2018 Western NC Air & Water Quality Conferences

July 26 (Thursday) - Water Quality Conference (8:30 AM to 3:30 PM)

July 27 (Friday) - Air Quality Conference (8:30 AM to 3:30 PM)

Registration is now open for the Annual Western North Carolina Water Quality Conference on Thursday, July 26 (8:30 AM to 3:30 PM) and the Annual Western North Carolina Air Quality Conference on Friday, July 27 (8:30 AM to 3:30 PM). Please register for these conferences by clicking the link below.

Presenters at this year's conferences include representatives from the Western Piedmont Council of Governments, NC Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources, NC Division of Water Resources, Mecklenbuerg County Stormwater, UNC Charlotte, NC State University, Appalachian State University, Charlotte Regional Transit System (CATS), Centralina Council of Governments, and the City of Hickory.

If you have questions about the event or registration, please contact Johnny Wear, WPCOG Senior Planner & Natural Resources Administrator at 828.485.4283 or email john.wear@wpcog.org.

AQ Conference Topics 

• “Ozone Pollution in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park” – Dr. Howard Neufield, Professor, Department of Biology, Appalachian State University
   
• “NOAA and NASA-supported aerosol monitoring sites at Appalachian State University”– Dr. James Sherman, Professor of Physics and Astronomy/Director of Aerosol Observatories, Appalachian State University
  
  
• “Air Quality-Low Cost Sensor Deployment to Address Environmental Disparities Across the State”– Calvin Culpini, Citizen Science Program Manager, Clean Air Carolina

Additional Air/Energy topic (To be Determined) 

• “Thinking Big on Transit: Charlotte Success Story and Regional Visioning” – Jason Lawrence, Planner, Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) & Jason Wager, Principal Planner, Centralina Council of Governments
  
  
• “Avoiding Gridlock: Regional Highway Projects and Signal Technology” – Brian Horton, Greater Hickory Metropolitan Planning Organization (GHMPO) Transportation Planning Manager & Dean Ledbetter, NCDOT Corridor Development Engineer
  
  
• “Hickory Signature Projects for Walking and Cycling”-John Marshall, Transportation Planning Manager, City of Hickory

WQ Conference Topics 

• “Water Supply Watershed Rule Changes” – Julie Ventaloro, NC Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources
   
• “Riparian Buffer Rule Changes”– Karen Higgins, NC Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources 
  
  
• The Catawba River Nutrient Study” - Brian Wrenn, Ecosystems Branch Chief, NC Division of Water Resources
  
  
• “Protecting & Restoring Surface Water Quality in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Then & Now”– Rusty Rozelle, Mecklenburg County Stormwater
  
  
• US EPA Speaker (To be Determined)
  
  
• “The information planners need to conserve nature in their jurisdictions” – Sara A. Gagne, PhD, Associate Professor of Landscape Ecology, UNC Charlotte