On December 6, 2023, thirty-two groups from around state sent comments to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) opposing issuance of a new state discharge permit that allows excessive and harmful amounts of pollution to affect our waters. Joining the call was a former Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. The groups are… Read more
Alice is currently a student in the pilot class of 2023 for Wild Virginia’s Water Advocates Program. She joins the podcast to discuss her passion for the environment, what issues she hopes to tackle after graduating the program, and why water is essential to life. Alice Frei is a retired veterinarian. During her veterinary career she… Read more
Known as America’s ‘founding river,’ the James River is the lifeblood for much of Virginia’s biodiversity, the provider of water to 2.7 million residents, and acts as an abundant source of recreation for many. Though the James has a tumultuous history of pollution, significant progress has been made over the last several decades to restore… Read more
This is the second in a series of four blogs including policy papers from the annual publication called “Our Common Agenda,” which is organized by the Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) to bring together the many conservation partners from across the state, address pressing environmental concerns, and offer solutions. Wild Virginia led the development of the policy… 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
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
Our Clean Water Act (CWA50) blog series continues with a short overview of one of the Clean Water Act’s most powerful enforcement mechanisms: the citizen suit provision. Clean Water Act History Under the Clean Water Act (“CWA”), the states, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), and citizens all have enforcement authority. This novel environmental enforcement framework… 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
Water Quality and DEQ Reform in 2021! Wild Virginia, and you, have made some major strides in the newly-named Campaign for Virginia’s Water Future during 2020, and we are excited to move into the new year! We will participate in decision-making processes the state has begun and also push our own initiatives to protect Virginia’s… Read more
Have you seen streams like this one clogged with mud from the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)? If so, you have seen gross violations of Virginia’s water quality standards − rules that are supposed to protect all of our state waters. Knowing more about these issues can empower you to help protect our water in Virginia. And… Read more