It appears that I’m going to have to keep fighting a stupid battle with the Virginia DEQ to get them to tell us when the follow-up public hearing on Northrop Grumman pollution permit ends up getting on the schedule.
I’ve been writing to practically everybody at DEQ to try to get the date; the PR office there is apparently unhappy that I didn’t follow whatever protocol they think is in place for their one-sided flow of information.
ICYMI: Northrop Grumman air permit request
- Northrop Grumman announces plans for $200M manufacturing facility in Waynesboro
- Waynesboro: DEQ needs to grant extension on Northrup Grumman SOP
- Waynesboro: DEQ to set public hearing on Northrup Grumman permit request
- Waynesboro: DEQ sets public hearing on Northrop Grumman permit request
- Locals gave Virginia DEQ an earful on Northrop Grumman permit request
- Waynesboro: DEQ says it’s OK for Northrop Grumman to pollute our environment
- Waynesboro: Still no word on the DEQ follow-up hearing on Northrop Grumman
After getting nothing from the PR folks in Richmond, I tried Brandon Kiracofe, the regional director at the DEQ office in Harrisonburg.
Kiracofe forwarded my email request to John Giese, the director of communications, back in Richmond, and Irina Calos, the communications manager – doesn’t that sound like two people doing the same job?
Anyway.
It was Calos who got back to me, with the smack on my hands.
“The next public hearing is not published on the agency’s calendar because it has not yet been scheduled, as staff are still processing comments received during the public comment period,” Calos wrote to me by email. “Once the notice of the second hearing is posted to the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall and the DEQ public calendar, notification of the second hearing will be sent to everyone who has participated in the permitting process. This includes those who commented (either in writing or by speaking at the public hearing) as well as those who attended the public hearing and signed in but did not speak.”
Great; what about the rest of us?
Northrop Grumman needs a permit from the state that will allow them to release 24.9 tons of hazardous pollutants into the air over Waynesboro, which we can presume will eventually fall to the ground … somewhere.
Between the public comment period and the public hearing held last month, maybe 500 people have either submitted written comments or showed up to give DEQ hell in person.
What about the rest of us in Waynesboro – population: 23,951?
Not to mention Augusta County – population: 79,116.
If I’m in Staunton, 12 miles to the west of Waynesboro, on U.S. 250 – Staunton population: 26,900 – I’d probably like to keep tabs on this pollution thing.
That’s 129,967 with a vested interest in clean air and clean water.
More of us than the 500 or so who have given DEQ an eyeful or earful from among that 129,967 need to be made aware of the follow-up public hearing.
I’m here to help make sure that happens.
Calos sent me the above email on Wednesday; I wrote back immediately to offer my services in terms of getting the word out.
“Can I ask that notice also be sent to me, so that I can share it with the general public – including those who have become aware of the issue since the comment period and the July 23 hearing?” I replied by email.
I waited until today to report on this because I wanted to give the DEQ folks time to answer my simple request.
No word.
They’re going to make us sleuth it.
Because, as we all already know, this was a done deal from the get-go, and this public review thing is just a formality that they need to sign off on before granting the pollution request.
Share
Chris Graham
