Local News
Maryland, Virginia, D.C. join forces to challenge EPA inaction on Bay cleanup
The non-partisan Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) citizen watchdog group is lauding a joint action by the Attorney General’s Offices of Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. regarding a failure by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to hold two northern states accountable for their roles in pollution of the Chesapeake Bay. That pollution is seen as a major threat to the Bay’s billion-dollar commercial fishing industry.
Warren County and other Northern Valley counties are also part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed impacted by past mandates on preventing regional pollution from floating downstream to the Bay. Targeted by the trio of AG Offices are EPA failures to hold Pennsylvania and New York to standards mandated as part of the long-term cleanup plan to preserve the Chesapeake Bay’s ability to sustain the aquatic life at the heart of a major source of the U.S. seafood supply.
Below is the full text of the Environmental Integrity Project release on the action, followed by the press release of Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh’s office elaborating on why the suit is being brought forward:
Praise for Legal Action Against Trump EPA over its Failure to Enforce Chesapeake Bay Cleanup
Attorneys General for MD, VA and DC File Notice of Intent to Sue EPA for Failing to Force PA and NY to Reduce Pollution
Washington, D.C. – The Attorneys General of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia today filed a notice of intent to sue the Trump Administration EPA over its failure to force Pennsylvania and New York State to meet their Chesapeake Bay cleanup obligations under a 2010 regional agreement with a deadline of 2025.
Eric Schaeffer, former Director of Civil Enforcement at EPA and Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project, issued the following statement in support of the legal action.
“This is a welcome development and long overdue, because the Trump Administration’s EPA has really fallen down on its job to enforce the Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan,” said Schaeffer. “This lack of accountability has been especially troublesome in the case of the state adding the largest share of pollution in the Bay, Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth has been slashing the budget and staffing of its Department of Environmental Protection and doing little to reduce agricultural pollution and even sewage overflows from the state capital, Harrisburg, during the same decade when it had promised to step up its efforts. Enough is enough.”
A copy of the notice is attached. The notice says in part: “The Bay TMDL (cleanup agreement, or Total Maximum Daily Load) requires Pennsylvania to reduce its nitrogen pollution by about 33.8 million pounds per year. Pennsylvania’s (most recent cleanup plan, called the ‘Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan’) however, reflecting significant deficiencies in funding, shows anticipated reductions of only 24.8 million pounds per year. Thus, Pennsylvania’s Phase III WIP leaves the Bay with an excess of approximately 9 million pounds of nitrogen per year.”
Below is the press release from Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh’s Office:
Attorneys General Frosh, Herring, Racine File Notice of Intent to Sue EPA
Agency Failed to Hold Pennsylvania and New York Accountable for Bay Pollution
BALTIMORE, MD (May 18, 2020) – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh, joined by the Attorneys General of Virginia and the District of Columbia, today filed a Notice of Intent (NOI) to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its failure to require Pennsylvania and New York to develop and implement plans to achieve 2025 Chesapeake Bay restoration goals. Under the Clean Water Act, EPA has a nondiscretionary duty to “ensure that management plans are developed and implementation is begun by signatories to the Chesapeake Bay Agreement to achieve and maintain” the Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The TMDL is a comprehensive “pollution diet” aimed at restoring clean water in the Bay States that sets limits for nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, in addition to reductions in sediment.
EPA’s recent evaluation of each Bay state’s Watershed Improvement Plan (WIP) concluded that Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia all will attain their respective necessary load reductions by 2025. EPA also concluded that the plans submitted by Pennsylvania and New York were deficient, falling short of nutrient reduction goals and lacking in sufficient funding. EPA has not, however, required Pennsylvania or New York to develop or implement plans that fully meet the pollution reduction goals.
“The Chesapeake Bay is one of our country’s most valuable natural resources,” said Attorney General Frosh. “Restoring the health of the Bay will take a coordinated, multistate effort with every state sharing the burden. EPA has abandoned its responsibility to regulate and manage the efforts of the Bay states. Together, we fully intend to hold EPA accountable and require it to perform its regulatory duty.”
“Protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay requires a comprehensive effort by each of the watershed states as well as the EPA,” said Attorney General Mark R. Herring. “As the administrator of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement, EPA must treat each of the partners equally and make sure every state is pulling its weight and upholding its portion of the agreement, but instead, the Trump EPA simply rubberstamped plans that are plainly inadequate. I hope we are able to come to an understanding that is beneficial for all parties, while keeping the health of the Bay at the forefront.”
“Our coalition of State Attorneys General will not allow the EPA to walk away from its enforcement obligations and undermine decades of work to reduce pollution across the Chesapeake Bay watershed,” said D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine. “The District is committed to reaching our pollution reduction goals, but if other states are not doing their part, and the EPA is not keeping watch, we will fail to restore the Bay and our local waters, including the Potomac River.”
“Maryland will continue to work with all of our partners to meet Bay restoration goals, as this important lawsuit moves forward,” said Maryland Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles. “EPA must be held accountable to enforce the clean water commitments made by our upstream partners.”
In 2007, the Bay States and EPA agreed that EPA would establish a TMDL for the entire Bay Watershed. Pursuant to that agreement, in 2010, EPA established the Bay TMDL, a comprehensive “pollution diet” aimed at restoring clean water in the Bay States. The Bay TMDL sets limits for pollution that equate to a 25 percent reduction in nitrogen, a 24 percent reduction in phosphorus, and a 20 percent reduction in sediment. The Bay TMDL further allocates these pollution reductions to the respective Bay States, including Pennsylvania and New York, with a 2025 deadline to achieve the reductions.
To ensure they met the Bay TMDL’s goals, EPA required each Bay State to submit a series of WIPs detailing how it would achieve its allocated pollution reductions over the course of the Bay TMDL’s term. EPA received the third and final WIP for each Bay State on August 23, 2019.EPA concluded that the Phase III WIPs (Watershed Implementation Plan) submitted by Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia showed they would attain the necessary load reductions by 2025. EPA similarly concluded that Delaware and West Virginia had submitted Phase III WIPs that met their respective numeric planning targets and would attain the necessary load reductions by 2025. Pennsylvania and New York, however, submitted Phase III WIPs that failed to meet their planning targets. Pennsylvania’s plan, as approved by EPA, would only achieve approximately 75 percent of its target for nitrogen reduction and reflected significant deficiencies in funding. New York’s plan would only achieve a 64 percent nitrogen reduction – falling short of the planning target by nearly 1 million pounds per year.
EPA has not required Pennsylvania or New York to prepare a Phase III WIP that remedies these deficiencies. The obligations of Pennsylvania and New York in the Bay Agreement and Bay TMDL are critical to restoring clean water in the Chesapeake Bay and its streams, creeks, and rivers. Yet EPA has allowed these jurisdictions to send approximately 10 million excess pounds of nitrogen into the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed every year, and threaten the success of efforts to restore the Bay.
Local News
Congratulations to Skyline High School Seniors – Class of 2024
Royal Examiner presents the Skyline High School Class of 2024. Congratulations to these wonderful seniors on their hard work and deserved accomplishments! We wish you the best in your next big endeavors. Photos courtesy of Victor O’Neill Studios and Tolliver Studios, LLC.
If your Skyline senior is not listed, please send in their Name and Senior Picture to news@royalexaminer.com.
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Local News
Eastham Park Loop Enhanced with New Safety Measures for Pedestrians
Local News
POLICE: 7 Day FRPD Arrest Report 4/28/2024
Front Royal Police Department’s arrest report for the past 7 days:
Local News
VDOT: Warren County Traffic Alert for May 6 – 10, 2024
The following is a list of highway work that may affect traffic in Warren County during the coming weeks. Scheduled work is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. When traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.
