shenandoah river pollution
Front Royal, VA Today, four local citizen groups filed a lawsuit filed a lawsuitagainst the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the agencys repeated failure to address the Shenandoah Rivers increasing problem with algae blooms and pollution. Small changes can make a big difference. Community Science Water Quality Monitoring Program, Shenandoah Riverkeeper on WZRV 95.3 The River, the DuPont Company announced its plan to stop mercury from contaminating the South River, http://southriverscienceteam.org/what-is-srst/, http://southriverscienceteam.org/news/fact-sheets/SR_No2.pdf, http://southriverscienceteam.org/news/newsletters/2016/UPDATE_2016_First%20Half_final.pdf. EPA should have identified the Shenandoah River as impaired based on extensive data demonstrating that widespread algae blooms prevent the river from meeting Virginias water quality standards. The Sierra Club, founded over a century ago, is a national non-profit organization of over 700,000 members dedicated to exploring, enjoying, and protecting the wild places of the earth; to practicing and promoting the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; to educating and enlisting humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to using all lawful means to carry out these objectives. Contact Evan Childress, Shenandoah NP Supervisory Fish Biologist, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network. Learn about the threat of rising salt levels in the Potomac and its tributaries, and alternatives to traditional salt to keep both our roads and freshwater safe. The . Guest Article by Jeff "Yakfish" Little. Potomac 336.809.6041. Proposed standards are due before the end of 2023. Its website can be found at www.sierraclub.org. The Virginia Department of Health issued an alert Aug. 5 warning the public to avoid contact with the potentially toxic algae. There are sections where its just completely unproductive to go fish anymore because the algae is taking up all the oxygen and the fish just cant survive, he said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters. Have you heard about how tree-mendous urban trees are? Over 20 years ago, DuPont and its consultants convinced government regulators that the mercury contamination would disappear on its own. visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. The North Fork is no stranger to algae. In this case, Virginia would be required to develop limits on the total amount of nitrogen and phosphorus being discharged into the Shenandoah that are protective enough to prevent algae blooms and improve water quality. The Shenandoah Valley is a place of incomparable beauty and cultural value, but its continued health is at risk, says the report, which suggests the states manure management system isnt adequately protecting human health or water quality and is undermining Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts. Until Virginias waters are cleaned up, Schaeffer said, the Commonwealth should raise no swimming advisory signs in parts of the Shenandoah that are often used for swimming and tubing but that have unsafe levels of fecal bacteria. DEQs refusal to even evaluate this evidence to make an impairment determination is unacceptableas is EPAs failure to step in and perform its oversight duties as the Clean Water Act requires it to do.. "Instead of solving the problem, the DuPont funded team is just generating lots of reports, not one of which is aimed toward a cleanup.". The Environmental Integrity Project analyzed hundreds of state records for the report released Wednesday. There was a problem saving your notification. When they find that a facility is violating its pollution permit, they consider factors, such as the impact of the violations on public health, and the size and scope of the violations, before taking action. Unfortunately, much of it is making its way into our rivers, causing serious threats to wildlife and public health, a new study found. Shenandoah Riverkeeper continues to receive complaints from river users about slimy green growths of algae, which cause bad odors, interfere with swimming, fishing, paddling and boating, and are contributing to a decline in the health of fish and aquatic ecosystems in the river. Those animals generate more than 410,000 tons of poultry litter and about 1 billion gallons (3.8 billion liters) of liquid manure a year. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat fish from these waters. The Shenandoah River is a very popular river for canoeing, river tubing, and white-water recreation such as rafting and kayaking (class I-III in season, II-III+ during the spring run-off), and several commercial outfitters offer a variety of guided trips and rentals. Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 Partly in response to that report and its own follow up study, Virginia boosted its reimbursement rates for farmers who install fencing, leading to increased sign-ups for the fencing reimbursement program last year. * Misrepresentation of your identity or affiliation Here are a few of the most common and most effective changes we ask farmers to make: The program begins by initiating dialogue with the farmers to build trust and understanding about the way their farming practices may be damaging our water supply. Shenandoah National Park consists of nearly 200,000 acres of protected land in Northern Virginia and boasts over 500 miles of hiking trails, the 105 mile Skyline Drive with beautiful views, and thousands of living creatures, including the endangered Shenandoah Salamander that is only found in the park. South Fork Shenandoah River [ edit] Lives are lost every year from this pollution, and our economy is forced to bear the burden of . When it rains, that waste can run into the river and cause trouble, because the levels aren't only unsafe for fish, but also for humans. Henrico County and environmental groups involved in a lawsuit over pollution