 http://montrails.org 304-692-6782 > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Jody Smet <Jody.Smet(a)eaglecreekre.com> > Subject: Lake Lynn - Cheat Lake South Trail > Date: August 24, 2020 at 11:47:35 AM EDT > To: Ella Belling <ella(a)montrails.org> > > Ella, > > We’re planning to fully open the Cheat Lake South Trail this Wednesday, August 26. > __________________________________________________________________ > Jody J. Smet, AICP | Vice President Regulatory Affairs > Eagle Creek Renewable Energy > Desk: 804 739 0654 > Mobile: 804 382 1764 > Email: jody.smet(a)eaglecreekre.com <mailto:jody.smet@eaglecreekre.com> > > This message is intended only for the named recipient and may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any misdirected transmission. If you received this message in error, please notify sender immediately and delete this message from your system. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use, disclose, distribute or copy any part of this message.

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Water Sports are Quite Popular
by Duane Nichols 23 Aug '20

23 Aug '20

Be Local: Get outside with region's many attractions By John Sacco For the Observer-Reporter newsroom(a)observer-reporter.com, Washington, PA, August 22, 2020 Facebook Twitter SMS Email Families have turned to more outdoor activities in lieu of vacations this summer. More people are spending leisure time on boats, going fishing, water skiing, kayaking, hiking and other outdoor activities. One of the spots is near Ohio Pyle where folks are making use of Wilderness Voyageurs. The Ohiopyle-based company features whitewater rafting on 15 rivers in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. It offers Youghiogheny River, Cheat River and Savage River rafting trips. People can also learn to kayak, mountain bike or fly fish with instructors at Ohiopyle. Fully supported Inn to Inn Bike Tours throughout the United States are offered by the nationwide company. Von Braddock, of West Brownsville, said he has taken his boat out on the Monongahela River quite a bit this year and has seen a big increase of activity on the water through kayaking, jet skiing and people just enjoying time on the water. “I’ve been out there more this year than any of the previous 15 years I’ve had the boat and by a lot,” Braddock said. “The weather has really been good, especially compared with last year when it wasn’t too good. I’ve had the boat out at least 20 times.” Braddock said equipment and accessories are difficult to find. He said his son needed an oar several weeks ago. Not only was it hard to find, but Braddock said, “it was about $20 more than usual. Go try and buy a kayak right now. You’ll have a tough time finding them. “People are out more on the water because they are looking for things to do (in the face of the pandemic). It’s hard to but a used or new boat right now. Nobody has them.” Others who launch boats from Greene Cove in Clarksville reported more activity than usual. “It’s something to do,” said a patron who preferred anonymity. “Many people skipped vacations this year and are enjoying more water activities to make up for lost vacation and down time.” Ed Schultz, co-owner of Greene Cove, said while the restaurant there has been steady in the face of restrictions because of the pandemic, the uptick in water activity is certain. “I’ve seen a lot more boating this year,” Schultz said. “We have had groups of kayakers come up and have lunch. They are out in full force.” Schultz confirmed accessories and boats are hard to find. “Kayaks are scarce,” he said. “They are really tough to find. I’ve heard boat sales are up 20%. We don’t sell boats, but we do supply motors for boats. One guy in Fairchance was worried in March about what he was going to do with all his boats. By mid June, he didn’t have any. “People are traveling as much and are not traveling abroad and they are spending more on toys to have some fun at home.” Leanne August, of Monessen, said she’s enjoyed activities in Deep Creek, Md., this summer. “It’s all related to the lake,” she said. “I enjoy breakfast at Little Sandy’s (a diner) and all sorts of other restaurants and shops. At Bill’s Marina, you see a lot of boats, kayaks and paddle boarders. “There so much to do, ice cream shops, shopping. I just like hanging out.”

