Month: April 2023

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley is pleased to provide Harrisonburg’s The Citizen with a monthly survey of energy and environmental news stories about Virginia.

With their permission, we are re-posting these pieces here after they appear in the Citizen.

The link to this piece as first published by the Citizen is HERE.

Statewide Environmental News Roundup for April 2023 (Part II)

Energy

“A facility that stores renewable energy is coming to Chesapeake — but its development has raised concern among elected officials and residents about what say the city has in the matter…. [It] will be the first of its kind in the city.… [and] will help provide emission-free renewable energy to the electrical grid as part of Virginia’s clean energy initiative. It will connect to a nearby electric substation owned by Dominion Energy, and is close to Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.” Some who reside in Virginia and North Carolina areas are concerned about adverse effects. “Offshore wind developers [are working to] boost [their] outreach to allay concerns.” A Virginia energy policy expert says “It’s time for Virginia to plan its next offshore wind farm.” “Construction is set to begin late this year on a service operations vessel (SOV) that will transport technicians and equipment to support the massive wind turbines that Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy S.A. is installing for Dominion Energy Inc.’s $9.8 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project off the Virginia Beach coast.” Referred to as a “floatel,” it will be based in Hampton Roads. The Hampton Roads area has for some time been working to position itself as a hub for the off-shore wind industry. Now it’s aiming to do the same for the “green hydrogen” industry.

More news about data centers: Northern Virginia is leading the way, accounting for about two-thirds of leases nationwide. “Data center demand nationwide is at a record high.” “Stafford County weighs [a] proposal for [a] massive data center MegaCampus … to become part of the data center building boom in Virginia.” “Development on former Virginia mine land could include data centers.” A potential hitch is that, although “the developer has agreed to participate in the state’s voluntary remediation program to address any gold mining contamination that’s discovered during construction, some groups who raised initial concerns about developing land that’s likely contaminated with mercury from decades of pre‑regulations mining say that ‘voluntary’ doesn’t go far enough.” See also:

• A “data center developer files pre‑application for 1.4-million-square-foot facility in Catlett [in Fauquier County].”
• “EdgeCore plans [a] new data center in [the] Dulles area of Loudoun County.”
• “New bat rules coincide with tree-cutting at [a] data center site.”
• “The Department of Environmental Quality [(DEQ) withdrew] its proposed temporary variance to allow data centers to use backup generators during potential strains on the electric grid.”
• “Virginia environmental regulators [dropped its] plan to allow data centers to rely on diesel generators.”
• “Digital Gateway data center opposition escalates in Prince William County.”

“Public schools and community colleges in seven counties and one city in Southwest Virginia are eligible to apply for a program that will offer competitive multiyear grants to fund campus solar arrays and educational opportunities in the solar field in Virginia and West Virginia. The Coalfield Solar Fund is a partnership among Intuit Inc., the nonprofit National Energy and Education Development Project and Secure Solar Futures, a Staunton-based solar developer.”

“The Lynchburg Parks & Recreation D epartment … commissioned a 3.2 kW SolarEdge rooftop solar installation at a popular nature center in Ivy Creek Park. As part of an educational initiative designed to foster early interest in renewable energy amongst local children, the project is one of the first to be funded by Lynchburg City Council’s Sustainability Fund, established in 2022 to promote renewable energy adoption amongst local families and businesses…. The nature center is housed in a historic wooden cabin that has been a focal part of community life in Lynchburg for decades. The energy produced will be used to offset a percentage of the cabin’s energy use and reduce carbon emissions. Inside the cabin, an interactive, wall-mounted exhibit provides a ‘hands-on’ way for children to discover how solar energy is harnessed and converted into clean, renewable power for their homes.”

Virginia’s “Pollinator-Friendly Solar Energy Program” may be gaining some ground, but so far it’s slow progress.