from a local sewage treatment facility reached a settlement requiring the county to notify the public of overflows, ramp up system improvements and invest $1 million in environmental work. Posted on April 23, 2008. "Blooms in general are always exacerbated by nutrients," said Joe Wood, a senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Virginia office. This is a transmission line to get fracked gas out of Pennsylvania and West Virginia and ship it down to North Carolina and Portsmouth, Virginia. For more than 20 years, DuPont leaked mercury from the textile plant into the South River, eventually ending up in the Shenandoah River. Protocols describe how we monitor. All of our protocols are peer reviewed. Each of these rivers eventually flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Herschel Finch, a fisher, kayaker and the conservation chairman of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club, said when he moved to the Shenandoah Valley in 1977, the fishing was fantastic. The Clean Water Act and other environmental laws allow residents to improve their local rivers and streams through citizen suits. On behalf of Potomac Riverkeeper Network members and the residents throughout the watershed, Shenandoah Riverkeeper and its attorneys routinely monitor known polluters. SEATTLE (AP) A company that operates a century-old hydroelectric dam near Mount Rainier National Park and its chief operating officer each pleaded guilty to a single criminal count Monday in connection with a spill of synthetic field turf and the tiny rubber particles used to make it into the Puyallup River in 2020.. Pcfawc.com Pcfawc.com ? Virginia needs to start notifying the public that the Shenandoah Valleys waterways are unsafe for swimming and tubing or, better yet, the state should solve this manure overload problem, said Eric Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project and former Director of Civil Enforcement at EPA. Monitoring Program But she said the state General Assembly rejected those requests for additional funding and an expanded freshwater testing program. Mark Frondorf, the Shenandoah Riverkeeper, said: Virginia should not implement a two-tiered system that protects saltwater beach goers at the expense of folks living, working and recreating in the Shenandoah watershed. The Shenandoah River not only provides rich soils for farming, but also supports a wide variety of species, including white-tailed deer, black bears, bobcats, coyotes, eastern brook trout, red-tailed hawks, and the endangered Shenandoah salamander. Virginia should strengthen its bacteria standards and post swimming advisory signs in freshwater areas used by rafters and swimmers that are contaminated with fecal bacteria, especially now that rafting and tubing season is starting up on the Shenandoah River, said Eric Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project. Using state records, it was found that more than 90 percent of the water quality monitoring stations where the state regularly samples the Shenandoah River found fecal bacteria (also known as E. coli) at levels unsafe for human contact. (For specifics, see Appendix C). For many folks, the Shenandoah River is their only option to swim in the summer months.. Thanks for signing up. But its threatened by the failure of state and federal authorities to stop excessive nutrientsand the algae they producefrom entering the river. Spanning over 200,000 acres of land, the park is known for its beautiful views, natural landscape, and diverse wildlife. And so Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper, has launched the Respect the Shenandoah Campaign. EIP Study Demands Stronger Regulation of Livestock Pollution and Health Advisories for Waterways Contaminated with Bacteria. The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is responding by calling the report "an opinion piece.". For Immediate Release. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. The organization says it has approximately 35,000 farmer members. It is ideal for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and observing nature. Last year, health officials placed 52 miles of its length under advisory from early August to mid-September after discovering cyanobacteria in the water. Potomac 336.809.6041. Recent heavy flooding in the Shenandoah Valley from Hurricane Isabel heightens the groups' concerns of contamination, since much of the mercury from the plant is thought to remain in floodplain sediments, which are disturbed during high river flows. Prevent cattle from using the river as a restroom by fencing cattle away from rivers and streams, Stop feeding of cattle on the banks of rivers and streams, Creating buffers to catch rainwater that carries animal waste, dirt, fertilizers and pesticides into the river during rain storms, Clean Water Act 50th Anniversary Campaign, South West & Rhode Riverkeeper Elle Bassett. To many environmental groups, the root of the algae issue in the Shenandoah is clear: nutrient pollution, especially from agriculture. Acid precipitation, a type of atmospheric deposition that is primarily linked to fossil fuel combustion, is lowering water pH in some extremely sensitive streams both chronically and episodically. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) In a story April 26 about a report on pollution in the Shenandoah River, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has 3,500 farmer members. If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. Document the status of and long-term trends in water flow. But the state provides no such notice when the Shenandoah Valley and other rivers and streams are contaminated, even when E. coli levels are more than 100 times the recreational limit, it says. Virginia in 2019 also eliminated its fecal bacteria public health warning advisory threshold for swimming in freshwater areas called the beach action value. The Virginia Department of Health continues to use a health warning and monitoring system for saltwater beaches in the state, but has never issued warnings or posted signs to protect people in freshwater areas like those along the Shenandoah River. Financial statements can be provided upon request. When the fish arent there, fishermen stay away too, and Finch said hes seen tourism-related businesses shut down. However, Virginia posted no signs warning rafters, kayakers, or swimmers about health threats as it does regularly with swimming advisories on ocean beaches and in saltwater areas. 