Water Quality

Testimony heard Wednesday in the appeal of a state environmental agency's decision to permit a brick manufacturer's subsidiary to build a quarry in Gerrardstown, W.Va., focused on protection of nearby streams. The state Environmental Quality Board convened Wednesday to consider an appeal of the permit issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for North Mountain Shale LLC's proposed 100-acre quarry site off Dominion Road. The appeals were filed by Potomac Riverkeeper Inc. and Stevan Hudock, whose property is next to the proposed quarry.

HAGERSTOWN The U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed installing a water-quality monitoring system inside the R.C. Willson Water Treatment Plant in Williamsport, according to Mike Spiker, the City of Hagerstown's utilities director. The equipment would monitor raw water from the Potomac River for biological and chemical contaminants, and act as an early-warning device for the city in case impurities are found, Spiker said last week. Hagerstown gets its water supply from the Potomac River and the Edgemont Reservoir.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced this week it is seeking information from Eastern Panhandle residents to improve water quality in the Tuscarora Creek watershed. Workshops will be held Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. in Martinsburg to help the DEP prioritize pollution reduction projects, the agency said in a press release. The first session will be in the Dunn Building cafeteria, Room 200, at 400 W. Stephen St., and the second session will be in the boardroom at the Berkeley County Public Service Sewer District offices off Edwin Miller Boulevard behind The Daily Grind.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The Berkeley County Commission was given details Thursday on the second phase of a project designed to increase the quantity and quality of water sources in the county. The commission formed the Berkeley County Unified Source Water Assessment Protection Task Force in August to begin the project, which will develop a source water protection plan used in future planning of the county. Phase two of the project involves community participation.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The threat of contaminated drinking water was not enough to fill a classroom at James Rumsey Technical Institute Wednesday afternoon. A handful of interested citizens turned out to hear a pair of geologists outline plans to assess potential sites of water contamination in West Virginia. "What we're hoping to do is prevent problems from occurring in the future," state geologist William J. Toomey said. Toomey said the state's Bureau for Public Health is in the process of fulfilling a federal mandate that requires states to implement a source water assessment program by 2003.

A 65-acre property in Washington County is one of two that has been permanently preserved by the State of Maryland. Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown and the Board of Public Works approved the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) easement this week. The 65-acre Edwin David easement, on property owned by the David family, will protect water quality along 7,000 feet of ditches and tributaries to Dog Creek and Little Dog Creek. Forested and vegetative stream buffers will work to filter stormwater runoff that will feed into these creeks, the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. The David property includes two other creeks and two natural springs that will be protected by the buffers.

The Maryland Department of the Environment held a public meeting Wednesday at the Washington County Administration Building to talk about state water quality standards. The standards, required by the federal Clean Air Act, are reviewed every three years, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. The department is trying to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay region.

CLEAR SPRING - Water customers in Clear Spring need to be on the lookout for cloudy water conditions today and Friday as hydrants are scheduled to be flushed. Town Clerk Juanita Grimm said low water pressure might affect water quality during the flushing process.

Sheriff Doug Mullendore and former County Administrator Rod Shoop were among more than 100 county employees honored for service to the citizens of Washington County at the annual Employee Service/Retirement Awards Breakfast recently at Next Dimensions restaurant in Funkstown. Nine retirees were honored, including Maj. Bob Hafer of the Sheriff's Judicial Department, who served the county for 35 years. William Crilly and Mullendore each served for 25 years and Shoop for 15 years.

Two employees at the Washington County Department of Water Quality are on administrative leave with pay, Commissioners President John F. Barr said Thursday. Barr said he could not provide details on the "internal employee matter" other than to say changes in the department were planned. "Administrative adjustments are going to have to be made in that department," Barr said. The commissioners will discuss the matter Tuesday in a closed meeting. The employees were placed on leave with pay Wednesday afternoon, Barr said.

A bill that would give Maryland farmers a 10-year break from new state and local environmental regulations related to water quality if they agree to take part in a state program to reduce nutrient and sediment discharges into the water was heard Tuesday before a House committee. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Thomas M. Middleton, D-Charles, has cleared the Senate and has the support of Gov. Martin O'Malley. Del. Andrew A. Serafini, chairman of the Washington County delegation to the Maryland General Assembly, also supports the bill.

