Meeting of National Estuary Programs on atmospheric deposition, including the latest scientific thinking on research, modeling, and data compatibility. The Office of Water and the Office of Air and Radiation have dedicated a seed fund for National Estuary Programs to establish coastal air deposition monitoring sites and support them for one year. Each NEP will be responsible for raising funds to operate the site for an additional four years, for five years of continuous monitoring. The sites will be part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program-National Trends Network. A balanced mix of field work, laboratory exercises, and presentations by experts, the workshops are designed to provide training for leaders of local volunteer estuary water quality monitoring programs, as well as teachers and government agencies working with volunteer monitoring.
Limited support is available for lodging and transportation costs.
On December 23, EPA announced a comprehensive, unified federal plan to regulate mountaintop coal mining and associated valley fills in Appalachia that will allow for surface mining, but will substantially improve protection of valley streams and other environmental resources. The proposal, developed by four federal agencies, will require an overall environmental assessment of all surface mines with a valley fill draining more than 250 acres. A comprehensive multi-agency environmental impact statement will be prepared to provide information that will help the agencies improve policies to protect water quality and limit damage to other environmental resources.