72 Percent of Sampling Locations in Valley Had E Coli Bacteria Above EPA Safe Swimming Recommendations in 2020. According to a new study , much of the Shenandoah River is polluted with unsafe levels of E. coli. Reports will go to your local Waterkeeper. * Insults, verbal attacks or degrading statements The North Fork of the Shenandoah River is approximately 95 miles long, while the South Fork runs about 150 miles. Document the status of and trends in water quality as influenced by point source and non-point source pollution (including atmospheric deposition). Their stories of recovery are nothing short of inspiring. Together, farmers in Augusta, Page, Rockingham and Shenandoah counties raise more than 172 million chicken and turkeys a year and more than half a million dairy and beef cows, the report says. Current Shenandoah Riverkeeper actions. NPS / Neal Lewis Importance and Issues The Blue Ridge Physiographic Province within the Mid-Atlantic Network contains portions of the headwaters for three major watersheds: the Rappahannock, the Shenandoah, and the James Rivers. Back in 2018, Smigo said her agency asked the Virginia General Assembly for about $200,000 in additional state funding to start a freshwater swimming area safety program, including by conducting more sampling and raising bacteria warning signs for swimmers on waterways that are impaired for bacteria. & Waterkeepers Chesapeake. Shenandoah RIVERKEEPERMark Frondorf joined Potomac RIVERKEEPERNetwork in 2015. 66 years have passed, and we are still dealing with a serious environmental and public health problem at the very headwaters of the Shenandoah River. RICHMOND, Virginia (October 20, 2003) -- Two environmental groups will sue DuPont to force a cleanup of mercury from the South River and the South Fork of the Shenandoah River because of health risks for people who eat fish from those waters. Shenandoah National Park is located in Virginia's Blueridge Mountains. That advisory continues today. 2023 Waterkeepers Chesapeake. The state should tighten up its recently revised water quality standards for bacteria by creating a swimming beach warning standard for freshwater areas and by issuing health advisories on websites and social media and raising no swimming signs to warn people in these areas contaminated by fecal pathogens, including in the Shenandoah Valley. Shenandoah Riverkeeper is working with the Allegheny Blue-Ridge Alliance and others to fight the construction of this pipeline. Financial statements can be provided upon request. Discharge Pipes (or any other apparent point source pollution) - Discharge pipes that are discolored, emitting a foul odor, a lot of foam, or some other detectable pollution fall under this . He said theres always room for improvement in the states nutrient management program, but Virginia has seen an overall improvement in bacterial contamination in the Shenandoah River basin. But the public has the right to know when that water isnt safe to enjoy, said Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project. They also harm native grasses and affect aquatic life. The Environmental Integrity Projects report makes the following recommendations: The Virginia General Assembly and VDEQ need to invest enough in staffing and resources to create cleanup and implementation plans for the nearly half of impaired waterway miles in the Shenandoah Valley that lack one or the other of them today. Due to the protection of the surrounding forests, the water in these streams is generally of high quality and low in sediment load. The number of water monitoring sites in the Shenandoah Valley declined from an average of 70 per year from 2015 to 2018, to 30 per year in 2019 and 2020, with many of the excluded sites having the highest levels of bacteria. DuPont plans to remediate and restore the riverbanks starting in Constitution Park down in Waynesboro, Virginia. Potomac Riverkeeper Network is dedicated to monitoring the condition of the rivers through regular on-the-water patrols, volunteers, and citizen reports through the website and the mobile phone app, the Water Reporter. "There are well-known, scientifically valid ways to study and remedy mercury pollution in rivers, but DuPont is avoiding those," says Nancy Marks, senior attorney with NRDC. In the absence of a mechanism for conducting frequent seasonal bacteria monitoring at freshwater beaches, VDH lacks the data necessary to make advisory decisions for these waters, Smigo wrote in an email. All across our region animals once in decline are making a comeback. POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE Shenandoah 571.969.0746 Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 Potomac 336.809. . ADVERTISEMENT The number of waterway sites sampled for bacteria by Virginia is also declining, with an average of 70 places on waterways in the Shenandoah Valley sampled between 2015 and 2018, but only 35 in 2019 and 25 in 2020. All Rights Reserved. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and Schaeffer was formerly the director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys office of civil enforcement. 7 local animals making a comeback thanks to clean water, 7 tree-mendous facts: How trees support the Potomac River, us, and each other, Study finds the Potomac is getting saltier, threatening drinking water and wildlife. 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shenandoah river pollution