Save Goshen Pass

Your Comments to DEQ

2010-02-27T10:55:00.004-05:00

To read the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's response to public comments on their draft plan for addressing pollution beow the Lake Merriweather Dam, click here.

DEQ sent this TMDL document to US EPA for approval.

Request to Rockbridge County

2010-01-26T21:27:00.003-05:00

At the January 25th meeting, concerned citizens submitted a request to the Board of Supervisors asking for answers to questions about the Lake Merriweather Dam.

The dam has been declared high hazard, there was a gate failure on January 4th of this year, and it is not clear what is being done to address this dangerous situation or what will be done if and when there is another failure.

Goshen Dam Documents

2010-01-24T18:54:00.005-05:00

Rockbridge County has posted the Executive Summary of the Army Corps of Engineers' Dam Safety Report on the county web site, without explanation. There was a flurry of activity - but no progress - in 2006, as indicated by these emails.

Here is an Environmental Assessment conducted by the Corps in 1999. Needless to say, it is out of date after 11 years. There is no indication that anything has been done to address the environmental and safety concerns in the past decade and more.

The 1998 Dam Operation Manual is the latest that is available through agencies responsible for dam safety. It is out of date & inadequate.

What Happens When A Dam Fails?

2010-01-17T21:03:00.011-05:00

Taccoa Falls Dam Failure - November 6, 1977, the Kelly Barnes Dam failed, releasing 176 million gallons of water just above Toccoa Falls College campus in northern Georgia

Teton Dam Collapse - The Teton Dam was a federally built earthen dam in Idaho, which when filling for the first time suffered a catastrophic failure on June 5, 1976.

Baldwin Hills Dam Disaster and Flood - On December 14th 1963 in the hills about Los Angeles, the Baldwin Hills Reservoir suddenly cracked and eventually failed flooding the neighborhood below

St Francis Dam Disaster - North of Los Angeles on March 12, 1928, the dam catastrophically failed, and the resulting flood killed more than 600 people

Dead Fish from Lake Merriweather

2010-01-16T14:22:00.002-05:00

IRRESPONSIBLE

2010-01-15T23:06:00.006-05:00

Evidence of dead fish in the Maury caused by irresponsible operation of Lake Merriweather Dam. This photograph was taken Friday, January 15th. A gate failed at the "high hazard" dam on January 7th.

This incident highlighted 2 problems with this dam:

1) it is unsafe, jeopardizes the safety of downstream users and residents - and all levels of government have dropped the ball to enforce the law or prepare for the probable emergency.

2) the silt-filled lake with a poorly designed and maintained dam has causes environmental damage - and will continue to do so - until the owners of the dam are forced to act responsibly.

Your Public Comments Needed

2009-12-13T09:47:00.003-05:00

SAMPLE COMMENT LETTER (Word doc) - due 12/18/09 before midnight

The Maury is formed by the Little Calfpasture River and the Calfpasture River. Just above the confluence, the Little Calfpasture has been dammed [Lake Merriweather Dam] since the mid-1960s. Because of the way the dam was constructed and how it has been operated, pollution plagues the river between the dam & the confluence. Pollution flows into the Maury and has caused major problems periodically over the years.
The Clean Water Act requires that states designate sections of streams and rivers that are too polluted to meet minimum standards - and come up with a plan to clean them up. This process is known as TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load). The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is nearing the end of the TMDL process for the section of the Little Calfpasture River that immediately flows into the Maury at the upper end of Goshen Pass. DEQ is accepting comments from the public ONLY UNTIL DECEMBER 18th.

Those of us who have followed the process have grave concerns about the method of developing and content of the TMDL. The DEQ has made assumptions and changed the rules in order to accommodate a defective dam. While we understand that they think this approach is necessary, we believe that it is a violation of the Clean Water Act.