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2020 Summer Recreation: Peak Harmful Algae Season and the Pandemic | NRDC
by Duane Nichols 23 Aug '20

23 Aug '20

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/arohi-sharma/2020-summer-recreation-peak-harmf… 2020 Summer Recreation: Peak Harmful Algae Season and the Pandemic August 17, 2020 Arohi Sharma, National Resources Defense Council As many head to local swimming holes for a socially distant way to cool off, an updated NRDC report shows state agencies are largely unable to keep up with the growing threat of harmful algal blooms. Visitors enjoy a day in Buffalo National River near Tyler Bend, Arkansas. T. Fondriest/National Park Service Quarantining and sheltering in place from COVID-19 has a lot of us going stir-crazy—myself included. With summer in full swing, more of us are itching to get outside safely. Unfortunately, we’re also right in the middle of peak harmful algal bloom (HAB) season. While state agencies are understandably redirecting resources to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the resources normally used to test recreational freshwater bodies for HAB events—including the dangerous toxins that are harmful to humans and pets—are on hold. This concerns me because, as NRDC’s updated What’s Lurking in Your Lake assessment shows, state agencies are already under-resourced to address HABs. Furthermore, our updated scorecards and mapping efforts show there is not enough comprehensive freshwater HAB data collection. With state budgets being redirected, it’s unclear whether proactive freshwater HAB data collection will get necessary funding in coming years. First, what are harmful algal blooms—or HABs? While HABs along our ocean coastlines—like red tide events in Florida—garner more media attention, HAB events also occur in our nation’s freshwater bodies. As I wrote last year, HABs occur when excess nutrients make their way into water ecosystems. Nutrients are food for the cyanobacteria that are normally present in freshwater ecosystems. But when excess nutrients are paired with other enabling factors like warmer weather and stagnant water, cyanobacteria proliferate. Some species of cyanobacteria leech cyanotoxins, which can be harmful to humans, especially children, as well as dogs. The increased outdoor recreation in the summer, and the fact that some states’ capacities are constrained due to COVID-19 response (like in Utah and Kansas), make it all the more important to be aware of these events and how they can impact us. For states like Maine, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, which are home to tens of thousands of freshwater bodies, funding constraints could have severe impacts on efforts to prevent exposure to HABs. Buffalo River, the same river pictured above, suffers from a freshwater HAB outbreak National Park Service Results of NRDC’s updated assessment Last year, NRDC mapped freshwater HAB events across all 50 states from 2008 to 2018 because no such map exists at the federal level. This week, we updated that map to include 2019 freshwater HAB data and revised each state’s freshwater HAB program scorecard. Those updated scorecards provide a baseline understanding of each state’s freshwater HAB program. They also signal whether states are prepared to proactively prevent exposure to, and respond to, freshwater HAB events. As the chart below shows, there are noticeable improvements in state freshwater HAB programs from last year, but the overall outlook remains the same: State agencies don’t have the resources to effectively address HABs. Results from NRDC’s “What’s Lurking in Your Lake” Some of the improvements observed from our updated scorecards include: Seven more states (California, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming) scored an overall “excellent” rating compared to last year. Five states (Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee) have created new websites that share information on freshwater HABs in their states. Seventeen states improved the information made available on their websites. Six additional states (Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin) adopted cyanotoxin thresholds since last year. Nine additional states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee) developed and/or created response protocols for how to respond to HAB outbreaks. From this list, unfortunately, only Arkansas and Michigan have made their protocols available online. Nine additional states claim to be leveraging relationships with NGOs and local organizations to communicate HAB information to the public compared to last year. We found 11 new states using social media to communicate HAB information to the public. Some disconcerting trends from our updated analysis include: 36 states do not collect comprehensive HAB data. 34 states do not make HAB data easily available to the public. 