Announcements 2025.12.17

[Walker, Jane]

1.) Public Hearings and Comment Opportunities – Various Dates, Starting: December 18, 2025
2.) Call for Theme Leader Applications: 2026 CUAHSI Water Prediction Innovators Summer Institute – Final Application Deadline: December 21, 2025; Institute: June 8-July 22, 2026
3.) Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) Events
   ++ VAEE Certification Program -- Enrollment Period: January 5-16, 2026 
   ++ VAEE 2026 Annual Conference -- February 26-28, 2026
4.) Call for Proposals: Choose Clean Water Conference -- Submission Deadline: January 9, 2026; Conference: May 18-20, 2026
5.) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Cleanup Study (Appomattox River Tributaries in Amelia, Appomattox, Cumberland, and Prince Edward Counties) – Meeting: January 14, 2026; Comment  Period: January 14, 2026 to February 13, 2026
6.) Accepting Nominations: President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) – Deadline Extended: January 16, 2026
7.) 2026 Winter Salt Week Webinars -- January 21 and 23, 2026
8.) 2026 Underground Injection Control (UIC) Conference -- February 10-12, 2026
9.) 2026 WateReuse Symposium -- March 8-11, 2026
10.) 2026 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference – April 14-16, 2026
11.) Wastewater Surveillance Programs
   ++ Virginia Department of Health (VDH) SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater
   ++ VDH Fentanyl Surveillance Pilot Project
   ++ WastewaterScan
12.) Extension Master Gardners (EMG) Continuing Education Opportunities – https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/ce/
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See recent announcements and learn more about the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC) at www.VirginiaWMC.org. Feel free to forward these announcements. When forwarding, please acknowledge the VWMC. If you have a water-related announcement of regional or statewide interest, send it to vw...@vt.edu and ask that it be distributed to the VWMC membership. If someone forwarded this message to you, you can join the VWMC for free by sending your name, water-monitoring affiliation (if applicable), and contact information (email address, mailing address, and phone number) to vw...@vt.edu.  Thank you to Julia Porter, VWMC intern, for developing and organizing this week’s set of VWMC announcements.
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1.) Public Hearings and Comment Opportunities
   ++ Glen Lyn Landfill: Closure of Landfill Units and Coal Combustion Residual (CCR) Units -- December 18, 2025 (Information Briefing: 6pm; Hearing: 7pm); Comments Due: December 29, 2025 -- https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=42640
   ++ New Statewide Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) --  Comments Due: December 19, 2025 --  https://townhall.virginia.gov/l/ViewNotice.cfm?GNID=3260
   ++ Waterford Wastewater Treatment Plant – Hearing: January 13, 2026 (7pm) --  To obtain input on the Department’s Summary of Comments from individuals who previously commented. No new information will be accepted at the hearing. https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=42807
   ++ Draft VPDES permit for Arlington County Water Pollution Control Plant – Hearing: January 15, 2026 (7pm); Comments Due: January 30, 2026 – https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=42773
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2.) Call for Theme Leader Applications: 2026 CUAHSI Water Prediction Innovators Summer Institute – Final Application Deadline: December 21, 2025; Institute: June 8-July 22, 2026 -- Tuscaloosa, AL -- Theme leaders will guide collaborative research teams during the institute, mentoring the next generation of water researchers. They will help in shaping research projects aligned with national water prediction priorities and leading collaborative, data-driven projects alongside other researchers. For more information and to apply, see https://www.cuahsi.org/events/call-for-2026-summer-institute-theme-leaders-is-open. Organized by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI).
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3.) Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) Events
   ++ VAEE Certification Program -- Enrollment Period: January 5-16, 2026 -- This program welcomes both formal, classroom educators and nonformal, community-based educators. For more information and to enroll, see https://www.eevirginia.org/programs/certification.
   ++ VAEE 2026 Annual Conference -- February 26-28, 2026 -- Richmond, VA -- Theme: “Strength in ComunitEE” -- This conference will celebrate both communities and the impact of environmental education. Early-bird pricing ends December 19, 2025. For more information and to register, see https://www.eevirginia.org/conference. Organized by VAEE
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4.) Call for Proposals: Choose Clean Water Conference -- Submission Deadline: January 9, 2026; Conference: May 18-20, 2026 -- Lancaster, PA -- Theme: “The Pursuit of Clean Water” – Accepting applications to present 20-minute lightning rounds, 45-minute sessions, 90-minute workshops, and field trips at the conference. For more information and to submit, see https://www.choosecleanwater.org/our-conference. Organized by the Clean Water Coalition.
