Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center - Podcasts

AUDIO -- McIntire botanical garden proposal gets support from City Council

cvilletomorrow — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:21:22 -0400

By Ian Lamb
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Tuesday, July 17, 2012

For close to a year the Charlottesville Department of Parks and Recreation has been working to create a plan for what the eastern side of McIntire Park will look like following the completion of the Meadow Creek Parkway.

The plan Charlottesville City Council viewed July 16 featured an improved Dogwood Vietnam Memorial and a relocated skate park. In addition, it moved the wading pool from its current location and added a soccer field.

Listen using player above or download the podcast: Download 20120716-CC-McIntirePark

However, many of the comments shared during the meeting centered on the park’s inexpensive golf course and the proposed botanical gardens.

“Golf benefits just a few hundred people a year, while passive parks and educational uses of a botanical garden might use this space a thousand times,” said city resident Elly Tucker.

The renovation of the park calls for the golf course to be removed from the park by 2020, but makes no explicit plans for relocation. To many, losing the public course would be detrimental to the community.

“I encourage you to find a place for inexpensive golf and youth golf before you force it out of McIntire,” said Susie Hoffman, a city resident whose son plays at McIntire through The First Tee program. “This would be a great loss to the community.”

Organizations such as The First Tee of Charlottesville use the course to teach skills and values to community youths through golf. In response, some at the meeting recommended that Meadowcreek Golf Course at Pen Park be made more available for student programs and affordable golf.

“The Parks Department and maybe some community members should get together and talk about using Meadowcreek Golf Course in a different way,” suggested city resident and former mayor Virginia Daugherty. “There could be a day or two … when the rates are lower. We pay for other things for our low-income community and we can do that too.”

Others noted that because of its pastoral nature the site can be used for other activities, such as the kite day that was held on April 14, without having to remove the course.

“The golf course is quite flexible,” said Frank Gray, who is the custodian of the park. “Several people do come out to jog or walk their dogs. They’re aware of people playing golf, we have not had any incidents so far and I don’t think we’re likely to have any.”

City Council members agreed that the golf was a beneficial program to the community, but were adamant that it would be phased out of the park in favor of open space and the botanical gardens.

“There ought to be a place where you don’t have to hit [a] ball or hit each other,” said Mayor Satyendra Huja, in support of a passive recreation space. “You’d just be able to walk peacefully … and I think the idea of a botanical garden fits into that general idea.”

Although members of the council were in agreement for the overall goal, they took issue with various aspects of the master plan as it was presented to them. Members questioned the position of the skate park and soccer fields, finding them poorly placed.

“[The skate park] feels also to me a little bit tacked on, not entirely in keeping with the spirit of passive use,” said Councilor Dave Norris following the public comment. “Let’s not rule out the idea that there might be a better home for the skate park than the east side of McIntire Park.”

Another issue raised both by the public and by Council, was accessibility for the park. Currently, there are no available public transportation routes to the park and parking spaces are limited.

“Why not consider shared parking?” recommended Councilor Kathy Galvin, expressing her reluctance to build more parking in the area and noting the park’s proximity to existing parking areas. “There’s plenty of asphalt all over the place that we could put our cars on. Please don’t take up the remaining green spaces to do that.”

Other observations included the lack of a water fixture which was seen as essential to a park.

“One thing that we don’t have in this park is water,” noted Councilor Kristin Szakos. “I think parks are a lot more pleasant if there’s water involved.”

The plan was returned to the Parks and Recreation Department for further refinement and will be brought back to a future City Council meeting for approval.

Council also noted that the final plan should be implemented by a recognized architectural firm.

“We need to have … not only [a] detailed design, but a great design of the park,” said Huja. “And that needs to be done holistically … we need to think of the whole park as a design.”

Soundboard 7-13-2012 - Charlottesville's news straight from the source

cvilletomorrow — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 20:28:40 -0400

Soundboard: Charlottesville's news straight from the source.

A collaborative local news radio program by WTJU 91.1 FM, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and C-Ville Weekly.

Each Friday from 4-5 PM, tune in to hear area journalists and guests discuss local news, culture, and community issues in the Charlottesville area. Whether we're talking about city politics, scientific innovations, or the local music scene, you'll get to hear in-depth discussion about stories that matter.

Soundboard is co-hosted by WTJU's Lewis Reining and Charlottesville Tomorrow's Jennifer Marley.

Podcasts may be downloaded from this website, via RSS, and via Charlottesville Tomorrow on iTunes.

