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The Cascade: The Great Falls Group Newsletter
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EQAC Annual Public Hearing on the Environment
Wednesday, Jan. 10, 7:30 pm
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From the Chair
The Sierra Club's Great Falls Group (GFG) had another productive quarter in several areas:
Clean Energy for Fairfax Now. This is a relatively new campaign involving several GFG members. In the past few months it has made progress in studying and promoting the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE), an innovative mechanism for financing property owners' energy-efficient improvements.
Recently GFG worked with the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council to cosponsor one of Fairfax County's "Lunch and Learn" workshops. This workshop, which focused on C-PACE, was held at the county Government Center on November 29. Many government officials and staff, builders, bankers, and consultants were among the 80 attendees. Clean Energy for Fairfax Now also continues to work on the Solar for Schools and Green Building Policy activities.
Recognition for GFG members.
Six
GFG members received awards from Sierra Club's Virginia Chapter for their efforts in promoting and shaping the update of Fairfax County's Environmental Vision, which will influence the county's environmental soundness for the next few decades. The chapter also gave an award to one other GFG member for organizing and hosting a successful fundraising event for the chapter's political action committee. GFG appreciates the chapter's recognition of its members, and we thank these members for contributing to a much improved vision and a successful outcome for the November elections.
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L to R: Susan Weltz, Debra Jacobson, Ross Shearer, Ivy Main (not an award winner but host of this event and Chair of the Sierra Club Virginia chapter), Norbert Pink, Bill Penniman, Dick Ball, Dick's wife (not an award winner), and Peg Hausman
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Film showing, vegan potluck, and stream cleanup. A sizable crowd came to the showing of
A Plastic Ocean on October 18. This excellent movie dramatizes the impacts of plastic on the water environment. The postfilm discussion focused on ways of removing disposable plastics from our lives, and a summary appears in the newsletter below. Other activities included the always delicious--and informative--vegan potluck on October 20, and the successful annual stream cleanup held at Scott's Run on October 28. The signup roster for the cleanup was completely full, and a great deal of trash was collected.
Holiday Party December 11. Fifty
Northern Virginia environmentalists celebrated Sierra Club environmental stewardship at the annual potluck dinner holiday party. The National Wildlife Federation headquarters in Reston provided the party facilities. Great Falls Group members brought delicious dishes and enjoyed the highest party turnout in several years.
Future activities. These will include making the transition to a new newsletter editor, taking part in the annual
environmental public hearing held by Fairfax County's Environmental Quality Advisory Council January 10, and promoting a C-PACE ordinance for the county.
By Norbert Pink, chair, Great Falls Group
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Great Falls Group Election
It's time for the Great Falls Group election to select members of the group's executive committee. All members of the Great Falls Group are eligible to vote.
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GFG Protests in Richmond against Pipelines
On Saturday, December 2, more than 850 people participated in a protest demonstration in Richmond against the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines. The event was titled "Water Is Life Rally and Concert." The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club sponsored four buses from Central and Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.
The bus from Northern Virginia was filled with enthusiastic Sierra Club members and friends. We arrived at the Bell Tower on Capital Square to express our determination to stop the pipelines. We listened to speeches from a religious leader, a person whose property would be affected by the pipeline, and Virginia Delegate Sam Rasoul.
Afterwards, the crowd surrounded the Capital building, holding hands to display solidarity in our opposition to the pipelines. This was the first time in state history that a group has surrounded the Capital. It was a historic and symbolic event. Then we the walked to the National Theater to hear a concert which included a performance by Native American musicians. We also heard Delegates-Elect Jennifer Caroll Foy and Chris Hurst talk about
their determination to stop the pipeline. It was an inspiring day of activism for an important cause.