29 states do not make their response protocols available online. 24 states do not proactively sample for cyanobacteria or cyanotoxins. 20 states claim they do not have the authority to issue recreational advisories. The role of data in decision-making The adage “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” plays into my work every day. The troubling trends highlighted in NRDC’s assessment have common threads: lack of data collection and inaccessibility of data. I firmly believe that comprehensive data collection is a necessary pillar of effective decision-making. Data show trends that can help address the root causes of problems, help us understand what we know and reveal what we don’t know, illuminate gaps in management and program efficacy, and provide information to hold decision-makers accountable. When states don’t collect comprehensive data nor make data available to the public, it’s tough to accomplish any of those goals. The Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately crystalizes what happens when decision makers politicize and withhold data. Public health decisions and emergency response become undermined by politics instead of empowered by evidence. Double down on prevention The federal government could be preventing the kind of excess nutrient runoff that contributes to HABs by enforcing the Clean Water Act, but it isn’t, so states are bearing the costly burden of testing, researching, responding, monitoring, and mitigating freshwater HAB events. Now, with the health and economic crises emerging from the pandemic, state agencies responsible for responding to freshwater HAB events are being asked to do more with less. According to NRDC’s updated assessment, 62 percent of states do not dedicate financial resources to respond to or research HAB events, which means state agencies tasked with HAB response must pull funding from other environmental remediation or water quality protection funds, compete with other agencies for funding, reduce funding for one area of HAB activity to supplement another, or simply forgo proactive testing altogether. Climate change will increase the frequency and duration of HAB events nationwide so the reactive approach to freshwater HAB response will only increase states’ future costs. While we all do everything we can to keep our families and loved ones safe this summer, NRDC will continue to hold states and the federal government accountable. Prevention is the smartest and most underutilized tool in our toolbox to combat HAB events so we will continue fighting this administration’s rollbacks to the Clean Water Act. We will also continue our advocacy for healthy soil stewardship because we know that building healthy soil addresses one of the root causes of freshwater HAB outbreaks—nutrient runoff. What to know for 2020 summer recreation I understand the need to get outdoors this summer—I’m feeling the urge too. Should you seek out lakes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, and streams, please look out for HAB indicators (e.g., blue-green colored water, a funky smell, dead fish, or caution signs, like the one below) and keep these things in mind: Dangerous HAB toxins that can harm your families and your pets are not visible to the naked eye. Removing blue-green algae or pond scum from the top of a freshwater body is not enough to keep your loved ones safe. If you see anything suspicious, stay out of the water and report the potential event to the appropriate state agency. If you need help figuring out how to report a HAB event, you can download your state’s scorecard. Keep your eyes peeled for caution signs that inform you whether the water is safe to recreate in. Finally: The lack of a caution sign doesn’t mean the waterbody isn’t experiencing a HAB event. It’s possible that your state doesn’t have the resources it needs to proactively test every single freshwater body, especially with COVID-19 still surging across the United States. Call the appropriate state agency or waterbody manager to inquire whether that waterbody has been tested for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins.