There’s some activity around the Governor’s declared intent to bring small nuclear reactions to the state. “Two grants totaling $150,000 have been awarded to the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission for site and supply chain studies related to the small modular nuclear reactor proposed for Southwest Virginia.” A “Data center park [is] headed for Surry County. [The] Developer’s ultimate plan calls for [a] nuclear and hydrogen-fueled power plant.” A Southwest Virginia online newspaper editor says “The changing politics of nuclear energy are bringing some liberals and some conservatives together.” “A nationally recognized [Virginia Tech] nuclear expert says an insufficient workforce, not technological issues, will be Virginia’s biggest obstacle to developing small modular nuclear reactors.” Nonetheless, “Dominion Energy says small modular nuclear reactors could be a part of the grid in” Virginia within 10 years.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline project also made plenty of headlines:

• “Mountain Valley pipeline [is] at a stalemate: What’s next?”
• “Federal court upholds Virginia stream-crossing permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline.”
• “Mountain Valley loses another permit needed to complete pipeline.”
• “Controversial pipeline blocked — again — over impact on water quality.”
• “Mountain Valley Pipeline’s West Virginia water permit tossed by court.”
• “Court vacates critical West Virginia water permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline.”
• “Federal Court Invalidates Key Water Permit in West Virginia, Casting Doubt on Future for Mountain Valley Pipeline.”
• “Another lawsuit filed in the Mountain Valley Pipeline legal marathon.”
• “Mountain Valley Pipeline Gets Approval To Cross Jefferson National Forest.”
• “Biden Admin Further Endorses Disastrous MVP While Claiming to Support Environmental Justice.”
• A spokesperson for POWHR (Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights) expressed outrage at and disagreement with the announcement by Energy Secretary Granholm.

“Charlottesville-based Community Climate Collaborative’s latest grant program is helping minority‑owned small businesses pay for energy efficient appliances and lighting.” Increasing a building’s energy efficiency is often the important first step in reducing energy bills and fossil fuel emissions.

Climate and Environment

“The city of Richmond is accepting proposals for the City Center redevelopment project, specifically asking developers to design a sustainable, resilient part of town…. Developers are asked to emphasize pedestrian and shared-use infrastructure, save space for solar panels and other renewable energy generation, and generally design a space that will adapt to an increasing number of extremely hot days and torrential downpours. Developers also are being asked to meet sustainability standards for buildings and the site as a whole.”

Because the “Hampton Roads coastline is sinking, flooding maps need to be updated.” Virginia Tech and Old Dominion University (ODU) are collaborating. Tech researchers reported “that sections of the Chesapeake Bay are sinking at rates of nearly a quarter an inch – or 7 millimeters – a year … [noting that] Up-to-date knowledge of where the ground in the Chesapeake Bay area is sinking and by how much is not included in the official planning maps that authorities use to assess the local flooding risk from rising sea levels….” Using this and other data, “ODU researchers are building a digital version of Hampton Roads to simulate the area’s flooding future. [Called a] ‘digital twin’, officials can use [it] to test different scenarios of [the area]’s future.” NASA funded the project through which researchers are “gathering real-time data to feed into the system from local flood sensors, drones and satellite imagery.” ODU’s “Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation announced the launch of the Resilient and Adaptable Communities Partnership … following a year’s worth of planning and $1.5 million in funding from the state.” The announcement came after “the Virginia Institute of Marine Science released a report… that stated Norfolk is experiencing the highest rate of sea level rise along the East Coast. “ “As Norfolk [weighed its] storm protection plan, Black residents [wanted] more say. The [city’s] $2.6 billion plan would shield the city from storms and hurricanes. But aspects of the plan … angered some.” Ultimately, and following revisions, the city council approved the plan.

“Following William & Mary’s announcement that it plans to close its widely respected Virginia Coastal Policy Center this summer, the university … unveiled a new initiative to address sea level rise and stormwater flooding. The school has touted the new Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative as being part of a university-wide approach that is in line with its Vision 2026 plan to establish a greater presence in Virginia’s efforts to deal with water issues.” “Virginia communities have been deeply affected by flooding in the past and in recent years. The commonwealth has also seen an increase in risk for flash flooding and landslides. A study by researchers at Climate Central … predicted that Virginia could lose 42% of tidal wetlands to sea level rise by 2100.”