By Susan Weltz
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Lobby. Resist. Persist. X3
On September 29, 60−70 people filled the Oakton Library meeting room for Professor Vivian E. Thomson's talk on her book Climate of Capitulation: An Insider's Account of State Power In a Coal Nation. Thomson, a professor at the University of Virginia Departments of Environmental Sciences and Politics and a former Senior Analyst and Manager at the Environmental Protection Agency, served eight years on Virginia's State Air Pollution Control Board.
Thomson connected the dots between appointed Virginia state boards, state departments, legislators, and Dominion Power and other energy utilities historically empowering "climates of capitulation" in U.S. extraction states. In Virginia, for example, the Air Pollution Control Board is connected to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), connected to the governor and state legislators, connected to Dominion and other energy utilities.
These networks lead to what Thomson describes as a systemic climate of capitulation, defined as the "deeply-rooted tendency to favoritism toward coal and electric utilities in states' air pollution policies." Such favoritism enables power wielding dynamics.
Her antidote to such favoritism is: "Lobby, Lobby, Lobby. Resist. Resist. Resist. Persist. Persist. Persist."
She suggested groups such as the Sierra Club Great Falls Group, 350.org Loudon, and the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions--cosponsors of the event--could be most effective by using "lobby, resist, persist" tactics in Virginia's policy-making and procedural bodies.
- For policy: Lobby, resist, and persist at the DEQ, Air Pollution Control Board, Water Control Board, and Waste Control Board.
- For procedures: Lobby, resist, and persist in Richmond during legislative sessions.
Thomson quoted a well-known state representative who basically proclaimed: "Procedures can always trump policy." Meaning: to sustain real change, policy plus attendant procedures are required.
Lobby. Resist. Persist. X3.
By
Rev. Dr. Jean Wright
Note:
Sierra Club's Seth Heald reviewed Thomson's book.
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Film A Plastic Ocean
Shows Devastation to Humans and Animals
In today's ever more complicated situation of climate change, we tend to focus our attention almost solely on carbon emissions. Yet so much more contributes to the ever-increasing burden humans are placing on Earth. Whether it be over fishing, developmental sprawl, or deforestation, many things pollute the planet and contribute to climate change. Plastic is another major material polluting Earth, and in the documentary adventure film A Plastic Ocean, Director Craig Leeson takes us on a journey around the world exploring the issues and crises we face in terms of plastic and its effect on our oceans.
Our society overflows with plastic. Plastic bags, bottles, and every day household items contribute to a crisis in our oceans. A Plastic Ocean depicts Leeson and his team searching for the mysterious blue whale. They are surprised by, in what would otherwise be pristine Pacific Ocean, finding areas of plastic discard that occupy large swaths of our oceans in smaller, particulate sizes.
Consequences of Plastics
The film is a great introduction to the environmental issues surrounding the consequences of plastics and should be at the top of the list for any science class regardless of age. It's informative on many levels, exemplifying the consequences of plastics, such as the general threat to the entire ocean food chain, dire consequences for sea life who ingest the plastic, and dangers to remote Pacific islands and even the coast of France. The documentary is international in its depiction of how this issue affects us everywhere: our oceans, islands, and cities.
Although not shying away from the crisis of plastics, the film opens up the opportunity to explore solutions already in place or solutions that can be explored in the near term that can decrease our reliance on plastics or create better, more innovative ways to recycle giving the film a tone of hope and positivity.
A Plastic Ocean
is a must-see film--not only for the adventurer, environmental scientist, activist, or student, but for anyone who cares about our oceans and how we use everyday products in relation to the wider ecosystem.
Facts from the Movie:
- Packaging is the largest end-use market segment for plastics, accounting for just over 40 percent of total plastic use.
- Annually, approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one million bags are used every minute.
- A plastic bag has an average working life of 15 minutes.
- Over the last ten years, we have produced more plastic than during all of the last century.
Beverage Bottles
- According to the Container Recycling Institute, 100.7 billion plastic beverage bottles were sold in the U.S. in 2014, or 315 bottles per person.
