Local air quality affects how we live and breathe. Like the weather, it can change from day to day or even hour to hour. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others are working to make information about outdoor air quality as available to the public as information about the weather. A key tool in this effort is the Air Quality Index or AQI. USEPA and the Division of Air Quality use this standardized system to provide the public with timely and easy-to-understand information on local air quality and whether air pollution levels pose a health concern

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a standardized system to provide the public with timely and easy-to-understand information on local air quality and whether air pollution levels pose a health concern.

Algae blooms caused by species capable of producing toxins are called Harmful Algal Blooms or HABs. Toxins produced by cyanobacteria are collectively referred to as cyanotoxins. These toxins can affect the liver, nervous system and/or the skin of people, pets, and wildlife. Children are more susceptible, than adults, to the effects of cyanotoxins. Cyanotoxins may be present before a visible bloom, during a bloom, or after a bloom. Cyanotoxins may persist in the environment for months or years after a bloom. Cyanotoxins and/or cyanobacteria blooms can float downstream affecting other areas. Harmful Algal Blooms are not restricted to lakes; they can form in rivers and streams as well. However, Harmful Algal Blooms tend to occur in calm, stratified waters.

DEP offers several mailing lists to which you can subscribe. The lists will allow you to receive immediate notifications announcing statewide press releases on various topics, permits open for public comment and review, draft permits for water and coal under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, air quality, solid waste, hazardous waste and voluntary remediation notices.

Links

• DEP Mailing Lists
• Public Notice Archive
• Office of Oil and Gas Public Notices

Nationally, U.S. EPA is working to reduce diesel exhaust emissions from many types of sources. These emissions are being reduced in West Virginia through partnerships with our sister agencies to help protect our environment at schools, via public transit, and on our highways.

Energy efficiency means using less energy to accomplish the same task. The idea is to eventually reduce our energy consumption and demands without diminishing our quality of life. Becoming more energy efficient will save you money, reduce pollution and ease energy demands within the economy.

As a regulatory agency, the WVDEP navigates many issues that can potentially impact both the state's environment and its citizens. We strive to provide the public with the most complete and up-to-date information possible. Here, you can learn more about new and developing environmental issues and the steps the WVDEP is taking to address them.

Know the law about open burning. Open burning is illegal. Open air burning is a sort of tradition, but every time we burn outdoors, we contribute to air pollution in our area. Whether it's waste from yards, home, businesses, or land-clearing, it all adds up to unhealthy air.

The mission of the Public Information Office is to provide information to the public about the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and its work to promote a healthy environment.

The Adopt-A-Highway Program is co-sponsored by the Division of Highways and the Department of Environmental Protection. It was established in the late 1980s under the DNR (now a REAP Program) to improve the quality of our environment by encouraging public involvement in the elimination of highway litter. Its objective is to save taxpayers money by increasing public awareness and to serve as an educational tool by focusing on the consequences which result when littering is allowed to continue unchecked. The program offers volunteers the opportunity to take charge of their environment by making a positive effort to create a cleaner, more aesthetic place in which to live.

Since 2002, West Virginia has been a formal partner in the Chesapeake Bay cleanup. Our state signed on to the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), which was released on December 29, 2010, established the foundation for water quality improvements embodied in the new Agreement. It drives the nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment reductions West Virginia committed to in our Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP).

Did you know that you don't just have to send your e-waste (computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices) to the landfill when it has reached the end of its useful life? As of April 2010, the law in West Virginia establishs a registration process for manufacturers of covered electronic devices, to determine if manufacturers have adopted or implemented a takeback/recycling program for their products that is free to the public and to award recycling grants to counties and municipalities for recycling or other programs that divert covered electronic devices from the waste stream.

The Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program is part of WVDEP's Watershed Improvement Branch (WIB). The NPS Program coordinates multi-agency and non-government organizations efforts to address nonpoint pollution by: Providing assistance in the proper installation and maintenance of (BMPs), Supporting citizen based watershed organizations, Supporting partners whose activities relate to nonpoint issues, Restoring impaired watersheds with nonpoint abatement projects.

§319 grants are used for Nonpoint Program administration and Watershed projects. Watershed projects attempt to restore waters impaired by nonpoint pollution. 303(d) listings, TMDL development and Management Plan priorities determine eligibility.

The Open Dump Cleanup Program uses landfill fees to clean up illegal dumps and to gather evidence to prosecute illegal dumping activity. Currently the program has completed more than 15,000 projects that have resulted in the removal of an estimated 147,000 tons of material, including 26,000 tons of steel, 62,000 appliances and over 2,000,000 tires. There are an estimated 15,000 open dumps across WV. The efforts of the PPOD average up to 900 dumps removed yearly, at a total of 9,500 tons/year. With assistance from volunteers, solid waste authorities, and county commissions, PPOD has been able to reclaim 10,504 acres of WV land as of September 30, 2010.