“A new Hampton program aims to help residents address shoreline erosion by allowing some funds to be provided [to them] upfront rather than … requiring them to pay for improvements themselves and then seek reimbursement. The funds are available through the state’s Virginia Conservation Assistance Program, which traditionally distributes money to multiple soil and water conservation districts — the regional divisions charged with protecting land and water.”

Tidewater isn’t the only area in Virginia with flooding issues. “To fight flooding, Arlington [county] is offering to buy homes in … [two neighborhoods] within the Spout Run watershed for flood mitigation. Since last fall, the county has notified some three dozen property owners … of its interest in buying their properties for stormwater management.” At least one property owner agreed to the proposal.

A recent commentary written for Inside Climate News noted that “Flood-Prone Communities in Virginia May Lose a Lifeline If [the] Governor Pulls State Out of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative [RGGI].” (More details about the Governor’s actions on RGGI are in our April 20 Perspectives Piece — Part I.)

DEQ announced receipt of a NOAA grant to “further Eastern Shore marine restoration efforts and provide critical habitat for wildlife such as fish, bay scallops, and crabs. These funds … will enable Virginia CZM [Coastal Zone Management] Program and its grantee, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), to plant 60 acres of eelgrass and release more than 6 million bay scallops on the seaside of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.” “The Chesapeake Bay is warming, with “cascading effects” possible on marine and human life.” “Natural factors such as weather, rainfall, salinity, primary productivity of plankton, nutrient levels, and water temperature are vital to the survival and productivity of oysters in Virginia.” Interestingly, the oyster harvest has boomed recently, due to “a complex interplay of natural and human-driven factors,” …according to a Virginia Tech researcher. These ‘anthropogenic factors … [included] a labor shortage and supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, changes in regulations, harvesting closures, and increased production from aquaculture, all of which collectively reduced the pressure on the oyster stocks in the bay.”

“The Land Trust of Virginia announced … two nearly contiguous conservation easements in Rockingham and Shenandoah counties. The Rockingham County property is the first for the Land Trust of Virginia to hold an easement.” “A 390-acre farm in Northern Bedford County is one of the latest land parcels in Virginia to be protected under a conservation easement.” “Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit has led to the permanent protection of more than 1 million acres of land in Virginia, Senator Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. (R-Augusta County) announced in Harrisonburg at the Virginia Land and Greenways conference Wednesday.”

“DEQ [heard] concerns [from Page County residents] over impacts to [the South Fork of the Shenandoah] river at [a] hearing on [a] campground discharge permit…. 26 speakers share[d] their feelings both for and against the request submitted by Luray RV Resort and Campground.”

What YOU Can Do for the Planet …

• Laugh at these comedians, part of the “second annual Climate Comedy Cohort,” who want to inspire your climate action. Until you can see/view their routines, “subscribe to [Generation 180’s] The Friday Funny for a brief dose of climate humor and updates about the cohort.”
• See how many of these six “ways you … can help advance the energy transition.”
• If you’re a member of a Faith community in Rockingham County, work with your fellow congregants to support Valley Interfaith Action (VIA), which is calling for more public transportation (and fewer emissions) in the County. Thank your Supervisor for supporting VIA’s effort and encourage the County Board to put up some funding to help ensure it happens. While you’re at it, ask them to develop a better county energy strategy than Loudoun County did. Ask them to include carbon reduction goals, as part of its current Comprehensive Plan update effort.
• If you live in Harrisonburg or the County, take this survey to voice your views on what needs to be in the “Harrisonburg Rockingham draft 2045 long‑range transportation plan.”
• “Where do your elected representatives stand on the issue of climate change? Don’t know? Ask them. And let them know where you stand! Climate change is a crisis in which everyone is involved.”