- Of those, 57 percent were plastic water bottles: 57.3 billion sold in 2014. This is up from 3.8 billion plastic water bottles sold in 1996, the earliest year for available data.
- The process of producing bottled water requires around six times as much water per bottle as it holds.
- Fourteen percent of all litter comes from beverage containers. When caps and labels are considered, the number is higher.
How You Can Help
- Bring your own recyclable bags when you go shopping. Virginia Green Baggers make and distribute reusable shopping bags for free at Northern Virginia events.
- Use reusable metal or other eco-friendly water bottles and fill them from your tap. Use a Brita-like water filter if you're concerned about water quality.
- If you do use plastic bags or bottles, recycle them responsibly.
The Great Falls Group has this film available for showing. Please contact
Susan Weltz, if interested.
By Alex Rough
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The Fairfax County green building policy authorizes staff to seek LEED attainment in exchange for the zoning exemptions sought by developers. This exchange usually means the County agrees to increased building height in return for the developer's offers to provide parks and sidewalks, construct public buildings, include affordable housing units, and incorporate green building elements above the code's minimums, all to be paid by the developer. For commercial buildings such as high rises, green building practices currently mean a minimum of
LEED Silver at Tysons and LEED Certified elsewhere in the county.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a rating system devised by the United States Green Building Council to evaluate the environmental performance of a building and promote market transformation toward sustainable design.
Before the release of LEED's version 4, LEED often failed to deliver significant increases in energy efficiency unless the builder chose to focus on energy efficiency. During negotiation of these proffer agreements, county staff have had limited leverage to emphasize energy efficiency because the County's Green Building Policy did not specifically support that action.
However, an advisory report prepared for the Board of Supervisors by the MITRE Corporation in March 16, 2013, reviewed a range of green building options, including efficiency, photovoltaic solar, geothermal, and combined heat and power. MITRE's analysis recommended focusing on energy efficiency as the most cost-effective green path for Tysons and other high-density developments. MITRE strongly suggested adopting mandatory use of Design to Earn Energy Star (DEES) citing DEES as a regional leadership opportunity for the Board. DEES saves on average more than 35 percent in energy and recovers its costs within seven years, performance that matches or exceeds the long-term average of the stock market.
Environmental Subcommittee Action
The Planning Commission's Environmental Subcommittee initially rejected the idea of emphasizing energy efficiency, and DEES in particular, or any other LEED focus area for commercial projects at Tysons. The problem is that developers rarely include energy efficiency in their proffers because the investors (often from out of state) are building for tenancy, not for self-occupancy. Because tenants pay the utility bills, builders have no investment incentive to keep energy costs low.
As far as we can tell, no alternative to DEES was ever considered by the Environmental Subcommittee, such as a requirement for a minimum number of points for energy efficiency in LEED's Climate and Energy scoring section. With urging from Sierra Club volunteers, the board asked the Environmental Subcommittee to reconsider incentives for energy efficiency in buildings. The Environmental Subcommittee now recommends the Board approve language "encouraging" developers to include energy efficiency in their proffers. This is a positive development because it is the only LEED focus area identified for emphasis.
Sierra Club Recommendations
Nonetheless, as climate change's impacts become ever more visible, the policy for structures built with a 50-year life span should have gone much further. We urged the Commissioners to set numerical goals under LEED's energy efficiency scale or require consideration of DEES. GFG members Debra Jacobsen and Ross Shearer presented reasons for this and offered the written testimony of Bill Penniman, Virginia Chapter conservation chair, at a stakeholder meeting in November. We emphasized the advantages of:
- monetary and environmental savings,
- building for quality to attract the right tenants and owners,
- reflecting the expectations of county residents for high-efficiency buildings within Tysons development, and
- keeping true to the Board of Supervisors' public commitments to climate goals under Cool Counties Climate Stablization Initiative, Council of Governments (COG), the Board's Environmental Vision, and the Paris Climate agreement.
By Ross Shearer
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Is Your Recycling Contaminated?