Our primary concerns with the TMDL development process are:

There is insufficient real data used to “fuel” the model
The combination of models types is inappropriate
The decision to seek a change of water quality standard for the degraded stream section is an inappropriate use of the Use Attainability Analysis process under the Clean Water Act.
The TMDL document significantly understates the role of Lake Merriweather and its current management in the continuing problem of sediment pollution in the Little Calfpasture and the Maury Rivers.
Please Review Important Documents in post immediately below this one

Take the time to submit comments to the Virginia DEQ asking them to substantially revise the TMDL in order to provide for improved and the required level of clean water in Goshen Pass. Your comments do not need to be long or technical - the number of comments will make a big difference. Comments should be emailed (or mailed) to:

Tara Sieber, Department of Environmental Quality, 4411 Early Road, PO Box 3000, Harrisonburg, VA 22801, telephone (540) 574-7870, fax (540) 574-7878,

or e-mail tara.sieber@deq.virginia.gov

If you are willing to, please send a copy of your comments to us at maurygoshen@gmail.com

Important Documents from the TMDL Process

2009-12-13T08:19:00.009-05:00

To see a Plain-English explanation of why & how TMDL is improtant:

River Network Clean Water

Information from VA Department of Environmental Quality on TMDL:

Power Point from most recent public meeting: 11/19/09
Executive Summary of TMDL draft released for public comment
Full TMDL draft (207 pages - highly technical)
Notice of Request for Comments

Conservationists Letters submitted to VA DEQ and US EPA:

We Won!!

2009-11-23T15:00:00.002-05:00

Update 11/09: The Boy Scouts of America announced last week that the Jamboree will be held in Fayette Co. WV. This result is good for all and West Virginians seem ecstatic over the news (the WE WON comes from way out there.......)

Coverage and Reaction from Gov. Kaine

2009-08-04T23:03:00.006-04:00

Channel 10 WSLS in Roanoke reports on Boy Scouts decision.
Roanoke Times story
Richmond Times-Dispatch story
Gov. Kaine issued a gracious, generous statement including the judgment that Goshen Pass is "just not an appropriate location for an operation of this magnitude." Well said.

Hooray!

2009-08-04T18:07:00.003-04:00

Believe it or not, today the Boy Scouts announced that they are no longer considering the Goshen Pass site for their scouting center and Jamboree. This makes sense for BSA (it appears they have an appropriate & desirable site in Fayette Co., WV) and is wonderful news for all who love Goshen Pass. Here's the BSA Press Release

Selling Us A Bill of Goods?

2009-07-21T22:03:00.010-04:00

The BSA National Council and other supporters of locating the Jamboree in Goshen have touted economic benefits to the surrounding area as the most compelling reason to support this project. E-mails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act reveal quite the opposite. Since the secret phase of their plan, the BSA and their supporters have scrambled to find believable exaggerations to gloss over the reality that any net economic benefit to Goshen and Rockbridge County has not been shown…
· Email from Robin Sullenberger (Shenandoah Valley Partnership) to Dominion Power notes: “Obviously we can’t make a strong case for job creation, taxes or any of the normal parameters…” September 10, 2008
· In May 2009, Mike Kaestner, Legislative Coordinator of VEDP asked Jay Langston of VEDP: “By some odd chance did we run an ROI [return on investment analysis] for Jamboree based on the few jobs and capital investment they’ll be making? I didn’t see anything in the ROI folders. [T]rying to grasp for straws and see about playing up some of the positive impacts of this project.” Reply from Langston: “….The Boy Scouts provided an economic impact statement,* but Ann looked at it and said it wasn’t worth the paper to print it because their assumptions were so erroneous as to render it meaningless.” May 1, 2009

Take a look at a longer summary (with links to documents) of this stunning lack of valid data and analysis. Those who supported this project on the basis of economic benefit and jobs creation were sold a bill of goods.

Keep Boy Scouts Safe

2009-07-05T22:20:00.006-04:00

Goshen Pass and the Town of Goshen have flooded repeatedly. The people who 'selected' the site for future Jamborees and intense development obviously were not aware of the danger they would be subjecting tens of thousands of Scouts to........for a reminder of just how serious and frightening these floods are - and will be in the future - here's coverage of the 1995 flood.

Maps Make the Case

2009-06-14T07:07:00.005-04:00

This map shows that in a 100-year flood (several have occurred in past 50 years) virtually all the roads surrounding the Goshen BSA land would be inundated. Evacuation would be dangerous and difficult for 1,000 campers - but impossible if it happened during a Jamboree with 45,000 - 100,000+ people on this site. Download the flooding and evacuation map.

