Press Room

ANGIER, N.C., January 4, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – The Swamp School is pleased to announce the addition of Greg Price to its team of instructors.

Price brings with him more than 30 years of environmental consulting expertise and 20 years of teaching at a collegiate level. At The Swamp School, Price will teach both online and in-person courses on Stream Duration Assessment Model Training, Wetland Delineation, National Ordinary High Water Mark Training and Endangered and Threatened Species Assessment.

For over two decades, Price honed his skills and passion for environmental science as an employee for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the N.C. Division of Water Quality and the N.C. Division of Environmental Management. In these roles and during his time as a private environmental consultant, Price developed an expertise for producing and reviewing environmental documents, such as protected species update reports, natural resource technical reports, environmental impact statements and environmental assessments. He is also trained in conducting natural resource investigations, stream biological monitoring and ambient water quality/stormwater monitoring.

Price graduated from Appalachian State University, where he earned his Master of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Biology. He earned certification as an NC Certified Environmental Educator in 2001 and was licensed as a Professional Wetland Scientist in 2003. In August 2022, he received an Advanced Certificate in Native Plants with Honors from the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

“Greg brings to the team over three decades of hands-on environmental assessment experience that will greatly benefit our students,” said Marc Seelinger, founder, director and lead instructor of The Swamp School.

The Swamp School is honored to welcome Price to its team and is excited about the deep knowledge and decades of experience he brings to the classroom.

To learn more about The Swamp School, visit https://swampschool.org/.

ABOUT THE SWAMP SCHOOL, LLC

Based in Angier, North Carolina, The Swamp School is a pioneer in delivering comprehensive online and in-person educational experiences tailored for professionals and technicians in the field of wetland science and management. Since its inception in 2002, The Swamp School has been exclusively dedicated to fostering growth and expertise in environmental professionals who are as committed to conservation and stewardship as we are.

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For media inquiries, contact Rivers Agency:
publicrelations@riversagency.com
919-932-9985

ANGIER, N.C., December 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – We are thrilled to announce we are teaming up with Keap to help serious entrepreneurs grow. As a Keap Certified Partner, The Swamp School, LLC can provide an exceptional level of consulting, training, and implementation services by joining this community of experts focused on helping small businesses grow.

Keap’s Certified Partner Program provides powerful solutions for small businesses such as web development, copywriting, marketing consultations, and many other professional services. This powerful combination has allowed Keap and its Partners to be dominant forces in the small business success movement.

“The Swamp School has undergone an intensive training program and passed our in-depth qualification standards to become certified,” said Ankur Bhatnagar, VP of partner programs at Keap. “We don’t certify just anyone who wants to join our community – Certified Partners meet our exceedingly high standards to ensure our small business customers are working with only the best. Today we congratulate and proudly welcome The Swamp School to our thriving community of Keap Certified Partners who are helping more small businesses every day get organized and grow.“

To learn more about The Swamp School, visit https://swampschool.org/.

ABOUT THE SWAMP SCHOOL, LLC

Based in Angier, North Carolina, The Swamp School offers post-secondary/college classes and webinars in wetland assessment, delineation and design, and other topics relating to the management of wetlands. The classes are designed to help environmental professionals enhance their skills and expand their business.

ABOUT KEAP PARTNER PROGRAMS

For more than 20 years, Keap has helped liberate and empower small business entrepreneurs so they can strengthen their families, communities, and the global economy. Keap pioneered the sales and marketing automation software market with its Keap family of products, services to help small business owners market their businesses effectively, and expert coaching. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, the company is on a mission to simplify growth for 1 million entrepreneurs worldwide by 2030. Keap is funded by Goldman Sachs, Bain Capital Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures, and Signal Peak Ventures.

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For media inquiries, contact Rivers Agency:
publicrelations@riversagency.com
919-932-9985

December 12, 2023 — The Swamp School is excited to announce a new opportunity for students enrolled in the wetland delineation training program, made possible by the mikeroweWORKS Foundation. In line with the Foundation’s mission to promote hard work and skilled labor, this initiative opens the door for dedicated individuals pursuing careers in environmental science and wetland conservation.

Eligibility for the mikeroweworks.org scholarship has now been extended to include students of The Swamp School, providing a unique opportunity for those passionate about wetland preservation and environmental stewardship. This inclusion reflects the Foundation’s recognition of the crucial role that wetland delineation plays in environmental protection and sustainability.