Listen using player above or download the podcast: Download 20120713-Soundboard

The July 13 show features contributors Giles Morris, Laura Ingles, Ryan McCrimmon & Graelyn Brashear (from C-Ville Weekly) and Sean Tubbs & Ian Lamb (Charlottesville Tomorrow) discussing:

stormwater violations in the Stonefield development
the Moores Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades
city council's (new) health benefits
conditions of the county's nature trails
the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau's marketing plan
guest University of Virginia physicist Brad Cox to discuss the Higgs Boson and the Large Hadron Collider

Soundboard is produced by Robert Packard and Nathan Moore. We hope you enjoy it, and we look forward to your feedback!

Soundboard 7-6-2012 - Charlottesville's news straight from the source

cvilletomorrow — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 14:36:34 -0400

Soundboard: Charlottesville's news straight from the source.

A collaborative local news radio program by WTJU 91.1 FM, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and C-Ville Weekly.

Soundboard is co-hosted by WTJU's Lewis Reining and Charlottesville Tomorrow's Jennifer Marley.

Podcasts may be downloaded from this website, via RSS, and via Charlottesville Tomorrow on iTunes.

Listen using player above or download the podcast: Download 20120706-Soundboard

The July 6 show features contributors Giles Morris, Ryan McCrimmon & Laura Ingles (from C-Ville Weekly) and Brian Wheeler & Ian Lamb (Charlottesville Tomorrow) discussing:

UVA Medical Center's civil suit regarding digital records
forest fire in Shenandoah National Park
biosolids in Albemarle County
the City of Promise project for low-income children and their families
opening of the Common Grounds alternative health community in the renovated Jefferson School building
the Vinegar Hill Women's Canning Cooperative's small business and the memory of the Vinegar Hill Community

Soundboard is produced by Robert Packard and Nathan Moore. We hope you enjoy it, and we look forward to your feedback!

Soundboard 6-22-2012 - Charlottesville's news straight from the source

cvilletomorrow — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:55:58 -0400

Soundboard: Charlottesville's news straight from the source.

A collaborative local news radio program by WTJU 91.1 FM, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and C-Ville Weekly.

Soundboard is co-hosted by WTJU's Lewis Reining and Charlottesville Tomorrow's Jennifer Marley.

Podcasts may be downloaded from this website, via RSS, and via Charlottesville Tomorrow on iTunes.

Listen using player above or download the podcast: Download 20120622-Soundboard

The June 22 show features contributors Giles Morris, Graelyn Brashear & Laura Ingles (from C-Ville Weekly) and Sean Tubbs & Brian Wheeler (Charlottesville Tomorrow) discussing:

latest on the ouster of University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan
new designs released for the Western Bypass
Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority addresses concerns over chloramines
guest University of Virginia music professor Bonnie Gordon discusses the pilot year of her arts program for area school children

Soundboard is produced by Robert Packard and Nathan Moore. We hope you enjoy it, and we look forward to your feedback!

More than a hundred residents come to chloramines panel

cvilletomorrow — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 20:48:11 -0400

By Brian Wheeler
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Thursday, June 21, 2012

The Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority held a symposium Thursday in an effort to address public concerns raised about the safety of chloramines that are proposed for use in the Charlottesville-Albemarle urban water system beginning in 2014.

Jerry Higgins, manager, Blacksburg Christiansburg VPI Water Authority -- More information on panel

An audience of over 100 came to the Albemarle County Office Building to listen to and ask questions of a panel of water treatment experts recruited by the RWSA and local water activists.

Listen using player above or download the podcast:
Download 20120621-RWSA-chloramines-panel

Chloramines are in wide use in Virginia, approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and recommended by the World Health Organization for water treatment systems.

Mike Gaffney, the RWSA’s chair, began the evening by telling the audience that 70 percent of Virginians are drinking chloraminated water.

“Seventeen primary waterworks in Virginia today provide chloraminated water that directly serves 2.9 million people,” Gaffney said. “In addition…there are wholesale supplies to 64 additional water systems … Overall 5.7 million people in Virginia now use and drink chloraminated water.”

Lorrie Delehanty, a city resident and medical researcher who opposes chloramines, had lobbied to get two national experts who share her concerns on the panel.

“I’m glad they got our participants on there,” Delehanty said in an interview. “I am very happy that Bob Bowcock and Susan Pickford are on the panel. We had to push for that.”

Robert W. Bowcock is an environmental investigator with California-based Integrated Resource Management. Susan Pickford is co-founder of the Chloramine Information Center, a Pennsylvania-based clearinghouse. Pickford lost a battle to prevent chloramines from being used in her community.