The BSA's June 2008 Request for Proposals included the requirement that "at least 2,000 of the 3,000 developable acres must have less than 7% slope." This map shows that the Goshen site has significantly less 1,000 acres (white areas) that is outside the flood plain and less than 7% slope. If wetlands were excluded there would be even less available land. Download the site analysis map.

Mud from Lake Merriweather (BSA Dam)

2009-05-29T22:01:00.031-04:00

The photo on the top is taken from the Swinging Bridge at the west end of Goshen Pass where the Maury is formed at the confluence of the Calfpasture River (left) and the Little Calfpasture River (right - 8/10 of a mile downstream of the Goshen BSA dam). The 2nd photo is looking downstream from the Swinging Bridge. These images were taken May 19th, 2009 - 72+ hours after rainfall. The silt released from the lake was more than significant. The Little Calfpasture above the lake was relatively clear and free of sediment.

The Little Calfpasture below the dam has been identified as an officially impaired section of stream by the Virginia DEQ - under the Clean Water Act. Recently the DEQ has begun a process to develop a strategy to repair this section of stream. It took 16 years to get this clean-up started after the 1992 Fishkill Report because responsibility for the problem has been contested by the NCAC BSA. The fact that this willful pollution has persisted despite multiple state agencies' efforts is an example of the "stewardship" of the BSA. This is not to mention the failure to comply with dam safety standards since they went into effect in 1978 (see earlier post).

Photo taken in 1992 to document fish kill caused by silt released from dam. Click for more fish kill photos

Thank You, Charlottesville

2009-05-29T21:41:00.008-04:00

On May 28th, the Daily Progress in Charlottesville ran an excellent editorial,with a great title:

Goshen Should Pass on Scouts
It concludes that the choice is between "accommodat[ing] a prestigious, money-making event or tak[ing] a more cautious route aimed at long term protection of personal property, human safety and environmental integrity."

Worth Reading - BSA Plans

2009-05-14T10:47:00.009-04:00

It has been very difficult to find out what the specific plans of BSA are - not just for the Jamborees - but also for massive permanent development. Through the Freedom of Information Act we obtained the document where the Kaine Administration responds to the BSA plans for the Goshen site. There are some eye-opening details.

We know Texans think big.

But Texas Stadium (home of the Cowboys until the end of this season) seats just over 65,000. The brand new stadium being built for Cowboys fans will seat 80,000. Yet this document shows that BSA's recent plans for the Goshen site included building a 100,000 seat arena. The BSA's real estate development consultant now says that plan has been "blown up" - but we don't know what the current plan calls for - and his statement would not be binding in any way.

Read the document for more on their plans.

Coverage of 5/13 Community Forum

2009-05-14T00:48:00.003-04:00

A "forum" was held May 13 in Lexington to give the BSA a chance to present their case and answer questions regarding their plans. WSLS Channel 10 covered the event. Watch the video.

Also, Excellent front page article in the Roanoke Times summarizes the latest.

Brilliant Editorial

2009-05-14T00:06:00.004-04:00

As we have said, the most committed & successful Boy Scouts are the most effective and articulate in their criticism of the proposed BSA deveopment.

Please read this exceptional editorial by Eagle Scout Cody Beauchamp, Editorial Editor of Washington & Lee University's newspaper, The Ring Tum Phi. His numbers may be low (BSA says 240,000 + attendees), but his analysis is sound.

Summarizing would not do justice, just read it.

Environmental Record of the BSA around the US

2009-05-11T09:58:00.004-04:00

Investigative Reporters from Hearst Newspapers looked into cases of poor environmental practices by BSA councils. The results were published in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer - with a lengthy response from the BSA. There are several articles, videos and a slideshow.

Headline: Profit trumps preservation for Boy Scout councils nationwide

What is the National Jamboree Like?

2009-05-03T22:28:00.011-04:00

Take a look at the Boy Scouts video describing the size and activities of the Jamboree. Click View Promo Video in left hand corner.

The Army has completed an EA for 2010 Jamboree- which will be held at Fort A.P. Hill. The report paints a vivid picture of what a Jamboree is like.