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Progress being made on repairs to the Cheat Lake rail trail (south section)
by Duane Nichols 19 Aug '20

19 Aug '20

From: Michael Strager <mstrager(a)wvu.edu> > Date: August 18, 2020 at 8:45:26 PM EDT > To: Duane Nichols <duane330(a)aol.com> > Subject: Progress being made on the Cheat Lake rail trail > > Picture from today. >

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Boat reportedly explodes in Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols 17 Aug '20

17 Aug '20

https://www.wdtv.com/2020/08/17/boat-reportedly-explodes-in-cheat-lake/ Boat reportedly explodes in Cheat Lake Officials say a boat exploded in Cheat Lake Sunday.(WDTV) CHEAT LAKE, W.Va (WDTV) - Officials from Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department (Co. 14) confirm a boat exploded Sunday afternoon. Officials also say there were multiple transports. Adam Romesburg, who was fishing at Cheat Lake’s Mt. Chateau Rd. dock when the incident occurred, said he saw a large parade of emergency services vehicles travel through Mt. Chateau Rd. at around 7 o’clock. “We thought someone was in trouble,” says Romesburg. “We didn’t see anything except for all the emergency vehicles coming, for that many fire trucks and police cars, especially the ambulances - there were five or six ambulances as well, we knew there was some kind of big accident with boats.” This is a developing story. Stick with 5 News for updates. Copyright 2020 WDTV. All rights reserved. Sent from my iPad

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Lawsuit Alleges Union Carbide Failed To Report Toxic Landfill | West Virginia Public Broadcasting
by Duane Nichols 11 Aug '20

11 Aug '20

Lawsuit Alleges Union Carbide Failed To Report Toxic Landfill | West Virginia Public Broadcasting Leigh Anne Keener, August 10, 2020 — And this is another fine example of corporate greed in WV. Always leaving us the collateral damage. "But the full extent of what could be going on remains hidden. The bulk of the monitoring data and information about this landfill remains under a protective order asked for by Union Carbide. West Virginia Public Broadcasting has joined Green and some members of the Davis Creek Watershed Association in asking the judge to make the records public, given the possible public health and safety ramifications of the dumping. The judge is currently considering unsealing about two dozen documents. " West Virginia Rivers Coalition, August 10, 2020 — I've been doing environmental law in some form or fashion for 30 years, and I have never seen anything like this - Michael Callaghan, attorney https://www.wvpublic.org/post/lawsuit-alleges-union-carbide-failed-report-t…

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Permit Supervisor Findings.pdf
by Duane Nichols 05 Aug '20

