The world’s freshwater resources are constantly threatened by a host of different pollutants. These pollutants enter our streams and drinking water from a plethora of sources. As we have produced more and more new materials and products, the numbers and types of contaminants in water have multiplied exponentially. In many cases the effects of particular pollutants and… Read more
Water quality is a primary focus of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA protects water quality by regulating pollutant discharges into surface waters so as to maintain and restore unhealthy water. But how do you know whether a lake, stream, river, estuary, or other water body is healthy? And what happens when it is… Read more
My name is Ellie Toler, and I’m a second year student at the University of Virginia, studying Global Sustainability and Public Policy. I’ve been interning with Wild Virginia throughout the past academic year, and I’m incredibly grateful for this experience, as it has impacted me both personally and professionally in a number of ways, and… Read more
Wild Virginia’s ongoing fight to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline has showcased a key feature of the Clean Water Act: cooperative federalism. This legal principle supports the statute’s regulatory and enforcement structure, establishing a framework founded on “collaboration between the federal and state governments to achieve a common goal.” Specifically, to restore and maintain the… Read more
The Mountain Valley Pipeline is three years behind schedule, three billion dollars over budget, has crushing legal and regulatory challenges, and no competition date in sight. The project has major hurdles to overcome in order to be completed. NextEra Energy, a company with nearly one-third partnership in MVP states, “The continued legal and regulatory challenges… Read more
Tune in to this podcast episode of Wild Virginia Virtual Coffee Talk, where BJ Lark, activist and talented vocalist, talks about her work in the environmental justice movement and what inspires her to keep fighting for equity through art. Bernadette “BJ” Lark is an activist with over 35 years of experience as an artist, vocalist,… Read more
A Water Control Board Approval on MVP is Not the End of the Story! Many of you will have heard the unfortunate news that the Virginia State Water Control Board voted 3 to 2 to approve a proposal for Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to cut and blast through hundreds of our valuable waters. MVP still… Read more
Every year, the Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) publishes a briefing called Our Common Agenda, and this publication takes the policy goals of over 100 organizations across Virginia and compiles them into a single agenda of conservation goals. VCN is a collaborative network of over 150 conservation partners across the Commonwealth. The VCN was created to… Read more
The EPA recently released a letter with the recommendation to withhold a Clean Water Act permit for MVP. The current design of the pipeline threatens a variety of water bodies across Virginia and West Virginia, therefore the EPA does not recommend granting the permit. The Army Corps of Engineers has the power to decide the… Read more
by Brooke Cormons, Mountaintop Montessori School, Charlottesville The Roanoke Logperch is an endangered fish that occurs in only five river systems throughout Virginia and North Carolina. It is very sensitive to pollution and sediment in the clear streams where it lives, which means that unnecessary projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline cause major harm to… Read more