*NEW* or *UPDATE* indicates a new or revised entry since last week’s report.
INTERSTATE 66
*NEW* Mile marker 0 to 15, eastbound and westbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for pavement marking installations, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday and Tuesday nights.
*NEW* Mile marker 0 to 2, eastbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 31.
*NEW* Mile marker 8 to 7, westbound – Right shoulder closures for sign work, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Mile marker 9 to 7, westbound – Overnight right lane closures at Shenandoah River bridge for utility work, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Thursday night.
INTERSTATE 81
*UPDATE* Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for overhead sign repairs, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday night.
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 31.
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound and southbound –Overnight lane closures and traffic-lane shifts as needed, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. through December 2024. Shoulder closures 24/7. Work zone speed limit: 55 miles an hour. Work is related to southbound acceleration ramp extension and bridge widening, with estimated completion in late 2024.
PRIMARY ROADS
*NEW* Route 55 (John Marshall Highway) – Flagger traffic control between Front Royal town limits and Route 647 (Dismal Hollow Road) for guardrail upgrades, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday (May 2) and Tuesday (May 7).
*NEW* Route 340 (Stonewall Jackson Highway) – Flagger traffic control between Route 674 (Limeton Church Road) and Route 607 (Rocky Lane) for pipe replacement, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 7 – May 14.
SECONDARY ROADS
Route 658 (Rockland Road) – Closed to through traffic between Route 340/522 (Winchester Road) and Route 705 (Fishnet Boulevard) for the construction of a bridge over Norfolk Southern Railway. Estimated completion December 2025.
Vegetation management may take place district-wide on various routes. Motorists are reminded to use extreme caution when traveling through work zones.
Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511 or at www.511Virginia.org.
Local News
VSP Investigating I-81 Dump Truck/Sheriff’s Vehicle Accident
The Virginia State Police are investigating a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Shenandoah County. The crash occurred Friday, May 3, at 5:46 a.m. at the Route 646 overpass at the 292-mile maker of I-81.
A 2005 Kenworth dump truck was traveling north on I-81 when the driver accidentally engaged the dump bed, which raised it and caused it to collide with the bridge overpass. The collision caused the dump bed to detach from the truck, slide backward, and land on a northbound 2022 Ford Explorer, which was driven by a Frederick County Sheriff’s deputy.
The dump truck driver, Gaylon R. Miller, 71, of Toms Brook, Va., was not injured in the crash. He was wearing his seatbelt.
The sheriff’s deputy suffered minor injuries and was transported to Winchester Medical Center for treatment.
Miller was charged with reckless driving.
(From a Release by the Virginia State Police)
Local News
WCSB Approves New LFK Principal; Accepts Scholarships for Baseball, Softball Seniors
The Warren County School Board unanimously approved the appointment of a new principal who will take over at Leslie Fox Keyser (LFK) Elementary School starting this summer and accepted baseball and softball scholarships being offered by the Front Royal Cardinals for four seniors attending Warren County Public Schools (WCPS).
Board chair Kristen Pence, vice chair Antoinette Funk, and board members Andrea Lo, Thomas McFadden, Jr., and Melanie Salins, during their regular meeting on Wednesday, May 1, voted 5-0 to have Jennifer Cameron appointed as the LFK principal effective July 1.
“Ms. Cameron is an experienced educator and leader in Warren County,” said WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger in recommending her appointment to the School Board.
Previously, Cameron has taught as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher and has experience as a literacy coach who supported grade-level teachers in her school building, Ballenger said, adding that as an administrator, Cameron has served as the dean of students and as an assistant principal.
“During her years of service, Ms. Cameron was selected as the Rotary Teacher of the Year in 2008 and was the [WCPS] Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2015-2016,” he added.
As a leader, Ballenger also said that Cameron has been integral in transforming E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School and has served as the chair for the division’s Attendance Committee for the past two years.