05 Aug '20

Note. CLEAR opposed the attached permit for renewal of a surface coal mine on Beaver Creek of the Blackwater River of the Cheat River. CLEAR recommended that if the permit is approved, continuous monitor of pH and conductivity would be practical and useful to help protect the waters downstream of the mining and reclamation activities. The permit has been approved, as shown in the attachment. Sent from my iPad

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Lab Analysis from CLEAR — Cheat Lake & Mon River
by Duane Nichols 21 Jul '20

21 Jul '20

Attached please find Lab Analysis results for three water samples, namely Cheat Lake, the Mon River, and MUB tap water all collected on the same day, June 11, 2020. On that date the Mon River TDS was exceeding 400 microsiemens per centimeter on the USGS monitor at Pt. Marion. > Subject: Lab Analysis > >

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Cheat River History - Then and Now - Wilderness Voyageurs
by Duane Nichols 04 Jul '20

04 Jul '20

Cheat River History – Then And Now — Wilderness Voyageurs The magnificent Cheat River flows from five major tributaries (Black Fork, Dry Fork, Glady Fork, Laurel Fork, and Shavers Fork) which originate in the rugged Monongahela National Forest and join to form the main river stem near Parsons, West Virginia. From Parsons, the scenic Cheat flows nearly 162 miles past the historic river towns of St. George, Rowlesburg and Albright before reaching Cheat Lake and discharging into the Monongahela River at Point Marion in Pennsylvania. The entire watershed spans an impressive 1422 square miles, and the river is one of the longest un-dammed waterways in the eastern United States. https://wilderness-voyageurs.com/cheat-river-history-then-now/

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The Overstory - Richard Powers
by Duane Nichols 27 Jun '20

27 Jun '20

http://www.richardpowers.net/the-overstory/ The Overstory April 15, 2019 Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction Shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize New York Times Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book and a Washington Post, Time, Oprah Magazine, Newsweek, Chicago Tribune, Kirkus Reviews, and Amazon Best Book of the Year Now Available in Paperback The Overstory, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of—and paean to—the natural world. From the roots to the crown and back to the seeds, Richard Powers’s twelfth novel unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fables that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us. This is the story of a handful of people who learn how to see that world and who are drawn up into its unfolding catastrophe. Praise for The Overstory by Richard Powers “Autumn makes me think of leaves, which makes me think of trees, which makes me think of The Overstory, the best novel ever written about trees, and really, just one of the best novels, period.” —Ann Patchett “Monumental…The Overstory accomplishes what few living writers from either camp, art or science, could attempt. Using the tools of the story, he pulls readers heart-first into a perspective so much longer-lived and more subtly developed than the human purview that we gain glimpses of a vast, primordial sensibility, while watching our own kind get whittled down to size…A gigantic fable of genuine truths.” —Barbara Kingsolver, New York Times Book Review (cover review) “Remarkable…This ambitious novel soars up through the canopy of American literature and remakes the landscape of environmental fiction.” —Ron Charles, Washington Post “A big, ambitious epic…Powers juggles the personal dramas of his far-flung cast with vigor and clarity. The human elements of the book—the arcs his characters follow over the decades from crusading passion to muddled regret and a sense of failure—are thoroughly compelling. So are the extra-human elements, thanks to the extraordinary imaginative flights of Powers’s prose, which persuades you on the very first page that you’re hearing the voices of trees as they chide our species.” —Michael Upchurch, Boston Globe “A rousing, full-throated hymn to Nature’s grandeur.” —Dan Cryer, San Francisco Chronicle “An extraordinary novel…An astonishing performance…There is something exhilarating, too, in reading a novel whose context is wider than human life. The Overstory leaves you with a slightly adjusted frame of reference…What was happening to his characters passed into my conscience, like alcohol into the bloodstream, and left a feeling behind of grief or guilt, even after I put it down.” —Benjamin Markovits, The Guardian “[Powers is] brilliant on the strange idea of ‘plant personhood…’ opening our eyes to the wondrous things just above our line of sight. Memorable chapters unfold [with] many unforgettable images in a novel devoted to ‘reviving that dead metaphor at the heart of the word bewilderment.’” —Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal “Richard Powers’ 12th novel is a rare specimen: a Great American Eco-Novel.” —Financial Times “This book is beyond special. Richard Powers manages to turn trees into vivid and engaging characters, something that indigenous people have done for eons but that modern literature has rarely if ever even attempted. It’s not just a completely absorbing, even overwhelming book; it’s a kind of breakthrough in the ways we think about and understand the world around us, at a moment when that is desperately needed.” —Bill McKibben “The Overstory is a visionary, accessible legend for the planet that owns us, its exaltation and its peril, a remarkable achievement by a great writer.” —Thomas McGuane “The Overstory is a visionary, accessible legend for the planet that owns us, its exaltation and its peril, a remarkable achievement by a great writer.” —Tim Martin, Telegraph (UK) “A colleague of mine once claimed that a critic’s opinions are worth less than his or her ability to convey what a book is like. If that’s true, never mind that I believe Richard Powers’ 12th novel to be a masterwork sculpted from sheer awe. Instead, know that reading The Overstory will convince you that we walk among gods every time we enter a forest.” —Adam Morgan, Minneapolis Star Tribune “The time is ripe for a big novel that tells us as much about trees as Moby-Dick does about whales…The Overstory is that novel and it is very nearly a masterpiece…On almost every page of The Overstory you will find sentences that combine precision and vision.” —The Times (London) “An immense and intense homage to the arboreal world (its biological sophistication, its rich panoply of environmental benefits), the book is alive with riveting data, cogent reasoning and urgent argument. Pages that take you into menaced remnants of primeval forest or contemplate singularly splendid or fascinating trees teem with knowledge and gleam with aesthetic appeal.” —The Sunday Times (UK) “Richard Powers’s novel will complicate the way you think about the environment, activism, our gossamer connection with each other and nature…[I] cannot recommend The Overstory enough.” —Bradford Morrow “A masterpiece of operatic proportions…A magnificent achievement.” —Kirkus (starred review) “A magnificent saga…Powers’s sylvan tour de force is alive with gorgeous descriptions; continually surprising, often heartbreaking characters; complex suspense; unflinching scrutiny of pain; celebration of creativity and connection; and informed and expressive awe over the planet’s life force and its countless and miraculous manifestations…profound and symphonic.” —Booklist (starred review) “A deep meditation on the irreparable psychic damage that manifests in our unmitigated separation from nature.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Vast, magnificent, and disturbing…An array of human temperaments and predicaments as manifold as Charles Dickens’ or Leo Tolstoy’s…I have never read anything so pessimistic and yet so hopeful.” —BookPage Sent from my iPad