Landscape Design and Plant Selection Series - Wednesdays, Nov. 7 and 14, 7 to 9 p.m. Only two more classes left in this series: Trees in the Landscape (Nov. 7), and Landscape Design review (Nov. 14). The fee is $10 for each individual class. For more information, call the Penn State Extension Office at 717-263-9226. Water Quality and Quantity in the Region - Thursday, Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m. Memorial Auditorium, Shippensburg University. The final lecture of the year in the South Mountain Speaker Series will focus on the challenges of conserving water quality and quantity in the region.

A 65-acre property in Washington County is one of two that has been permanently preserved by the State of Maryland. Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown and the Board of Public Works approved the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) easement this week. The 65-acre Edwin David easement, on property owned by the David family, will protect water quality along 7,000 feet of ditches and tributaries to Dog Creek and Little Dog Creek. Forested and vegetative stream buffers will work to filter stormwater runoff that will feed into these creeks, the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. The David property includes two other creeks and two natural springs that will be protected by the buffers.

If you have black walnut trees in your yard, and do not know what to do with all of the walnuts that drop each fall, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service could use your help with collecting them.    If you can provide at least two bushels of walnuts for the State Tree Nursery, call the DNR-Forest Service office in Washington County at 301-791-4733. Walnuts should be in some type of container, such as a plastic bag or box. The forest service can pick up walnuts collected at your address or you can drop them off at the Natural Resource Conservation Service office at 1260 Maryland Ave. in Hagerstown.

 The Potomac River has forever been the life vein of the residents of Williamsport. Those involved in the Rockin' at River Bottom concert hope the river will continue to be a place where locals can play. Rockin' at River Bottom will be Saturday, Sept. 15, at River Bottom Park in Williamsport. Gates open at 9 a.m., with the first of five bands going on at noon. Music ends at 8:50 p.m. Councilman Bill G. Green, who is also coordinator for the event, said there's been a lot of talk about the event hosting a beer garden, which he said loses the focus on the event itself — to help foot the bill for a new state Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP)

The only apparent potential stumbling block for a company to mine shale at a quarry in Gerrardstown, W.Va., is the possibility of litigation in circuit court now that the state's decision to issue permits for the quarry operation have been upheld. North Mountain Shale LLC's water quality-related permit was affirmed last Monday by the Environmental Quality Board, and the Surface Mine Board acted similarly on the company's mining permit. The permits issued by the DEP in January 2011 allow North Mountain Shale to mine shale in a 100-acre quarry site off Dominion Road near W.Va.

Testimony heard Wednesday in the appeal of a state environmental agency's decision to permit a brick manufacturer's subsidiary to build a quarry in Gerrardstown, W.Va., focused on protection of nearby streams. The state Environmental Quality Board convened Wednesday to consider an appeal of the permit issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for North Mountain Shale LLC's proposed 100-acre quarry site off Dominion Road. The appeals were filed by Potomac Riverkeeper Inc. and Stevan Hudock, whose property is next to the proposed quarry.

Wildwood Middle School students in teacher Carolyn Thomas' science classes are learning how to protect the environment by learning how to fly-fish. On Tuesday, they grabbed fly rods and, using bits of Velcro for flies, tried to land stuffed cloth fish strewn about simulated ponds of dark blue vinyl tarps. Their instructors were Josh Nease, Trout Unlimited's West Virginia Headwaters youth education coordinator for all nine West Virginia counties in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and Kati Cole, of Trout Unlimited's National Fly Fishing in School Program.

Our area is a lovely mix of open and wooded lands. There are steep ridges, rolling hills and open valleys. Seeping from hills, cascading over rock falls and meandering through valleys, water collects and flows in streams, creeks and rivers Every time there is a significant rain event, water drains across the land and into these waterways, carrying soils, nutrients and pollutants. Through stabilization of the soil and the settling and filtering of particles from the water, trees, woody shrubs and other natural vegetation are essential to keeping these waterways healthy.

As the result of a water main break, water service will be interrupted Tuesday beginning at 9 a.m. in the Mount Aetna water service area, Washington County Department of Water Quality personnel said Monday. Service will be restored as soon as possible, the county said in an e-mailed release. The affected area includes Mt. Aetna Road from Highpoint Drive to Crystal Falls Drive, Highland View Academy, and Crystal Falls Drive from White Oak Road to the Mount Aetna Volunteer Fire Co. station, said Kim Bowers, superintendent of Water and Wastewater Operations at the Washington County Department of Water Quality.