“Ms. Cameron is a great fit for LFK, and I know that her skill set will continue to move LFK forward,” said the superintendent.
Following the board’s vote, Cameron told board members she was honored to accept the LFK principal position and said she’s excited to rejoin the Lil’ Cat family.
“Thank you for entrusting me with this opportunity to nurture young minds and to foster the continued excellence of LFK,” she said. “I look forward to working with you to continue the path to excellence at Warren County Public Schools. I’m truly humbled at this huge responsibility that you have entrusted to me, and I look forward to the coming school year and this new adventure that awaits me.”
In other action items, the School Board unanimously accepted four scholarships with gratitude from the Front Royal Cardinals and approved the donation of auditorium seating from E. Wilson Morrison (EWM) Elementary School.
Donna Settle, president of Front Royal Cardinals Baseball, a nonprofit organization that is part of the Valley Baseball League, said that as part of the group’s fundraising activities, the board will sponsor Little League for both girls and boys and will give back to the WCPS baseball and softball programs.
“This year, our board has voted to bring scholarships back to Warren County,” Settle told the board. “I know we’re a little late in the season, but we have enough money set aside for the scholarships for the 2024 student-athletes.”
There are four new $500 scholarship opportunities beginning with the Class of 2024 that are available for a Skyline baseball and softball senior who plans to continue their education and for a Warren County baseball and softball senior who plans to continue their education.
The School Board also voted 5-0 to permit two auditorium seats to be donated to Robert MacDougall, founding principal of Transform Development, a commercial landlord and developer based in the Shenandoah Valley.
Seating in the EWM auditorium, which is being renovated to provide an indoor facility for students and staff, has been removed and is set to go to auction. MacDougall offered a facility to store the auditorium seating until they could be auctioned.
With the School Board’s blessing, WCPS will now donate two seats to MacDougall, who will display them in the theater once its renovation is completed.
Regarding a request to have the Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS) appropriate the fiscal year 2022 School Operating Fund Surplus, the School Board voted unanimously to table the item to a work session and FY2025 budget resolution.
Ballenger explained that the total fiscal year 2021-2022 school operating surplus is $973,098, and said it was being requested that the Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS) appropriate $300,000 of the surplus to the School Transportation Fund that is held by the County and the remaining $673,098 to the School Capital Improvement Fund that is also held by the County.
The $300,000 designated for the Transportation Fund was originally included in the FY2025 Proposed School Operating Budget to purchase replacement buses and vehicle(s) but has since been removed contingent upon the funding appropriated to the Transportation Fund, he said.
Of the $673,098 requested for the County’s School Capital Improvement Fund, $40,000 was originally included in the FY2025 Proposed School Operating Budget to cover the repair/replacement of the chiller at Hilda J Barbour Elementary School and to upgrade the HVAC management systems at several schools. The remaining balance ($633,098) being requested for the Capital Improvement Fund would be requested at a future date for other capital priorities, such as the replacement of the tennis courts at the high schools.
As the budget process continues unfolding for both WCPS and the BOS, the School Board members agreed to work more on the item before taking action.
During the School Board’s community participation portion of its meeting, Leslie Mathews (above), a parent with two children attending Skyline Middle School, said that some of the School Board members are using the concerns expressed through emails by parents as “a crutch” for their own political motives. She called it a disgrace.
“I and we parents are only given three minutes a month [during School Board meetings] to get up here and express our concerns to you, or we’re told we can email you,” said Mathews. “But I no longer trust that method of emailing.”
Mathews, who last fall unsuccessfully challenged School Board incumbent Pence for the South River School Board seat, said “it’s such a disgrace for you as a public servant to go and encourage others to FOIA the concerns of parents who are not like-minded as yourself.
“So, therefore, our concerns are going public,” said Mathews, who didn’t name names. “If we want more positive in Warren County Public Schools, then we need to start at our leadership.”