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Making sense of whitewater rapid classifications - West Virginia Explorer
by Duane Nichols 20 Jun '20

20 Jun '20

https://wvexplorer.com/2020/06/19/scale-difficulty-rapids-west-virginia-kay… Making sense of whitewater rapid classifications From Mark Armstrong, West Virginia Explorer, June 19, 2020 Kayaker navigate a rapid on Deckers Creek near Morgantown, West Virginia (Photo courtesy Dan Friend) With its many rivers coursing through many different kinds of terrain, West Virginia is a paradise for paddlers and rafters, especially where whitewater paddling is concerned. Advertisement So familiarizing yourself with the International Scale of River Difficulty and understanding how whitewater rapids are classified could prove advisable if you're planning a visit to the mountainous regions of the state. No matter your level of experience, you should never grab a raft, kayak, or paddleboard and head off to a river without getting an idea of what awaits you. The scale, which rates how difficult it is to navigate a river or rapid, was developed by the American Whitewater Association and is used internationally. By checking how West Virginia’s rivers and their rapids are classified, you can make the most of what is available by planning paddling or rafting trips that are appropriate for your skill level. Class I Rapids Although the water tends to move fast at Class I rapids, you seldom will find more than small waves and riffles. There are few obstructions, and those that are there are relatively easy to miss. Even so, you should not attempt to paddle Class I rapids if you haven’t had any training. This class is popular with paddlers and rafters who want a bit of lazy time on a river so they can enjoy the view. The South Fork of the Shenandoah River between Inskeep Landing and Foster’s Landing is where you can find some of the state’s best rapids in this class. Class II Rapids Suitable for novice paddlers and rafters, Class II rapids are straightforward. There are medium-sized waves and rocks that you will need to navigate, but on the whole, the channels are wide and clear. Exercise caution if you plan to do some swimming along the way. You can find several Class II rapids on the Shenandoah River, the best of which are the Mad Dog rapids, which are just after the confluence with the Potomac River. Class III Rapids Fast currents, powerful eddies, ledges, narrow passages, and moderate but irregular waves all are features of Class III rapids. They are suitable for paddlers and rafters with intermediate skills or higher, as successful navigation depends on solid boat control as well as executing challenging maneuvers in tricky spots. Scouting is a good idea. Some of West Virginia’s best Class III rapids are at Cheat Narrows on the Cheat River, and the Lower Staircase on the Lower Gauley River. Class IV Rapids As intensely powerful as they can be, Class IV rapids tend to be somewhat predictable. Even so, your boat handling needs to be precise because some of the dangerous hazards are unavoidable. You could face narrow passages as well as large waves and holes, so advanced skills are a must for rapids of this class. Be warned that, if you go swimming in a Class IV rapid, self-rescue is considerably more challenging than if it happens at a class I, II, or III spot. You can find great Class IV rapids on the Cranberry River, the upper Big Sandy Creek, and Cheat Canyon. The Lower New River offers Class IV rapids and calm pools from July through March. That changes dramatically between April and June when rain and snowmelt increase the volume of the river. Class V Rapids Suitable for experts only, Class V rapids are risky. They tend to be long, with many obstructions, and they can be turbulent to the point of violence. Holes, large waves, and steep chutes are common features of rapids in this class. What’s more, the class has multiple levels of magnitude, which usually are numbered as 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, etc. Rescues are difficult, so you need to be physically fit, and you need to know what you are doing. Scouting is recommended where possible. The upper and lower sections of the Blackwater River, as well as the Lower New River between April and June, offer challenging rapids in this class. The upper Gauley’s Big Five, namely the Iron Ring, Insignificant Rapid, Lost Paddle, Pillow Rock, and Sweet’s Falls, are some of the most famous Class V rapids in the state. If you’re looking for Class V+, head to Mann Creek. Class VI Rapids Dangerous, unpredictable, and in many cases, not yet attempted, Class VI rapids are best avoided unless you are a member of a team of experts. Some rapids in this class were attempted when river conditions allowed them to, and only after the teams inspected them thoroughly. In a few cases, Class VI spots were reclassified as Class V+. Points To Remember There are a few important points to remember about rivers, rapids, and the International Scale of River Difficulty. To summarize them in three words—things can change. Like all rivers, those in West Virginia are changeable. Various conditions can affect the water level, which ultimately determines their navigability. A few days of heavy rain can turn rapids that in ordinary circumstances would be suitable for relatively inexperienced paddlers into whitewater that would make seasoned experts think twice. Most, if not all rivers, have rapids of different classes, and those classes are somewhat flexible. For example, you can find Class II rapids that are difficult, and Class III rapids that are relatively easy. Levels of greater ease or increased difficulty are indicated by + and – symbols after the grading according to the scale. What’s more, you cannot classify an entire river based on one or two rapids. Rivers flow faster and get wider the further downstream you go. Between that and changes in terrain, one river can have several different classes of rapids. Before heading out to face rapids on any of the Mountain State’s rivers, check their classification according to the International Scale of River Difficulty, review current local conditions, and see if you can find recent first-hand accounts by paddlers or rafters who have navigated the water before. Knowing the classification of rapids could save your life and understanding how they differ and what conditions they involve is essential for anyone keen on getting out on the water. Advertisement Sent from my iPad

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Action Alert: Senate Prepares To Vote On Public Lands Legislation
by Duane Nichols 11 Jun '20

11 Jun '20

Action Alert: Senate Prepares To Vote On Public Lands Legislation From West Virginia Rivers Coalition, June 10, 2020 The US Senate will soon vote on the Great American Outdoors Act, a strong bipartisan bill which touts Senator Manchin as a lead sponsor and Senator Capito as a co-sponsor. Now is the time to contact Senators Manchin and Capito to encourage their continued leadership and support of the Act. Send a message here. The Great American Outdoors Act ensures that the Land and Water Conservation Fund would receive full program funding each year without going through a drawn-out appropriations process which often leaves it underfunded. LWCF is a highly effective program that uses royalties from offshore oil and gas development to fund recreation and conservation projects. Additionally, the Great American Outdoors Act would provide $9.5 billion over the next 5 years to address the maintenance backlog plaguing our nation’s public lands. https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/senategaoa2?wvpId=caf2f589-2407-4ff5-bf54-96…

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In Memory of George Floyd
by Duane Nichols 02 Jun '20