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5.) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Cleanup Studies and Implementation Plans – Learn more about TMDL studies under development across Virginia at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/water/water-quality/tmdl-development/tmdls-under-development. Learn more about Virginia’s cleanup implementation plans under development at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/water/water-quality/implementation/implementation-plans-under-development.
   ++ Meeting and Comment Period: TMDL Cleanup Study for Appomattox River Tributaries (Amelia, Appomattox, Cumberland, and Prince Edward Counties) – Meeting: January 14, 2026 (5:30pm; Farmville, VA); Comment  Period: January 14, 2026 to February 13, 2026 -- https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewMeeting.cfm?meetingid=42776.
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6.) Accepting Nominations: President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) – Deadline Extended: January 16, 2026 -- The EPA has extended the deadline to make nominations for both the 2025 President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and the Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). PEYA will recognize K–12 student projects that demonstrate environmental stewardship; PIAEE will recognize K–12 educators who use environmental education to inspire their students and communities.. To learn more or apply, see https://www.epa.gov/education/presidents-environmental-youth-award for PEYA and https://www.epa.gov/education/presidential-innovation-award-environmental-educators for PIAEE. Organized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
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7.) 2026 Winter Salt Week Webinars -- January 21 and 23, 2026 -- Learn more and register at: https://www.novaregion.org/1638/2026-Winter-Salt-Week. Offered by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and partners.  Learn about national Winter Salt Week activities (January 26-30, 2026) at www.wintersaltweek.org.
   ++ Webinar: Safe Sidewalks, Clean Water: Smart Salting for Residents -- January 21, 2026 (1-1:30pm)
   ++ Webinar: Community Winter Salt Management in Action! -- January 23, 2026 (1-1:30pm)
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8.) 2026 Underground Injection Control (UIC) Conference -- February 10-12, 2026 -- Fort Worth, TX -- This event will explore the latest regulations, technologies, and best practices in underground injection control while offering networking opportunities. For more information, see https://www.gwpc.org/. Early-bird registration rates available until December 30, 2025. Organized by the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC).
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9.) 2026 WateReuse Symposium -- March 8-11, 2026 -- Los Angeles, CA – This symposium focuses on policy, technology, operations, and communications for applications that range from irrigation and potable reuse to onsite and industrial systems. For more information and to register, see https://watereuse.org/news-events/conferences/symposium-2026/. Organized by WateReuse.
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10.) 2026 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference – April 14-16, 2026 -- Charlotte, NC -- Theme: “Building Resilient Watersheds: Advancing Innovation and Partnership in Rapidly Changing Environments” -- Early registration ends January 31, 2026. -- https://www.cwp.org/2026_conference.php. Organized by the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP).
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11.) Wastewater Surveillance Programs
   ++ Virginia Department of Health (VDH) SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater -- Dashboard is updated weekly on Tuesday. All data are preliminary and subject to change. Learn more at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater/. This program is funded by the CDC National Wastewater Surveillance System and supported by VDH.
   ++ VDH Fentanyl Surveillance Pilot Project -- This testing pilot is a short-term public health project that measures the presence of fentanyl in the community’s wastewater. The pilot program will conduct sampling in the Cities of Hopewell, Roanoke, and Virginia Beach. Learn more at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/wastewater-surveillance-for-covid-19/.
   ++ WastewaterScan -- Monitors infectious diseases through municipal wastewater systems to inform public health responses at a local, regional, and national levels.  Learn more at https://www.wastewaterscan.org/en. Based at Stanford University, in partnership with Emory University, and funded through philanthropy.
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12.) Extension Master Gardners (EMG) Continuing Education Opportunities – https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/ce/ -- Offers a reading list and links to various webinars and videos.  Includes information for tree stewards, land care stewards, and water stewards.  Provided by EMG and Virginia Cooperative Extension.
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The VWMC announcements are provided with support from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Water Resources Research Center. Thank you to our sponsors!

You too can sponsor the VWMC announcements.  Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the VWMC to support information updates and other VWMC activities.  Make checks payable to: “The Virginia Tech Foundation” and on the memo portion of the check include “VWMC Fund #872802.” Mail contributions to the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (0444, Attn: Jane Walker) at 210 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech; 310 West Campus Drive; Blacksburg, VA 24061.