Check out …

• Wild Virginia’s “Window to the Wild” film screening, available from May 5, 6 pm, through 6 pm on May 7. It will include Habitat Islands from the UNTAMED film series along with several other short films highlighting rivers, streams, and forests and how to protect them. Register here to receive your viewing password.
• How and why “Indigenous people connect with culture through heirloom seeds.”
• The 25^th annual Eagle Festival at Mason Neck State Park near Lorton on May 18. There will be bird walks, “live animal shows, hands-on educational opportunities and outdoor recreation clinics that all aim to highlight the rich natural history of Northern Virginia and foster stewardship of our environment.” There will also be storytelling and, if the weather cooperates, a “Boating Bonanza at the paddle launch where participants may use a canoe, kayak or paddle board on Belmont Bay.”
• DEQ’s draft “of a new state air, land and water permitting process that incorporates environmental justice.” It established the new Environmental Justice Office and developed the plan “in response to a new law and historic race-based practices in Virginia … and more recent ones. DEQ will accept public comments through May 1.
• These stunning pictures of the Aurora Borealis over the Shenandoah National Park in late March.
• This article and this one with advice and information about buying an electric vehicle.
• This Virginia farmer’s blogpost on Earth Day 53.
• This WalletHub report on the 2023’s “Greenest States”; Virginia ranked 17^th overall.

Why not …

• Join the Virginia League of Conservation Voters May 31 virtual event from 6 to 7 pm to receive EPA Comment Period Training on Proposed New Carbon Rules? One of the fastest ways to fight climate change is by pushing the EPA to update rules regarding pollution so they can take stronger actions to protect our planet. Learn how exactly how the executive rulemaking process happens and draft your own comment in support of stronger regulation of carbon pollution.
• Listen in to Wild Virginia’s webinar about Virginia’s first Wildlife Corridor Action Plan (WCAP) and learn about possible next steps now that the first WCAP has been released? It’s happening May 18 at 6:30 pm. Register here.
• Plant a garden? Here’s guidance on how to get started. Here are some apps.

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV) is a non-profit, grassroots group in the Central Shenandoah Valley that educates legislators and the public about the implications of the Earth’s worsening climate crisis.

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley is pleased to provide Harrisonburg’s The Citizen with a monthly survey of energy and environmental news stories about Virginia.

With their permission, we are re-posting these pieces here after they appear in the Citizen.

The link to this piece as first published by the Citizen is HERE.

Statewide Environmental News Roundup for April 2023 (Part I)

Much has happened during this Earth Day Month. This piece is Part I for April 2023. Look for Part II next week.

Energy

Here are some further updates on some 2023 General Assembly (GA) bills signed and/or amended by Gov. Youngkin upon their passage. If his amendments failed, he can sign or veto the bill as it originally passed. If his amendments passed, he would likely sign the amended bill. The GA still hasn’t reached agreement on an amended state budget.

• HB 1634 and SB 1187 encourage localities to consider strategies to address resilience in their comprehensive plans. These bills passed in 2023 GA and were signed by the Governor. Rockingham County is working on its Comprehensive Plan and will hopefully take heed.
• “New legislation about biomass facilities [HB2026/SB1231] cleared the House and Senate during [the 2023] session of the General Assembly. Gov. Glenn Youngkin then recommended four amendments….” The effect of the legislation and the amendments would have been to roll back clean energy progress and timelines and give special treatment to a single biomass facility by exempting it from the requirements of the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) as a renewable energy source and “open a new market for credits from [a] wood‑fueled biomass plant in South Boston, but the state Senate didn’t take action on [one of the four amendments] and defeated the rest. The rejected amendments would also have “allowed nuclear and hydrogen to qualify as renewable energy.”
• The Senate also rejected the Governor’s attempts to remove the College of William and Mary’s new “Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative and Old Dominion University’s Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience as collaborators for the Commonwealth’s coastal resilience policy strategy [HB2393].
• The Governor wanted to amend HB2444/SB1441 to guarantee cost-competitive offshore wind energy through a competitive solicitation process for Virginia’s next offshore wind project. The amendment would have guaranteed the most benefits and savings for ratepayers, but was not accepted by legislators.
• Bi-partisan utility reform legislation, SB 1265/HB 1770, “represent sweeping changes to the way Virginia regulates the electric company Dominion Energy that promise savings on ratepayers’ monthly bill [and] won approval from Gov. Glenn Youngkin. But these leave intact the heart of the bill, which should mean savings of $6 to $7 a month on a benchmark 1,000 kilowatt-hour bill, which currently costs a Dominion customer $137. This includes returning broad authority to the State Corporation Commission to review Dominion’s base rates, which account for about half customers’ bills. Base rates have been essentially unchanged since 2007 even though the capital costs they are meant to cover have declined since then. The measure also eliminates some of the two dozen surcharges that, in all, account for about a third of a Dominion bill. It provides for an option to spread out the cost of soaring fuel prices, which otherwise are set to boost that benchmark 1,000 kilowatt-hour bill by $17 beginning this summer.”