Recently, my recycling provider reported that in the past five years, the quality of recycled materials has been reduced dramatically because of contamination. Contaminated recycled materials can't be used to make new products. This "dirty recycling" is being rejected at facilities and then disposed of as trash.
What Can You Do?
- All recyclable items should be rinsed and free of any food residue before placing in your bin.
- Styrofoam, diapers, syringes, and light bulbs belong in your trash and are not recyclable.
- Plastic bags can be recycled at your local grocery store.
- Batteries belong in your trash bin, not the recycling bin.
By Linda C. Brown
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Salt Runoff Mitigation
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will soon convene interested stakeholders to develop a Salt Management Strategy to improve current salt application practices for snow and ice management. This follows the recently completed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study for Accotink Creek that identified acceptable levels of chloride (salt) required to meet water quality standards that protect aquatic life. The new strategy will implement the Accotink Creek TMDL for chloride and also guide actions to reduce chloride released from products used during winter storms by all salt users in the broader Northern Virginia area.
A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, to share information and welcome people to participate in a Stakeholder Advisory Committee and workgroups that will collaboratively develop the strategy. This meeting will be held from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Arlington County Central Library Auditorium at 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington ("winter weather" make-up date at same location is January 31).
For more information, a background summary, and the strategy development process is available on the DEQ website.
This document and other project-related resources can be found on the DEQ SaMS webpage.
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EPA Alumni Fight Back
Upset about what's happening at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)? So are retired and former employees of the agency, and they're doing something about it. They have organized and pooled their expertise in environmental science, law, and policy to "educate and advocate for environmental science, environmental protections, and the current administration's assault on EPA and our public health." They've created a
Save EPA website to make the following resources available:
- Resistance Guide: A how-to manual for Americans who want to speak out in defense of rules that protect the public.
- Rules for Open Comment: An overview of EPA rollback proposals and talking points for commenting.
- Talking Points: Facts about public health, climate, and environmental protections.
- About EPA: An overview of the work EPA does and selected press coverage.
- EPA's Priorities & Budget: Details on how EPA's priorities are shifting.
Save EPA developed their guide to "help Americans resist the Trump deregulatory agenda. Modeled after the Indivisible Guide for holding Congress accountable, Save EPA's guide offers insights and advice for making agencies listen. Through this guide, you'll learn how to be an effective advocate through the federal rulemaking public comment process and other forms of activism."
By Linda C. Brown
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Virginia Residential Energy Code Update Disappoints
At its October meeting, the Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development (BHCD) approved a compromise agreement for improving Virginia's residential energy code for houses. The compromise agreement was negotiated among the home building industry stakeholders and energy efficiency advocates before receiving public comments.
What's in the Compromise
The compromise requires a duct blaster test, which evaluates leakage in ducts. But it provides an exemption if the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) including the air handler are inside the building's air barrier envelope. The compromise left higher leakage rates
in place for both ducts and the house air barrier envelope than the rates found in the International Energy and Conservation Code (IECC) model. The compromise also rejected requirements of the 2012 and 2015 national IECC model, which recommended higher insulation R-values (greater thermal efficiency) for exterior walls and attics and required a blower door test. Virginia's code for wall insulation is about where it has been since the 1970s--3.5 inches of fiberglass placed between 2 X 4 studs.
Incentivizing the industry to move all HVAC, including the air handler unit, inside the building's air barrier envelope is a positive step, but we are disappointed that much more was not approved. Moreover, where ducting is outside the building envelope, Virginia Code permits the installer to rate his own installation. We've observed that most Northern Virginia homebuilders have transitioned to 2 X 6 studs on 24-inch centers because they also build in DC, Maryland, and Delaware, which have adopted the IECC's model, which still permits ducts and air handler units to be placed outside the building's thermal envelope.