Students enrolled in The Swamp School’s program are encouraged to apply for this scholarship, which aims to support those who demonstrate a strong work ethic, commitment to their vocational education, and a dedication to their field of study. The scholarship will not only provide financial assistance but reinforce the importance of skilled technical professionals in environmental sciences.

For more information on the scholarship application process, eligibility criteria, and deadlines, students are advised to visit the mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s website at mikeroweworks.org. Additionally, inquiries about the wetland delineation training program should be directed to The Swamp School.

This collaboration between the mikeroweWORKS Foundation and The Swamp School marks a significant step toward fostering the next generation of skilled environmental professionals, ensuring the preservation and responsible management of vital wetland ecosystems.

Contact:
mikeroweworks.org
swampschool.org

About Mike Rowe and the mikeroweWORKS Foundation

Mike Rowe is an Emmy award-winning TV host, producer, narrator, podcaster, spokesman, best-selling author, recording artist, and America’s leading advocate for the skilled trades. The creator and host of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” Mike has traveled to every state on multiple occasions and worked alongside hundreds of Americans in more than 350 different vocations. As the CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, he has awarded nearly $7 million dollars in work-ethic scholarships and led a national effort to reintroduce shop classes into high schools.

About The Swamp School – SwampSchool.org

Based in Angier, North Carolina, The Swamp School is a pioneer in delivering comprehensive online and in-person educational experiences tailored for professionals and technicians in the field of wetland science and management. Since its inception in 2002, The Swamp School has been exclusively dedicated to fostering growth and expertise in environmental professionals who are as committed to conservation and stewardship.

On March 31st, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint against Norfolk Southern Railway Company for the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The complaint details the derailment as an illegal discharge of pollutants and hazardous substances under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Press Release:

This action follows EPA’s issuance on Feb. 21, 2023 of a Unilateral Administrative Order under CERCLA to Norfolk Southern requiring the company to develop and implement plans to address contamination and pay EPA’s response costs associated with the order. 

“From the very beginning, I pledged to the people of East Palestine that EPA would hold Norfolk Southern fully accountable for jeopardizing the community’s health and safety.” 

“No community should have to go through what East Palestine residents have faced. With today’s action, we are once more delivering on our commitment to ensure Norfolk Southern cleans up the mess they made and pays for the damage they have inflicted as we work to ensure this community can feel safe at home again.”

EPA Administrator, Michael S. Regan

“When a Norfolk Southern train derailed last month in East Palestine, Ohio, it released toxins into the air, soil, and water, endangering the health and safety of people in surrounding communities.” 

“With this complaint, the Justice Department and the EPA are acting to ensure that Norfolk Southern is held accountable for the harm it has caused and continues to inflict on the residents of East Palestine.”

Attorney General, Merrick B. Garland

“Last month, the East Palestine community was upended by a horrific train derailment. By filing this complaint today, we are demanding accountability from Norfolk Southern Railway for the harm this event has caused.” 

“We will tirelessly pursue justice for the people living in and near East Palestine, who like all Americans deserve clean air, clean water, and a safe community for their children.”

Assistant Attorney General, Todd Kim, of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division

To Recap:

On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern Railway Company train carrying hazardous materials, including hazardous substances, pollutants and oil derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The derailment resulted in a pile of burning rail cars, and contamination of the community’s air, land, and water. Residents living near the derailment site were evacuated. Based on information Norfolk Southern provided, the hazardous materials contained in these cars included vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, isobutylene, and benzene residue. Within hours of the derailment, EPA and its federal and state partners began responding to the incident, including providing on-the-ground assistance to first responders and conducting robust testing in and around East Palestine.

The fire caused by the derailment burned for several days. On Feb. 5, monitoring indicated that the temperature in one of the rail cars containing vinyl chloride was rising. To prevent an explosion, Norfolk Southern vented and burned five rail cars containing vinyl chloride in a flare trench the following day, resulting in additional releases.

Since EPA’s issuance of the Unilateral Administrative Order to Norfolk Southern, EPA has been overseeing Norfolk Southern’s work under the order. As of March 29, 2023, 9.2 million gallons of liquid wastewater has been shipped off-site, and an estimated 12,932 tons of contaminated soils and solids have been shipped off-site.