Related stories by Charlottesville Tomorrow

Activists warn of health risks and environmental danger from chloramines, June 18, 2012, by Brian Wheeler

Water authority and activists preparing for chloramines information session, June 18, 2012, by Courtney Beale

With rising public interest, information session scheduled on chloramines debate, May 23, 2012, by Brian Wheeler

Albemarle Supervisors question chloramines decisionmaking, May 3, 2012, by Courtney Beale

Chloramines in drinking water to be topic of public forum in June, April 24, 2012, by Brian Wheeler

Chemical engineer briefs ACSA on chloramines, April 21, 2012, by Sean Tubbs

RWSA makes case for adding chloramines to water supply, April 4, 2012, by Courtney Beale

Safety of chloramines questioned: Disinfectant to be added into local water supply starting in 2014, March 13, 2012, by Courtney Beale & Brian Wheeler

Albemarle warns of rising sewer costs and continues to question move of pump station, February 29, 2012, by Brian Wheeler

“We have heard from thousands of people in 20 different states of acute health reactions to chloramine systems,” said Pickford. “They include persistent skin rashes and/or burns, ulcers, digestive problems … and respiratory ailments akin to asthma.”

“Don’t let the threat of EPA regulations cause you to put chloramines in your water system,” Pickford warned.

In February, the RWSA approved a $5 million capital project to put chloramines in public water as a secondary disinfectant. Chlorine is and will remain the primary disinfectant.

Chloramines are created by combining chlorine and ammonia and are intended to prevent pathogens from growing within the water distribution system. The RWSA says a new treatment approach is necessary to meet standards set by the EPA.

Jerry Higgins is the manager of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg area water authority. He said his community has been using chloramines with “absolutely zero” negative health effects for seven years.

“One of the things we did was a tremendous information program,” Higgins said. “We found very few people were going to be effected by it — pet shops, people with fish, and dialysis patients were our main concerns. It has been smooth sailing ever since.”

“There have been absolutely zero negative public health impacts,” Higgins added. “We were very sensitive to complaints from the public … We were very sensitive to gasket [failures]. From what we could find out, the materials of concern hadn’t been on the market in a decade and in fact we never experienced a problem, it was all positive.”

In March 2011, staff at the RWSA, the city of Charlottesville and the Albemarle County Service Authority worked with consultant firm Hazen and Sawyer and agreed to recommend the chloramines project in RWSA’s next capital budget. Chloramines were determined to be more cost effective than alternatives like granular activated carbon filtration, which was estimated to cost $18.3 million.

The RWSA board authorized the chloramines project in May 2011, but it wasn’t until February, when the capital budget was approved, that the board’s discussion caught the public’s attention.

During the budget deliberations the board was focused on concerns about paying for an unfunded federal mandate. The public however, immediately raised questions about public safety and the project was put on hold.

Bowcock questioned whether the RWSA really was looking at the complete costs of chloramines.

“Is it really the least-cost option? How much does it cost for a doctor’s visit?” Bowcock asked. “We are talking about metal corrosion and copper pipe pitting. There is lead in brass — you don’t have to have lead pipes.”

Panelist Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech civil and environmental engineering professor, has studied the correlation between Washington’s use of chloramines and its problems with lead leaching.

“It looks like there is relatively low risk of seeing very high lead levels that we’ve seen in other systems after the switch has occurred,” Edwards said. “Secondly, you are in fact exchanging one set of problems with known disinfection byproducts with an unknown set of problems with unknown disinfection byproducts.”

“It comes down to a pretty straightforward choice, do you want to meet the EPA regulations at the lowest cost…or do you want to try an option that potentially has other benefits that is going to be two to three and maybe four times more expensive?” Edwards asked. “Things will turn out fine either way, I am sure.”

Dozens of residents lined up to ask detailed questions of the panelists. Many held signs reading “NO Chloramines.” Questions were raised about the absence of scientific studies and the merits of other water treatment options. Questions were also taken from online viewers watching a live broadcast of the discussion.

Next, a public hearing on water treatment options will be held July 25 by the four boards responsible for the local water supply — the RWSA, the ACSA, Charlottesville’s City Council and Albemarle’s Board of Supervisors. The RWSA says a final decision must be made this summer to ensure EPA deadlines are met in 2014.

Activists warn of health risks and environmental danger from chloramines

cvilletomorrow — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:33:21 -0400

By Brian Wheeler
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Monday, June 18, 2012

Local activists opposed to the use of chloramines in the Charlottesville-Albemarle County urban water supply held a “teach-in” Monday to share their concerns about risks to public health and safety. Organizers said they wanted to give the public a comprehensive look at the $5 million water treatment method being recommended by the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority.

“This is the first opportunity for concerned citizens to learn about the upsides and the risks the addition of chloramines would pose to the regional water supply,” said city resident and medical researcher Lorrie Delehanty.