The Ratings
The BHCD also adopted the 2015 model code's use of the Energy Rating Index (ERI) as a compliance alternative. The ERI is essentially the Home Energy Rating Score, or HERS. The ERI alternative requires both the blower door and the duct blaster tests and a score of 70 or below, but it doesn't prescribe how to build to attain that result. A house built to HERS 100 complies with the 2006 IECC model. To score below 35 on the basis of efficiency design alone, the super-insulating features of a "
Passive House" compliant structure become necessary. Solar panels take the score lower, so that a house scoring "0" is a house that produces exactly as much energy as it uses.
The HERS provides new homebuyers with an easy-to-grasp score of a house's energy efficiency with a report that estimates energy use and costs. Unlike mpg ratings for autos, HERS numbers are blind to size: a 3,000 sq. ft. house scoring HERS 60 would use a lot less energy than a 6,000 sq. ft house earning an identical HERS 60. Quality builders today seeking to build for efficiency for marketing reasons typically score HERS 60 and below.
Many volunteers from the Sierra Club and other organizations were involved in commenting at meetings and online through the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall, in support of full adoption of the 2012 and 2015 national model (IECC) provisions. Because the compromise agreement was made before public commenting, the BHCD and department's staff were deaf to voices seeking adoption of a code for Virginia fully aligned with the IECC model.
The national model is updated every three years. The next BHCD cycle will start in 2019 after the 2018 IECC model is finalized. As was the case during this 2015 cycle, the provisions of the 2012 model that Virginia rejected will not be reconsidered in the 2019 cycle unless stakeholders with knowledge of building science propose them.
By Ross Shearer
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Solar on the Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has a great opportunity to uphold its commitment to lower its carbon footprint, create a hedge against the ever-increasing price of electricity, and provide academic enhancement for their science, technology, engineering, and math students by installing solar photovoltaic panels on the schools. FCPS has done an impressive job of making the schools more energy efficient. More than 145 schools of the 196 in the county are Energy Star rated.
FCPS has recently been recognized as a Certified Green School Division by the Virginia School Boards Association for 2017. The district also earned platinum certification for accumulating green points for environmental policies and practices.
The next step in lowering FCPS' carbon footprint is to acquire clean, renewable energy. The "Solar on our Schools" program is being driven by students. Three James Madison High School students spoke to the school board in January 2016, outlining the reasons for and benefits of installing solar. In September of 2017, more students recorded videos to present to the school board. These students are also recruiting students from all the high schools in the county to show their united desire to see FCPS powered by clean, renewable energy.
Members of the Sierra Club, 350.org, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, and the Climate Reality Project are supporting these students by meeting members of the school board along with students. In these meetings, we discuss with school board members the opportunities and benefits of acquiring solar energy. With Power Purchase Agreements, FCPS would make no capital outlay, but would purchase some portion of their electricity from a third party that owns and maintains the solar power system.
Over the next three months, we'll continue to meet with school board members and FCPS staff to provide useful information and to promote "Solar on Our Schools." Students will continue to advocate for their future as climate change threatens their opportunities as they move into adulthood.
If you would like to become involved with this group please join the Facebook Group "Solar on the Schools."
By Susan Weltz
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Drug Take-Back Program a Success
According to Fairfax County Police, this year's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Oct. 28 was a success at all eight of its district police stations. More than 2,600 pounds were collected.
With the take-back program, citizens can safely and confidentially dispose of their prescription drugs--no questions asked.
The event's success highlights the need for a safe place to turn in prescription drugs year-round. Therefore, a new pilot program that includes a Drug Take-Back Box has already begun at the Springfield District Station. The pilot program will run for six months and--if effective--will expand to the other seven district stations across the county.
This Drug Take Back Box does not accept syringes, needles, liquids, or pressurized canisters.
The program will offer a free drug deactivating pouch to help citizens to safely
discard prescription drugs at home, while supplies last.
Where to Find the Box
The West Springfield District Station is located at 6140 Rolling Rd., Springfield. For questions,
contact the Springfield District Office at 703-451-8873.
