shenandoah river pollution

Source: Data Store Saved Search 686 (results presented are a subset). Since mid-June, the North Fork of the Shenandoah already a shallow waterway compared with others of its size was below its 96-year average depth, according to a river gauge at Strasburg. The lawsuit, filed by Shenandoah Riverkeeper, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, the Warren County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, and the Potomac River Smallmouth Club, alleges that the EPA has failed to protect the river, which suffers from excessive algae blooms and high levels of pollution. In a victory for clean water, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its intent today to publish updated water-pollution control standards for slaughterhouses and animal rendering facilities by August 2025. Fax: (202) 296-8822, 1206 San Antonio Street You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and That has not occurred according to the most recent data collected by the Commonwealth. Scientists expected mercury levels to decline over time, but instead they remained stable, because the riverbank soils captured the mercury and it leaches into the river during high water. Sampling locations often change from year to year. Unfortunately, to date, such efforts have not been successful.. After a review, in most cases, they contact the worst polluters to tell them to stop polluting our water supply and to clean up existing pollution. Robinson River flowing through Whiteoak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park. All Rights Reserved. Environmental Integrity Project's Twitter. The Shenandoah Valley is home to approximately 160 million chickens, 16 million turkeys, and half a million cows, and much of the manure from farms ends up in the river. Media contacts: On October 21, 2019, Virginia changed its standards for the amount of bacteria that is acceptable for water-contact recreation, such as the swimming, tubing, and kayaking that are popular in the summer in the Shenandoah Valley. For Immediate Release. As the former president of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club, he successfullylobbied both Virginia and Maryland officials to implement and expand catch and release regulations and he was instrumental in getting the federal government to revise the Code ofFederal Regulations to permit wade fishing on portions of the Potomac. Comments may not include: Warren County is the only county in Virginia that contains all three sections of the Shenandoah River, both north and south forks and the main stem, said Herschel Finch, conservation chairman of the Izaak Walton League of Americas Warren County chapter. For example, EIP examined 11 watershed cleanup implementation plans in the Shenandoah Valley, and found that the state was not following its the water quality monitoring requirements in 10 of them. Stocked trout have been tested and are safe to eat. There was a problem saving your notification. Fish kills and algal outbreaks, associated with manure from unfenced herds of cattle and large poultry operations, make the river unhealthy and unpleasant for those hoping to enjoy it. Protocols describe how we monitor. 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. Their stories of recovery are nothing short of inspiring. 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. Local groups challenge EPAs approval of Virginias decision to not list the Shenandoah as impaired, despite excessive algae blooms and nutrient pollution. These monitoring reports are more in-depth than resource briefs and include data analysis and a discussion of our findings. It is ideal for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and observing nature. Despite the years of growing evidence of impairment, EPA failed to take the action required by the Clean Water Act to limit the pollution causing these algae blooms, said Jennifer Chavez, the Earthjustice attorney representing the river groups. 2023 Environmental Integrity Project. But 47 percent of the waterways impaired by bacteria in the Shenandoah Valley lack either cleanup or implementation plans. Virginia should list the Shenandoah river segments that have too much algae as officially "impaired" under the federal Clean Water Act so that the state can start taking more meaningful steps to curb pollution and accelerate its cleanup. Virginia is required by the Act to consider all information about stream impairments when updating its list. The Virginia Department of Health issued an alert Aug. 5 warning the public to avoid contact with the potentially toxic algae. 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. Austin, TX 78701. E. coli pollution is also an issue for the Potomac River. The organizations that filed the lawsuit want the state to list the river as impaired, which would require Virginia to impose pollution limits and work to improve the water quality. Recreational uses can continue in the river as long as people dont touch the blanket of scum. Many farmers will use animal waste as a fertilizer for crops. EIP Study Demands Stronger Regulation of Livestock Pollution and Health Advisories for Waterways Contaminated with Bacteria. 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. * Misrepresentation of your identity or affiliation The report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), Water Quality in the Shenandoah Valley: Virginias Cleanup Plans Fail to Solve Bacteria Problem, urges Virginia to take strong steps to protect people swimming in waterways contaminated with fecal bacteria, including by issuing health advisories and posting warning signs and by cracking down on manure runoff from livestock operations. Shenandoah Riverkeeper isopposing the construction of the pipeline because it can be built without hurting the habitat of a number of endangered species, it endangers the George Washington National Forest, and sedimentation caused by construction could threaten the water quality. But pollution management plans, also called nutrient management plans, are only required for large livestock operations, which account for only 12.5 percent of the farmland in those counties, the report says. 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. Trees do so much for our climate and clean water, but what do they do for our health? Document the status of and trends in water quality as influenced by point source and non-point source pollution (including atmospheric deposition). They offer links to cost share programs and other support for farmers who are willing to implement best management practices. Ninety-two percent of every dollardonated goes directly to efforts to reduce illegal pollution. Fish consumption advisories have been in place on the South River and South Fork Shenandoah River since the mid-1970s. Many small farms are not regulated and difficult for government agencies to monitor. 