02 Jun '20

Dream Catcher Circle, Forks of Cheat Forest, Stewartstown, WV Sent from my iPad, DGN

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Wastewater testing gains support as early warning for Covid-19 - STAT
by Duane Nichols 31 May '20

31 May '20

https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/28/wastewater-testing-gains-support-as-cov… Wastewater testing gains traction as a Covid-19 early warning system From an Article by Sharon Begley, STAT News, May 28, 2020 An aerial view of a wastewater treatment plant in Oakland, Calif. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images What only a month ago had been merely an intriguing laboratory finding about analyzing wastewater to detect the virus that causes Covid-19 has quickly leapt to the threshold of real-world use. With swab tests still plagued by capacity issues, inaccuracy, and slow turnaround, testing wastewater for the novel coronavirus’ genetic signature could give communities a faster way to spot a rebound in cases — as soon as this fall. “There is real hope that this can be a sensitive, early warning” if, as officials ease social distancing measures, Covid-19 begins to spread again, said Peter Grevatt, CEO of the nonprofit Water Research Foundation. “Several labs have achieved a proof-of-concept in terms of demonstrating the ability to detect the RNA [genetic material] of the virus in wastewater.” Studies in the U.S. and the Netherlands, among others, have shown you can pick up a signal about a week before the first clinical case. Grevatt and his colleagues briefed congressional staffers last week on the potential for wastewater analysis to be the canary in the Covid-19 coal mine, and on Wednesday the National Academies’ Water Science and Technology Board hosted a panel discussion on how to build a surveillance network and what additional research is needed to make it work. Water utilities from southeastern Virginia to Portland, Ore., are already conducting the analysis on their own. And by next week, Grevatt’s group will have identified the labs that will participate in a quality control test deemed crucial for rolling out a nationwide effort to analyze wastewater for coronavirus: The foundation will send wastewater samples gathered by several utilities to all participating labs and have them run the analysis, compare results, and agree on best practices. “We hope to have results of this lab-to-lab comparison by the end of the summer,” Grevatt said. Countries are not waiting for every scientific question to be answered. Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands have already launched national wastewater surveillance programs to catch any resurgence of Covid-19. “People are already starting to scale this up,” environmental engineer David Sedlak of the University of California, Berkeley, told the Academies’ panel. The stakes are enormous. As states ease social distancing, they need to know if they are reopening too quickly. If they can’t detect a surge of cases until patients show up in emergency rooms, it could be too late to prevent a repeat of this spring, when hospitals in New York City and elsewhere were overwhelmed. If, as many hope, the country makes it through the summer with a “flattened curve” — keeping cases below the number that hospitals can handle — then it will be crucial to be on high alert for any second wave in the fall. Otherwise, the body count will rise and the nation could face another economically crippling shutdown. “It’s tremendously important to get this right,” Grevatt said. “These are life-and-death questions.” And although more research is needed to figure out if, for instance, the amount of virus in stool and therefore wastewater varies with the severity of disease, “this has the potential to be implemented in the current pandemic.” “Wastewater epidemiology” has been used for decades to detect polio in countries where the disease remains endemic and, more recently, to estimate the prevalence of opioid abuse in U.S. communities. “We know that SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes Covid-19] is shed in stool, which means it can be collected in sewage systems,” said Megan Murray of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In small studies so far, the detection of the new coronavirus in sewage samples “has correlated very nicely with the arrival of Covid-19 into different communities,” she added, including picking up “significant amounts of viral material” in Boston sewage weeks before cases arrived in March. In addition to detecting cases sooner, wastewater analysis can also get around the well-known limitations of the swab tests used to detect Covid-19. If the test (which looks for the virus’ genes) is given to 100 infected people, it will miss about 67 if they are four days after infection and 38 if they are on the first day of experiencing symptoms, incorrectly pronouncing them virus-free, Johns Hopkins researchers reported this month in Annals of Internal Medicine. And although Covid-19 testing in the U.S. has become more available and faster, testing capacity is still nowhere near enough to test everyone every few days, which would be necessary to, for instance, safely re-open schools and workplaces. “Wastewater offers the opportunity to provide near real-time trend data to evaluate the impact of policymaking,” such as re-opening the economy, said Mariana Matus, CEO and co-founder of Boston-based Biobot Analytics. It can provide “early warning for second waves, and the opportunity to mass-test up to 75% of the