Fairfax County recommends three ways to properly dispose of medicine on the
Fairfax County website. Remember, for the good of the environment, don't flush medicines or pour them down drains!
By Norbert Pink
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News from Fairfax,
Loudoun, and Prince William and Counties
Local environmental activists have been busy promoting clean energy and environmental stewardship. Here's what's been happening in Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun counties:
Fairfax County Environmental Initiatives
Solar Power
Earlier this year, Fairfax county residents could take advantage of a free solar assessment and discounted prices on solar panels through
Solarize Fairfax County
. The campaign ran from April 18 to June 30, and 1,205 homeowners and businesses signed up. Approximately 47 new solar contracts were signed, resulting in an estimated half a million kilowatt hours of electricity to be produced each year. This is the equivalent of preventing over 200 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions or the emissions from 225,383 pounds of burned coal! Another Solarize campaign is in the works for 2018.
Energy Efficient Buildings
The county continues to support sustainability and environmental stewardship. Since July 2016, the Energy Management Division of the county's Facilities Management Division has retrofitted 2,278 LED bulbs in county facilities, which would save 6 million kilowatt hours of energy over the lifetime of the fixtures and reduce the release of emissions equivalent to 4.9 million pounds of burned coal.
The county's
Green Building Policy
states that all new and to-be-remodeled facilities over 10,000 square feet must be constructed to follow green building standards. The county's newest building, the
Public Safety Headquarters
, just opened and was designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, and has several green features: LED lighting, green roofs, permeable pavements, and storm water bio filter treatments. (See related article on green building above.)
Wastewater Treatment
The county's wastewater facility in Lorton has reduced its electrical consumption by 2,175,000 kilowatt hours per year from its peak. At the same time, it implemented new technologies to remove excess nitrogen from the wastewater, promote stream health, meet capacity and demand, and send out reusable wastewater to customers for irrigation and industrial purposes.
Landfill
The county's landfills continue to use energy from the landfill gases at the landfill or nearby facilities to reduce further energy consumption. The county has also partnered with George Mason University in
the
creation of
pollinator habitats at the I-95 Landfill
to promote our natural ecosystem.
Glass can now be dropped off at the I-66 Transfer Station or the I-95 Landfill Complex to be repurposed into sand and gravel for construction or landscaping.
Thermal Cameras
Thermal cameras are available for loan through the Fairfax County Public Library. These cameras attach to your smartphone and allow you to see hot and cold spots in your home that are invisible to the naked eye, showing you air leaks and poor insulation.
County residents have been taking advantage of this program.
The Android cameras have circulated 59 times total for the ones added 4/22 (4.x version) and 9/1 (5.x version). There are more than 250 customers waiting to get access to one. The iOS cameras have circulated 121 times (there are 24 of these, with 20 being added 9/1). They have more tha 325 customers waiting to get access to one. The cameras are circulating at a rate that rivals books by bestselling authors like John Grisham or Janet Evanovich.
Although these are just a couple of the county's current sustainability initiatives, there are many others in this year's
Sustainability Initiatives
. Let's continue to work together to reduce our footprints!
By Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova
Recycling Matters in Prince William County!
Families enjoyed a fall festival with an environmentally conscious twist recently at the annual Prince William Recycles Day celebration. The county landfill was given a seasonal makeover with hay bales, pumpkins, and scarecrow decorations welcoming attendees. County employees and local environmental organizations led activities educating the community on why recycling matters and how it can be practiced in Prince William County. A favorite activity was taking the tour of the landfill. The tour bus was full all day driving throughout the landfill giving families a chance to see waste management in action.
Read more and see more photos on the Prince William Recycles Day website.
Loundoun County Updates
At the
January 18, 2018, business meeting, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors will discuss establishing a commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) for Loudoun County.
I have been a strong supporter of this program because it will promote economic development and green infrastructure. As Metro comes to Loudoun County, PACE will be an option for new commercial property owners to finance clean energy improvements. Our business community, environmentalists, and citizens support this program.