EPA and other federal agencies continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to and following the derailment. The United States will pursue further actions as warranted in the future as its investigatory work proceeds.  

Source:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2023). EPA and Justice Department File Complaint Against Norfolk Southern Railway Company for Unlawful Discharge of Pollutants and Hazardous Substances in East Palestine Derailment. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-and-justice-department-file-complaint-against-norfolk-southern-railway-company

Background

On June 9, 2021, EPA and the Department of the Army announced their intent to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” to better protect our nation’s vital water resources that support public health, environmental protection, agricultural activity, and economic growth. On Nov. 18, 2021, the agencies announced the signing of a proposed rule revising the definition of “waters of the United States.”

The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of pollutants from a point source into “navigable waters” unless otherwise authorized under the Act. “Navigable waters” are defined in the Act as “the waters of the United States, including the territorial seas.” Thus, “waters of the United States” is a threshold term establishing the geographic scope of federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. The term “waters of the United States” is not defined by the Act but has been defined by the agencies in regulations since the 1970s and jointly implemented in the agencies’ respective programmatic activities.

Press Release

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army (the agencies) announced a final rule establishing a durable definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) to reduce uncertainty from changing regulatory definitions, protect people’s health, and support economic opportunity. The final rule restores essential water protections that were in place prior to 2015 under the Clean Water Act for traditional navigable waters, the territorial seas, interstate waters, as well as upstream water resources that significantly affect those waters. As a result, this action will strengthen fundamental protections for waters that are sources of drinking water while supporting agriculture, local economies, and downstream communities.

“When Congress passed the Clean Water Act 50 years ago, it recognized that protecting our waters is essential to ensuring healthy communities and a thriving economy,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Following extensive stakeholder engagement, and building on what we’ve learned from previous rules, EPA is working to deliver a durable definition of WOTUS that safeguards our nation’s waters, strengthens economic opportunity, and protects people’s health while providing greater certainty for farmers, ranchers, and landowners.”

“This final rule recognizes the essential role of the nation’s water resources in communities across the nation,” said Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael L. Connor. “The rule’s clear and supportable definition of waters of the United States will allow for more efficient and effective implementation and provide the clarity long desired by farmers, industry, environmental organizations, and other stakeholders.”

This rule establishes a durable definition of “waters of the United States” that is grounded in the authority provided by Congress in the Clean Water Act, the best available science, and extensive implementation experience stewarding the nation’s waters. The rule returns to a reasonable and familiar framework founded on the pre-2015 definition with updates to reflect existing Supreme Court decisions, the latest science, and the agencies’ technical expertise. It establishes limits that appropriately draw the boundary of waters subject to federal protection.

The final rule restores fundamental protections so that the nation will be closer to achieving Congress’ goal in the Clean Water Act that American waters be fishable and swimmable, and above all, protective of public health. It will also ensure that the nation’s waters support recreation, wildlife, and agricultural activity, which is fundamental to the American economy. The final rule will cover those waters that Congress fundamentally sought to protect in the Clean Water Act—traditional navigable waters, the territorial seas, interstate waters, as well as upstream water resources that significantly affect those waters.

More information, including a pre-publication version of the Federal Register notice and fact sheets, is available at EPA’s “Waters of the United States” website.

Accompanying the issuance of the final rule, the agencies are also releasing several resources to support clear and effective implementation in communities across America. Today, a summary of 10 regional roundtables was released that synthesizes key actions the agencies will take to enhance and improve implementation of “waters of the United States.” These actions were recommendations provided during the 10 regional roundtables where the agencies heard directly from communities on what is working well from an implementation perspective and where there are opportunities for improvement. The roundtables focused on the geographic similarities and differences across regions and provided site specific feedback about the way the scope of “waters of the United States” has been implemented by the agencies.

Today, the agencies are also taking action to improve federal coordination in the ongoing implementation of “waters of the United States.” First, EPA and Army are issuing a joint coordination memo to ensure the accuracy and consistency of jurisdictional determinations under this final rule. Second, the agencies are issuing a memo with U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide clarity on the agencies’ programs under the Clean Water Act and Food Security Act.

Sources:

Environmental Protection Agency. (2022, December 30). EPA and Army finalize rule establishing definition of WOTUS and restoring fundamental water protections [Press release]. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-and-army-finalize-rule-establishing-definition-wotus-and-restoring-fundamental