Virginia’s 2010 water quality report, released today by the Department of Environmental Quality, provides detailed information on more than 1,200 watersheds in the Commonwealth. This report contains a water quality assessment from January 2003 to December 2008, as well as the statewide list of impaired waters. 

Governor Bob McDonnell today broke ground on a set of construction projects that will "green" Virginia's Capitol grounds and surrounding Richmond streets. The Governor was joined by the City of Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones, representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, and other local leaders to initiate these projects that will retrofit the Capitol and make it one of the greenest in the nation. Several low impact development techniques will let storm water slowly infiltrate rather than flow over the ground and into the James River.

A disillusioned but determined survivor of 20 years in a yoga ashram has landed on the "Inc. 500" list of America's fasting-growing private companies.

Michael Penny, founder of an organic mattress manufacturing company in central Virginia, is profiled in Inc. magazine's September issue. Penny's company, Savvy Rest Organic Mattresses, ranks 450th in the new "Inc. 500" list of America's fasting-growing private companies.

Savvy Rest organic mattresses are made of all-natural latex rubber, organic wool and organic cotton in Crozet, Virginia, and sold in a growing network of independent stores across the country.

Red Top Cab of Arlington, Va. deploys the first propane Autogas vehicle under the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program

The first vehicle converted to propane Autogas under the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program is on the road, with thirty more program vehicles slated to be running on Autogas by the end of August. Administered by Virginia Clean Cities at James Madison University, the program will deploy nearly 1,200 propane Autogas vehicles, reducing air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, soot and smog-causing emissions when compared to traditional gasoline vehicles.

"The daily coverage by the media of the environmental disaster in the Gulf has elbowed out local coverage of an environmental victory right here at home," say Robert Weiner and Noah Merksamer in today's Washington Post.

In a piece at the top of the Editorial Page, "An Overlooked Success Story", Weiner and Merksamer point to the Potomac River's brand new "living shoreline" in Accokeek's Piscataway Park, across from Mount Vernon.

After too many days of the largest oil spill in U.S. history, it appears that BP is finally bringing some control over the river of oil gushing into the Gulf.  U.S. Geological Survey Director Dr. Marcia McNutt announced earlier today that the disaster has already released between 17 and 39 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf, a substantial revision upward in the official size of the spill and one and one half to almost four times the size of the Exxon-Valdez spill. In a press conference this afternoon President Obama cancelled a pending lease sale off Virginia near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, a suspension of drilling planned for the Arctic this summer, and continued the temporary suspension of deepwater drilling in the Gulf.  Environment Georgia continues to call for a permanent ban on drilling in new areas and thanks the President for canceling the lease sale off Virginia and delaying development of the Arctic leases.

Renowned Primatologist and Conservationist Jane Goodall to Provide Welcoming Remarks

Event Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Goodall's Pioneering Chimpanzee Research and Inspiring Vision for Our Future

It’s not too late to see Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds perform a benefit concert on behalf of the Jane Goodall Institute Thursday, May 20, 2010, at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.  These two veteran musicians will be playing to commemorate Gombe 50:  a global celebration of Jane Goodall’s pioneering chimpanzee research and inspiring vision for our future.  Dr. Goodall will be in attendance and will provide welcoming remarks.

On March 27th Citizens for Sludge-Free Land notified the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and US EPA Region 3 that information provided to Virginia landowners about using sewage sludges as fertilizer is deceptive. Land application permits are being granted in several Virginia counties without informing farmers of the serious risks associated with this practice. The VA code specifies, that to be valid, these permits can only be granted with the informed consent of the landowner.

From April 16 through May 29, Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia in conjunction with Covanta Fairfax Inc., the owner and operator of the I-95 Energy/Resource Recovery Facility, is offering a $5 ReStore Chantilly gift card to Fairfax County households who turn in old mercury thermostats for recycling.  The mercury bounty program is designed to encourage the proper handling and disposal of these mercury-containing devices. The gift card will be valid for use in the ReStore Chantilly warehouse during the same time period of the mercury thermostat collection.