“The Hampton Roads Alliance and the cities of Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, in a partnership with Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, are creating a $6.5 million green hydrogen fuel program to help kick-start a local industry. The project includes plans for three to five transition projects, a demonstration and education site and a workforce training program.”

The public comment period to respond to Governor Youngkin’s plan to remove the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) by executive action ended March 31. Environmental activists have said doing so “will have the greatest effect on the Old Dominion’s coastal towns, which have suffered from recurring storms and rising tides in recent years due to climate change. 

This editorial pointed out that the public comments totaled “more than 6,000 messages from across the commonwealth, the vast majority of which plead with the governor and state officials to remain a part of the multistate partnership.” Asking “Will it matter?” the opinion writer said “It certainly should …. Virginia’s membership was secured through the General Assembly’s passage of the Clean Energy and Community Fund Preparedness Act in 2020, not through an executive action. Only a repeal can undo that….”

The editorial went on to point out that “State law … divides RGGI proceeds between the state’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund and the Housing Innovation Energy Efficiency fund” and summarized what RGGI has produced for Virginia and Virginians:

“The state received “nearly $590 million from the auction of carbon credits since 2021…. The first has paid for a host of projects, including many in Hampton Roads, to hold back the ever-encroaching waters as seas rise as a result of climate change; the second helps pay to improve the efficiency of housing for low-income residents.” Noting that “there is no plan to replenish those revenue streams,” the editorial writer concluded that “the people of Virginia know … that climate change is a serious threat to the commonwealth … [and] that Virginia cannot turn its back on a program that is working to reduce carbon emissions, that is investing in resilience and efficiency, and that provides some hope that we can halt the worst-case scenarios projected should we do nothing. [T]hey said so loudly and clearly … in the comments….”

Proposed and existing data centers continue to make news. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) “dropped a proposal to allow Northern Virginia data centers to disconnect from the electrical grid and run on their diesel generators during power shortages after the idea ran into a firestorm of criticism…. [DEQ] issued a public notice saying it is no longer pursuing a variance to state law that would have lifted restrictions on data centers’ generators to allow them to run for longer periods of time than would normally be allowed. The idea was opposed by many environmental groups, government watchdogs and citizens from Prince William, Loudoun and Fairfax counties who were mainly concerned about the effects on air pollution from hundreds, if not thousands, of commercial-grade diesel generators running day and night for extended periods of time.”

A Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) hearing examiner recommended the SCC “deny Dominion permission to carry out two … projects based on cost concerns.” Dominion proposed the projects as part of its 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) mandates around clean energy. If the SCC upholds the recommendation, Dominion will face some headwinds meeting its mandates.

Climate and Environment

“Bristol Virginia’s negotiated settlement with the state, Department of Environmental Quality [DEQ] and other agencies includes deadlines for completion of remediation projects at the landfill included in the consent decree.” The decree follows a lengthy period during which the city worked to address numerous problems with its landfill. “The city of Bristol, Virginia signed off April 17 on … settlement of [the] federal lawsuit from neighboring Bristol, Tennessee over odors from its landfill that have been plaguing the area for several years.”

Virginia localities will soon have a streamlined ability to offer incentives that aid the development of urban green spaces, like city parks or sport fields. The General Assembly passed House Bill 1510 to give localities regulatory flexibility. Urban green space is defined as a piece of land covered with grass, trees, shrubs or other vegetation and located around a populated area…. The proposed area must help reduce higher temperatures sometimes associated with urban development or aid the mitigation of stormwater in order to qualify for incentives, and can be public or private projects. The incentives would not be available in rural areas and areas of low population density.”