Since 2005, the Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan strives to clean up West Virginia and rid the state of unsightly litter. The REAP initiative harbors all of the state cleanup programs within the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. REAP is a powerful force in the campaign against illegal dumping and littering. REAP focuses on cleanup efforts from both program staff and volunteers statewide. In a unique partnership, the program empowers citizens to take ownership of their communities by providing technical, financial, and resource assistance in cleanup efforts.

The Recycling section was established in 1989 to ensure compliance with the West Virginia Natural Resources Laws (Chapter 20, Article 11) before moving to the REAP program. This section is responsible for administering the following programs which have been developed and implemented to meet our goals. We also provide support in the following areas: public education programs and recycling market development.

The implementation of water quality improvement projects in West Virginia is a coordinated effort of state, federal, and local government working in cooperation with citizen groups and other NGOs who are passionate about environmental issues and dedicated to improving the quality of life within their watershed. WVDEP coordinates these efforts through the Division of Water and Waste Management, Nonpoint Source Program, 106 and Stream Partners.

Each year, REAP's PPOD Program conducts tire collection events across the state. At least one collection event is held in each county. During these events, individuals with proof of WV residency can dispose of ten tires in a safe way. PPOD is also responsible for the removal of tires piles located across the state. During 2009, more than 400,000 tires were collected and/or removed from West Virginia's landscape.

The WV Make It Shine Program is a comprehensive program aimed at making WV the cleanest state in the nation. Throughout the state, groups of volunteers, businesses, community organizations, and local governments are working to accomplish this goal. It is the responsibility of the WV Make It Shine Program to coordinate the effort of these people to make our state shine. The WV Make It Shine Program is involved in several events each year.

The mission of WV Save Our Streams (SOS) is to promote the preservation and restoration of our state's waters by providing an understanding of their ecological integrity. This mission is accomplished by conducting workshops, training volunteers on how to monitor their local wadeable streams and rivers.

The mission of the Dam Safety Section is to protect lives and property from the danger of a dam failure. Public safety is accomplished by ensuring that dams are constructed, rehabilitated, maintained, operated, or removed in a safe manner.

Due to their complexity, air quality issues are often difficult to convey. In 2006, the Division of Air Quality formed an "outreach" team to explore more contemporary ways of communicating with the public. The team includes personnel from all sections and job classifications of the agency. Expenditures are paid for from the DAQ's Air Pollution Education and Environment Fund, funded by enforcement settlements.

The mobile aquarium highlights partnerships between the Division of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Protection in which both agencies strive to improve water quality, conserve resources, and restore fish habitat. Although the aquarium’s primary purpose is to assist with stream surveys, it also functions as a unique teaching tool at public events. At these events, children and adults alike can observe the diversity of fish species native to West Virginia.

Our Enviro Fact Sheets are infographics published by our Public Information Office explaining how various environmental control processes work.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is water contaminated when pyrite (iron sulfide) is exposed to air and water. The exposure often results in reactions that form sulfuric acid and dissolved iron. Some or all of this iron can precipitate to form the red, orange, or yellow sediments (yellowboy) on the streambed. The acid runoff further dissolves heavy metals such as aluminum, copper, lead and manganese. The rate and degree which acid can increase mine drainage proceeds by the action of certain bacteria. Note: There is also basic mine drainage (BMD).

A compiled list of services available in West Virginia for disposing of various types of hazardous waste. These lists are produced for convenience only and are not an endorsement of any company by WVDEP. These lists contains only companies known to provide services within West Virginia.

Project WET is an international, interdisciplinary water science and education program for educators of all sorts - public and private school teachers, water resource professionals, youth club leaders and many others. Project WET workshops are FREE and conducted throughout the state.

Septic tank systems are very much like people. They need periodic check-ups and proper care to remain healthy and function properly. Also like humans, they must have a proper diet and cannot over indulge to excess without the homeowner suffering dire consequences (repair bills).

Links

• Septic Tank Tips

The Watershed Improvement Branch Stormwater Team provides assistance for regulated and unregulated stormwater sites in the Potomac Basin. The team researches information about stormwater in order to provide the best available techniques as they relate to the requirements of their permit and provides guidance for others who want to manage their stormwater and learn more about low impact development (LID) and green infrastructure. The team also tracks and reports BMP data to WVDEP's Stormwater Program and the Chesapeake Bay Program as needed.

Links

• Stormwater Assistance
• Benefits of Green Infrastructure and Low Impact Development Practices
• Stormwater Management and Design Guidance Manual

The program is sponsored by the DEP. It is designed to unite existing youth groups such as 4-H clubs, scouts, kindergarten, elementary, junior high/middle and high schools, FFA chapters, church youth fellowships, and others toward the common goal of Making West Virginia Shine! The program provides incentive to the groups to actively participate in environmental projects such as litter cleanups, recycling drives and tree plantings. It creates an interest and enthusiasm for preserving our natural resources, with more than $15,000 in cash and other awards including a college scholarship.