Current Dam Unsafe / Federal & State Governments are Supposed to Pay to Fix It

2009-04-26T22:17:00.005-04:00

The United States Army Corps of Engineers completed a Dam Safety Evaluation Report on the Goshen Dam at the current Goshen Scout Camps in August 2006. The Executive Summary of the report includes the findings and conclusions that:
• The Dam is a “High” hazard dam that “potentially threatens the downstream communities of Wilson Springs and Rockbridge Baths.”
• Failure of Goshen Dam would result in an estimated $25.4 million in flood damages for the Base Safety Condition (1/2 of the probable maximum flood)
• Probable threatened population at risk from Dam failure is 265 people
• Potential for loss of life of 28 people
The report recommends that the dam be repaired at a cost of $6 million for design and construction, paid for by the Federal Government, with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation responsible for “all costs in excess of this amount.” The authority for this use of taxpayer funds to repair a dangerous privately owned dam is found in the Water Resources Development Act of 1996. [page 102]
Certainly this dangerous situation should be figured into any evaluation and analysis of sites.

Eagle Scouts Oppose Jamboree in Goshen Pass

2009-04-19T19:52:00.012-04:00

We are not opposed to the Boy Scouts. It is an important American organization.

The ill-considered proposal to locate their Jamboree in an ecologically fragile, historically important area is, however, irresponsible and flawed - not worthy of the Boy Scouts' mission & ideals.

The most articulate voices to express how tragic the attempt to locate the Jamboree in Goshen Pass would be are the Scouts who have served the organization long and well. There are many Scout voices who oppose holding the Jamboree near Goshen Pass and they feel strongly about it.

Here's a sample.

Local Land Use Planning Review Process

2009-04-16T20:34:00.006-04:00

To see the Rockbridge County planning review process that will apply to the Jamboree and other facilities proposed, click here.
We were asked to post this accurate summary, because there is misleading information in the Questionnaire that "Rockbridge Partnership" [local economic development entity that orchestrated the Jamboree deal] submitted to the South Carolina consultants that conducted the site selection process for the NCBSA. See the "Secret Negotiations" post below, #3 initial submittal link.
This misleading information provided to the NCBSA consultant is #26:
"Is a zoning change necessary for the intended usage (Jamboree site will include hotel, retail, office, warehouse and educational components)?
Answer:
NO, NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA IS ALREADY OPERATING A CAMP. THE ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY ZONING ADMINISTRATOR INDICATES THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN EXTENSION OF THE CAMP ACTIVITIES." [capitalization added to designate answer from Rockbridge Partnership]
The local Planning Process will, in fact, require several stages of review. We appreciate the clarification and clear explanation from the Rockbridge County Department of Planning and Zoning. Full public participation will be critically important.

Secret Negotiations: How Did This Happen?

2009-04-12T16:38:00.000-04:00

To many people who know and care about Goshen Pass, it is inconceivable that critical facts and issues were not raised during the selection of a place for a "tremendous influx of people" -300,000 strong.

It is common knowledge among economists that big crowd / short term events such as Super Bowls bring questionable net economic value to a community. The costs to local government and agencies outweigh the short term spending by huge crowds of visitors. Did the few people in Rockbridge County (or in Gov. Kaine's office) who knew about the proposal process analyze what the impacts or limited benefits would be? Did they ask the right (or any) questions?

Some answers are found in the documents related to the "selection" process. Highlights include:
BSA really wants 100,000 acres for the Jamboree to use;
There's consideration of hydroelectric power generation for the Lake Merriweather dam;
All planning for traffic, trash and other removal, etc. assume use of Route 39 through the Pass;
It was represented in the Rockbridge Partnership submittal that this area is NOT "prone to sink holes, natural springs, caves, etc." Anyone who lives here knows that is flat wrong;
There was concern that any environmental or cultural resource assessment should not be able to delay the process of full approval - not concern that they be completed carefully or that resources be protected;
Once the national Jamboree is established, they may want to bring the World Jamboree to Goshen Pass.....

Looking at these documents, it is not surprising that the person representing this community in the secret negotiations (Rockbridge Partnership staff) was relatively young and inexperienced, with no local ties and has already left the area.

Here are the documents:

Our summary of highlights of the Proposal Process
Original Request for Proposals from BSA Consultants (sent to VA Economic Development)
Initial Submittal from "Rockbridge Partnership"
Follow-Up Answers from "Rockbridge Partnership" after Finalist Selection