On October 19, I did not support commission permits for Columbia Gas and Dominion Energy to expand existing natural gas compressor facilities. I am concerned about the removal of the safety odorant mercaptan during planned venting of natural gas. While the smell of mercaptan makes people nauseous, it is a safety feature added because natural gas is odorless. Residents in the vicinity of the compressor stations have expressed concern about the number of ventings and the smell. Removal of the odorant is a safety concern, and so I did not vote for the commission permits.
By Loudoun Board of Supervisors Chair Phylis Randal
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Environmentalists Celebrate Holidays in Reston
Fifty Northern Virginia environmentalists celebrated stewardship at the annual potluck dinner holiday party on December 11. The National Wildlife Federation headquarters in Reston provided the party facilities. Great Falls Group members brought delicious dishes and enjoyed the highest party turnout in several years. In the party photo, note the absence of disposable paper products--we used 100% reusable cups, plates, flatware, and napkins.
Kelsey Crane is the Sierra Club's Northern Virginia Conservation Program Coordinator. She kicked off the program with updates on activism opportunities to continue the fight against the dirty Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley Pipeline projects. Great Falls Group chairman Norbert Pink awarded member Linda Brown a recognition certificate for her six years as editor of the newsletter and communication emails. Partygoers played a new experiential art and storytelling game, creating a mural in teams of four. Game designer Eric Groo led the game and taught us how to weave together stories, art, and resource management.
Be sure to join us for next year's Sierra Club holiday gathering!
By Susan Bonney
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Featured Winter Hike
Anglers Inn to Great Falls
An easy 4.3-mile hike along the towpath on the Maryland side of Great Falls will give you the opportunity to see the calm beauty of the canal and the spectacular rapids at the falls.
Begin in the parking lot across from
Old Angler's Inn on MacArthur Boulevard (indoor bathrooms available in the parking lot). You can head north along the canal and return via the upper road (crossing the canal at the covered bridge).
So pick a day, and explore, enjoy, and protect the planet!
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Get Outdoors with the Sierra Club
Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (SCPRO) is a special activities group of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. It organizes hikes and events year-round for the general public on behalf of Sierra Club chapters in the Washington, D.C., metro area. Volunteer leaders conduct the events, many of which include conservation, educational, or historical elements. For information about SCPRO and its upcoming events, visit the
SCPRO Events on the Meetup website.
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Great Falls Group Executive Committee
The monthly meeting of the Great Falls Group Executive Committee is open to all Sierra Club members. Contact Norbert Pink for meeting times and location. If you would like to help the group, please volunteer by contacting one of the following leaders or Norbert Pink.
Officers:
Committee Chairs:
Chapter Delegate
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Susan Weltz
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703-242-2789
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s.weltz@yahoo.com
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Conservation
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Natalie Pien |
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Membership
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Norbert Pink
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703-264-7445
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norbertsierra@aol.com
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| Fracking |
Volunteer needed |
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Public Affairs
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Volunteer needed
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Political
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Volunteer needed
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Programs
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Susan Weltz
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703-242-2789
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sweltz@yahoo.com
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Social
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Susan Bonney
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703-821-5587
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sbonney001@aol.com
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Transportation
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Karen Campblin
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Committee Support:
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Calendar of Events
EQAC Annual Public Hearing on the Environment
Wednesday, Jan. 10,7:30 pm
Fairfax County Government Center
12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
Fairfax County's Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) wants to hear your views and concerns regarding any environmental issues of interest to you.
To sign up to speak, call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-324-1380--or send an email (and/or submit written testimony) to
EQAC@fairfaxcounty.gov
. EQAC also is providing the opportunity for interested parties to present video testimony. Visit the Fairfax County website
for additional information.
If you would like to speak at this hearing but need assistance from other Sierra Club members to refine your concerns, editing, etc., please contact Norbert Pink.
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