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. PRKNs EIN # is 54-1982624. WASHINGTON, D.C. In a victory for clean water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its intent to publish updated water pollution control standards for slaughterhouses and animal rendering facilities by August 2025, following a lawsuit filed by community and conservation organizations late last year. The study found that almost 70 percent of the river and stream miles in the Shenandoah Valley that have been assessed by the state (1,014 of 1,461 miles) had so much fecal bacteria in them that they were considered to be impaired for recreational uses in 2020 (using terms used in the federal Clean Water Act for waterways so polluted they require cleanup plan.). This landscape and the park's many different . RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Excessive livestock manure from millions of turkeys, chickens and cows in Virginia is making its way into the Shenandoah River, polluting the scenic waterway with unsafe levels of E. coli, according to a new report from an environmental advocacy group. When it comes to E. coli, Virginia should do a better job of issuing public advisories about the elevated levels, the report advises. The agency had to pause a high-frequency bacteria pilot study (and all other monitoring) in spring and early summer 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bilyeu wrote in an email. For more data and information on bacteria testing in the Shenandoah Valley, visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. 10/13/2020 Whenever it rains in Washington, D.C., raw sewage spills into the Potomac River. We stop pollution to enhance the safety of our drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Four local environmental groups are suing the EPA over pollution levels in Virginias Shenandoah River, a major tributary to the Potomac. NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) and the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club will announce their intent to file suit in federal court alleging that the company's past mercury discharges from its Waynesboro textile manufacturing facility pose a serious environmental and public health threat. Shenandoah 571.969.0746 By contrast, she said, EPA provides grants for state water quality testing along ocean beaches and in saltwater areas, like Virginia Beach, and to the state provides regular testing and raises swimming advisory signs in these saltwater areas. They also harm native grasses and affect aquatic life. DuPont's textile operations discharged tens of thousands of pounds of mercury into the South River from 1929 to 1950. Over 20 years ago, DuPont and its consultants convinced government regulators that the mercury contamination would disappear on its own. The health department didnt respond to requests for comment about the states policies. 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. It could be your lawn. Having guided on the Shenandoah and Potomac for almost twenty years, Mark came to the Shenandoah Riverkeeper position used to hard work and recognizing theimportance of a hands-on approach to protecting our rivers. On this episode of fishing the DMV we talk to Mark Frondorf. Shenandoah Riverkeeper works to protect the publics right to clean water in our rivers and streams. The lawsuit says EPA did not fulfill its duty under the Clean Water Act when it approved Virginias decision not to identify the Shenandoah Rivers algae impairment on the states list of quality-impaired rivers and streams. 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. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy 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. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. Using salt can keep our roads safe, but it has dangerous consequences for the Potomac River. Washington, DC 20005, Phone: (202) 296-8800 Waste-water treatment, residential runoff and wildlife also impact water quality, he said. The state adopted new regulations that tolerate higher concentrations of fecal bacteria (410 units of E. coli bacteria per 100 ml water, instead of 235 under the old standards.) 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. 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. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 Its website can be found at www.sierraclub.org. Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star BERRYVILLE. Some fish in the two rivers currently have mercury levels more than eight times the level at which the state issues health advisories. The evidence of pollution observed during monitoring includes polluted runoff from construction sites and farm land, fish kills and fish with lesions, algae blooms, illicit discharges from pipes and many other signs of compromised water quality. The alert applies to about 11 miles of the rivers North Fork, extending from just above Strasburg at VA Route 644 to just below the town at Route 611. The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, which has some 35,000 farmer members, pushed back against the report, calling it an opinion piece that aims to paint agriculture in a bad light. The North Fork of the Shenandoah River is approximately 95 miles long, while the South Fork runs about 150 miles. Shenandoah Riverkeeper Mark Frondorf, after a float patrol, stops at the boat launch ramp under Harry Byrd Highway (Va. 7) east of Berryville Thursday. In the event that discussions break down, or improvements stall, the program will use local regulations where they exist that may compel farmers to make changes. A corrected version of the story is below: Report: Cows, chickens taint Shenandoah River with E. coli, The bucolic Shenandoah River is sending some not-so-lovely material downstream, according to a new report that finds Virginia is failing to adequately manage waste from millions of chickens and cows. 150 miles safe to eat grasses and affect aquatic life source: Data Store are suing the EPA pollution. Fork of the waterways impaired by bacteria in the Valley implementation plans the waterways impaired bacteria! The states policies Stronger Regulation of Livestock pollution and health advisories for waterways Contaminated bacteria. For waterways Contaminated with bacteria Virginias decision to not list the Shenandoah as impaired, despite excessive algae blooms nutrient. Are nothing short of inspiring the mercury contamination would disappear on its own of scum tributary to the River... 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