Lorrie Delehanty, speaking at chloramines information forum hosted by Transition Charlottesville-Albemarle

Download recent chloramine documentation
shared with the RWSA Board of Directors

March 9, 2012 memo summarizing basis for chloramines project

July 2011 Executive Summary from consultant Hazen and Sawyer

EPA background information on chloramines

RWSA's drinking water
Frequently Asked Questions website

Monday’s forum was sponsored by Transition Charlottesville-Albemarle, a grassroots group affiliated with the global Transition Initiative, which seeks to work “toward sustainable local systems of food, goods, energy, communication and culture.” About 25 people came to the meeting at the Jefferson Madison Regional Library on Market Street.

Listen using player above or download the podcast: Download 20120618-Chloramines-TeachIn

Delehanty was invited to share her research and a presentation from the Chloramines Information Center. She told the audience that the health risks of chloramines are significant.

“Short-term health effects include persistent skin rashes from shower water,” Delehanty said. “There can also be asthma-like symptoms as the chloramine heats up in a hot shower.”

Delehanty was asked what would happen if a home fish pond was filled from a hose.

“All your fish will die,” Delehanty responded. “If a [water] line breaks, it ends up killing everything downstream.”

Meanwhile, the RWSA insists chloramines are a safe and cost-effective way to meet new standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is requiring further limits on the level of disinfectant byproducts in drinking water which can react with organic material found naturally in water and pose health risks.

Chloramines are created by combining chlorine and ammonia, as a secondary disinfectant after first using chlorine, and are intended to prevent pathogens from growing within the water distribution system.

Although chloramines are in wide use in Virginia, approved by the EPA and recommended by the World Health Organization, activists Monday called for more scientific study.

Dr. Julia Whiting, a city resident and emergency medicine physician on the panel, said this community needs to learn from Washington D.C.’s mistakes with lead poisoning caused by chloramines.

“Chloramines cause pipe corrosion and that led to the lead in the water,” Whiting said. “Whether you have old plumbing or new, it’s going to be a problem.”

The RWSA is holding its own Safe Water Symposium Thursday and its panel will include a variety of water experts, some of whom oppose chloramines. The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Lane Auditorium at the Albemarle County Office Building-McIntire and audience questions will be addressed.

Related stories by Charlottesville Tomorrow

Water authority and activists preparing for chloramines information session, June 18, 2012, by Courtney Beale

With rising public interest, information session scheduled on chloramines debate, May 23, 2012, by Brian Wheeler

Albemarle Supervisors question chloramines decisionmaking, May 3, 2012, by Courtney Beale

Chloramines in drinking water to be topic of public forum in June, April 24, 2012, by Brian Wheeler

Charlottesville City Councilor Kathy Galvin has been trying to get an official with the EPA to participate. Galvin represents the city on the RWSA board and she was joined by the county’s elected representative, Supervisor Kenneth C. Boyd, in a recent conference call with staff for Rep. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

“There are some concerns the EPA is not being reasonable, that it hasn’t done its own scientific due diligence and that it’s not funding this mandate,” Galvin said. “We are trying to turn over every stone. I don’t have any reason not to trust our engineers, so we need to go back to the source, the EPA.”

Delehanty said she hoped Monday’s preview of the chloramines issue would spur people to think about questions to pose at the RWSA meeting.

After voting in February to approve the chloramines project, the RWSA board and staff have put it on hold until after the information session. A public hearing on the matter is also expected to be held by the four boards responsible for the local water supply — the RWSA, the Albemarle County Service Authority, Charlottesville’s City Council and Albemarle’s Board of Supervisors — when they meet July 25.

The capital cost associated with chloramination is $5 million. The next most-affordable option evaluated by RWSA consultant Hazen & Sawyer is granular activated carbon filtration, which is estimated to cost $18.3 million.

Galen Staengl & Dr. Julia Whiting

Panelist Galen Staengl, a city resident with a background in chemical engineering, advocated for the carbon filtration approach.

“The reason we think granular activated carbon is a better idea is because it just creates cleaner water,” Staengl said. “Granular activated carbon takes out the dissolved particles that are still in the water and cleans the water out even more.”

“I think we should be asking ‘What’s the best approach to create the cleanest water we can afford?’ I certainly think we can afford GAC,” concluded Staengl.

Galvin said she was looking forward to Thursday’s forum.

“I feel the public has every right to ask questions, and it’s our job to provide an opportunity for them so they can get the answers,” Galvin said. “When it became clear to me that this was a general concern of the public, and not just a small group of activists, it made me realize that there was a genuine public health concern.”