Letter claims Rocky Forge construction erosion ruins Mill Creek
Most are aware that Botetourt County officials approved construction of the Rocky Forge Wind project in January this year despite Virginians for Responsible Energy (VRE) members scrutinizing project plans and finding several county requirements still inadequately addressed. Disregarding VRE’s ongoing efforts to inform and protect county citizens regarding our wonderful, irreplaceable, scenic resources, sadly, significant environmental damage has occurred, and this damage is directly attributable to the Rocky Forge Wind project.
Mill Creek, a tributary to the James River and a Class IV Trout Stream (meaning it supports wild trout, requiring special management considerations and protection by the state Dept. of Environmental Quality, or DEQ), has experienced extraordinary, likely irrecoverable damage from extremely heavy silting from Rocky Forge Wind construction activity that has disturbed many acres of soil adjacent to Mill Creek. After previous significant rainfall prior to the Rocky Forge construction, Mill Creek water monitors’ observations documented that the creek ran nearly clear just below the construction site. Last week, however, Mill Creek was the color of chocolate milk due to extensive soil erosion and stormwater runoff.
The first notable silting event occurred on 7 April. VRE submitted a stormwater incident report, including photos, to the county and DEQ. DEQ requested a detailed report from the county within 10 days, but to my knowledge no report acknowledging noncompliance and documenting corrective actions was ever sent to DEQ. This is after I spoke directly to a county stormwater manager at the Greenfield office, nearly a month after the incident, was told the detailed report was “still in work”, whereafter I submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for the detailed report, and only received a copy of a county email to DEQ stating “generally, the site is in compliance”.
County Code, Chapter 10, EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL; STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, page 5, states that “causing harmful erosion of lands or sediment deposition in waters within the watersheds of the commonwealth” is deemed noncompliant. The county code and the stormwater report, to put it mildly, are not in agreement.
The next documented Mill Creek silting event was 9 July, with far more extensive erosion effects, more than ever observed by local landowners and VRE’s water monitors. James River silting was observed in Buchanan, over 20 miles downstream!
A county stormwater inspector has been visiting, inspecting, and reporting on Rocky Forge construction site stormwater protection compliance on a weekly basis since construction began. Prior to the 9 July silting event, the inspector’s reports were available to the public via a hardcopy on site in a special stormwater mailbox, and a unique QR code also found in the mailbox pointed to a Google drive containing all stormwater reports produced. VRE members observed that every report since 4 April (the earliest one reviewed) contained multiple stormwater prevention plan deficiencies, with many being the same uncorrected items from previous reports. Example: “Are check dams and/or rock filter outlets installed correctly and maintained?” The reporter stated “NO”.
After VRE sent an email to the county stormwater office, DEQ, and appropriate county supervisors on 9 July documenting the silting event of that day, public access to the stormwater report Google drive ceased, and no stormwater hardcopy report was found in the on-site mailbox when visited on Friday 11 July at 4:15PM.
I presented a 3-minute Public Comment during the 27 May Board of Supervisors meeting where I summarized the Mill Creek stormwater runoff issue from 7 April, as well the brush-off I received from both the county stormwater folks and DEQ. In spite of the county supervisors being informed at that time, the only known action related to this issue that has occurred to date is the inability to access the Rocky Forge stormwater reports.
Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan documents are required to be available on-site, publicly accessible. It is rather curious that access to these documents was halted immediately after a major stormwater violation was reported again on 9 July to the county and DEQ. It is as if the county leadership is attempting to hide a huge public relations problem regarding an environmental disaster of their own making…or perhaps the county is attempting to hide apparent willful negligence of recurring stormwater deficiencies that were not corrected and then disaster struck?
With the damage incurred to Mill Creek, and with additional damage almost certain unless immediate steps are taken to stop work and correct noncompliant stormwater runoff conditions, Mill Creek will cease to be a Class IV Trout Stream, and the county’s leadership is responsible.
Adding irony to environmental insult, during the past very hot days—when electricity is needed most for cooling—there has been negligible wind, continuing to demonstrate what VRE has told county officials over many years and was ignored: the Rocky Forge Wind project is neither viable nor beneficial, and is a testament to how this green energy dream destroys rather than saves the environment.
Eric Claunch
Eagle Rock