U.S. population on a regular basis at a fraction of the cost of clinical testing.” Getting even a weeklong head start on detecting cases can make a huge difference. If the U.S. had begun imposing social distancing measures one week earlier than it did in March, the death toll by early May would have been 36,000 lower, Columbia University researchers calculated this month. Two weeks earlier would have averted 54,000 deaths. Biobot is working with about 400 water facilities in 42 states to see if wastewater epidemiology for Covid-19 in the real world can live up to the hopes inspired by early lab tests. (Many of the utilities are also running their own, independent tests.) When it analyzed wastewater from a Massachusetts plant from March 18 to 25, it found high levels of several telltale SARS-CoV-2 genes. Although that indicated that some number of people had Covid-19, it wasn’t clear how many. Biobot’s analysis “can distinguish between 10 and 100 [cases],” Matus said, “but we are running experiments to get more precise estimates.” Doing that should be at the top of the research agenda, Grevatt said: “Work is moving in a direction where you may be able to count the cases in a community, but we aren’t there yet.” To get there, scientists must figure out when during the course of infection people shed virus in stool, whether the amount of viral shedding is the same in severe and mild or even asymptomatic cases, and whether the quality of an area’s water — mineral content, industrial effluent, and other components — affect the detection of viral genes. They’d also like to know where, in the water treatment facility, is the best place to sample for the coronavirus. On Tuesday, scientists in Spain reported a preliminary answer: remnants of virus, including its genes, tend to collect at the “sludge line” in the large settling tanks that separate solids and liquid. Even if wastewater analysis can’t yet quantify cases, it can detect when their prevalence changes. Scientists in France reported that the rise and fall of confirmed infections in Paris correlated with the amount of virus detected in sewage from March 5 to April 23 (France’s lockdown began on March 17). “Viral genomes could be detected before the beginning of the exponential growth of the epidemic,” the scientists found, and “a marked decrease in [viral RNA] was observed” as case numbers fell. That and other studies show that “you can track changes like those we’re seeing right now in many communities” as they ease social distancing, Grevatt said. “There are many areas of the country, especially rural ones, that may not even have an infection yet. Wastewater analysis can tell them when they do,” days before someone shows up sick. Utilities aren’t waiting for every research question to be answered. Oregon’s Clean Water Services, a utility that serves 613,000 people west of Portland, is part of Biobot’s network, sending weekly samples to the company. It is also doing its own research, trying to answer key questions such as how rain affects viral concentration, said Ken Williamson, director of regulatory affairs. Engineers at the Southern Nevada Water Authority found high levels of five SARS-CoV-2 genes in samples taken around March 9, which lines up with when the state has its first confirmed case, said civil engineer Dan Gerrity of the authority and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. They found a peak in late March and early April, with ups and downs through late May — also mimicking reported case counts. Hampton Roads Sanitation District in southeastern Virginia started sampling for SARS-CoV-2 on March 11 “to look at trends and estimate what prevalence might look like,” said Jim Pletl, director of water quality for the utility. Cost: $70,000 for an automated RNA extractor (to get the genetic material out of cells), $70,000 for a digital PCR machine (to identify the genes), and $100 per sample. For its inter-lab study, the Water Research Foundation will see if the analyses agree, hoping to come up with best practices that can guide nationwide implementation as soon as this fall. “That,” Grevatt said, “is going to be important for the scientific credibility of this approach.”

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COVID-19 Testing of CHEAT LAKE & MON RIVER Requested
by Duane Nichols 31 May '20

31 May '20

TO: John Welch, et. al., MON COUNTY HEALTH DEPT. CLEAR requests that the water in Cheat Lake be tested at least once each week for the COVID-19 Virus. We have studied this issue and believe there is amble justification since various forms of wastewater enter the Lake. A similar case can be made for the Monongahela River. We know that there are residual suspended solids in both streams. These solids carry adsorbed and absorbed materials including active species. It is therefore in the public interest that both water bodies be sampled and tested on a weekly basis. We wish to protect the public health as swimming and other water sports are quite popular in both water bodies. Thank you for your help at this time. Duane Nichols, President, Cheat Lake Environment & Recreation Association and Co-coordinator, Monongahela Area Watersheds Compact, May 29, 2020

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88 Garlow Drive- Cheat Lake, W.V. - YouTube
by Duane Nichols 26 May '20

26 May '20

John Garlow continues his major contributions. Did you ever walk a picket line with him? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAQdelf8s9M

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