“For the fifth year in a row, Norfolk takes the top spot for sea-level rise on the East Coast … [according to] the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at William & Mary which released its latest Sea-Level Report Cards…. ‘In areas like Norfolk, land subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal and other factors magnifies the rise in absolute sea level, compounding the frequency and severity of coastal flooding….’

“Norfolk City Council delayed voting on two resolutions involving a $2.6 billion federal project to build floodwalls along parts of the city’s waterfront until April 25, a move intended to give the public opportunity to comment on a new plan to reassess the project…. The Coastal Storm Risk Management Project is a 10-year plan to build 8 miles of new or extended floodwalls around downtown Norfolk and surge barriers and pump stations in other neighborhoods, protecting the city from storms and sea level rise worsened by the effects of climate change. Norfolk residents have objected to parts of the plan that exclude historically Black Southside neighborhoods from structural protections against flooding.”

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data showed that “Natural disasters that cause widespread damage are on the rise in Virginia. The number of major disasters affecting the Commonwealth rose by 139% in the past two decades over the 20 years prior. The data … refers only to disasters where overall damages and costs reached or exceeded $1 billion, adjusted for inflation. Virginia experienced a total of 67 such disasters since 2003 — up from 28 between 1983-2002.”

“As the Environmental Protection Agency prepares to regulate a group of chemicals called PFAS in drinking water throughout the country, a preliminary test in 2021 showed that the water on the eastern side of Prince William County, which comes from the Occoquan Reservoir, was over the newly proposed limit. PFAS is an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These are chemicals that come from many products that people use every day, including nonstick pans, water-resistant clothing, fire-resistant foam and food packaging. Though their use in manufacturing has been phased out in the United States, they remain in the environment for a long time, and products containing them are still used.” Research underway may someday “scrub ‘forever chemicals’ from … tap water.” Meanwhile, “More than a dozen environmental groups are suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency over its failure to set water pollution limits for some industrial contaminants as well as its reluctance to update decades-old standards for others, arguing that the agency’s inaction amounts to a “free pass to pollute” for hundreds of chemical and fertilizer plants, oil refineries, plastics manufacturers and other industrial facilities.”

In 2020, Wild Virginia’s Habitat Connectivity Program helped enact legislation requiring the creation of the state’s first Wildlife Corridor Action Plan. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources released the Plan. Wild Virginia noted that “One of the biggest outcomes of the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan is the creation of three important maps: Areas with High Wildlife-Vehicle Conflicts, Wildlife Biodiversity Resilience Corridors, and Nexus Areas (areas of mutual benefits to promote driver safety and improve wildlife corridors).”

ACTION ALERT:

Check out…

• This article by a Virginia solar installer about why and how going solar can save you money.
• PROJECT GROWS 7th Annual Plant Sale and Open House, Friday, May 12th from 4pm-6pm, at their greenhouse, 608 Berry Farm Rd, Staunton. Here is the plant list.
• This Augusta County farmer’s blogpost reflecting on Earth Day 2023—the good and some bad news.
• This report on 2023’s Greenest States. Note that Virginia is ranked 17^th overall with different rankings in the three measured categories: Environmental Behaviors, Eco-Friendly Behaviors, and Climate Change Contributions.

Why not…

• Take your kids for the US Forest Service’s “Kids Fishing Day at Cave Mountain Lake … Saturday, May 6, from 9 a.m. to noon? The lake in Natural Bridge will be stocked with trout in advance of this event open to children ages 3 to 15.”
• Attend Wild Virginia’s “”Window to the Wild” virtual film screening, May 5-7? “We will be bringing Habitat Islands from the UNTAMED film series along with several other short films that highlight our rivers, streams, and forests and how we can protect them. The “Window to the Wild” film experience will follow the same format of an online show featuring beautiful films and musical performances. Once you register, you will receive your viewing password. The viewing opportunity will begin at 6 p.m. on May 5th, 2023, and go through 6 p.m. on May 7th.”

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV) is a non-profit, grassroots group in the Central Shenandoah Valley that educates legislators and the public about the implications of the Earth’s worsening climate crisis.