shenandoah river pollution

It can be fatal to dogs and other animals. Network Headquarters Last year, health officials placed 52 miles of its length under advisory from early August to mid-September after discovering cyanobacteria in the water. Last month, the DuPont Company announced its plan to stop mercury from contaminating the South River, which is one of the leading tributaries for the South Fork of the Shenandoah. 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. The Environmental Integrity Project is a 19-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas, dedicated to enforcing environmental laws and strengthening policy to protect public health and the environment. They also harm native grasses and affect aquatic life. The Shenandoah Riverkeeper Swim Guide lists over 70 access points on the three major reaches of the Shenandoah River. 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 cleanup deadlines for four of the implementation plans in the Valley have passed, but the waterways in three of these four remain impaired by fecal bacteria. Washington DC 20007, POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE The organization says it has approximately 35,000 farmer members. The Shenandoah is such a beautiful and historic place and such a treasured spot for fishing, tubing, and recreation Virginia really needs to get more serious about protecting it, said Eric Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project and former Director of Civil Enforcement at EPA.. Most of all, Virginia needs to regulate the growing livestock industry to stop the chronic overapplication of fertilizer to farm fields, and mandate livestock fencing along streams.. These Combined Sewer Overflows release pollutants like fecal coliform bacteria and e. coli into the waterway that can sicken animals, fish, and humans, and deplete oxygen levels causing harmful algal blooms. Have you heard about how tree-mendous urban trees are? 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. Fax: (202) 296-8822, 1206 San Antonio Street Frondorf, the Shenandoah Riverkeeper, said it is not fair that the state has a swimming advisory standard and monitoring program for Ocean beaches, like in Virginia Beach, but not in freshwater areas like the Shenandoah River. Due to the protection of the surrounding forests, the water in these streams is generally of high quality and low in sediment load. But there's one part of the country that's bucking the trend. All Rights Reserved. All across our region animals once in decline are making a comeback. The state should take action to implement the cleanup plans it creates, so that TMDLs are more meaningful. If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. Its almost a five-hour drive for people living in the Shenandoah Valley to drive to a Virginia beach and they should not be treated like second-class citizens due to their lack of proximity to a saltwater beach, said Frondorf. 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. (Alan Lehman/Shenandoah Riverkeeper). 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. POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE Shenandoah 571.969.0746 Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 Potomac 336.809. . The main route of human exposure is through eating contaminated fish. It could be your lawn. Mark joined Potomac Riverkeeper Network in 2015 as the official Shenandoah Riverkeeper. Our Mission Our mission is to protect the public's right to clean water in the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and their tributaries. 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. At any given time, the three Riverkeepers are working on roughly two dozen active enforcement and advocacy matters, including commenting on pollution permits when they are up for renewal, pushing government regulators to recognize major pollution problems and act on them, and filing lawsuits against polluters and government agencies that are allowing pollution to continue unchecked. On this episode of fishing the DMV we talk to Mark Frondorf. 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. Many of these chemicals that are not regulated or tested for are endocrine distruptors, a type of chemical pollution believed to be the cause of fish kills and intersex fish in the Potomac and the Shenandoah Rivers. Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star BERRYVILLE. Cleaning up our local streams and creeks isn't just good for public health. When the contamination was disclosed in 1977, the state was forced to declare a fish consumption health advisory for over 100 miles downriver of the plant. In the Shenandoah Valley, Shenandoah Riverkeeper is going site by site to all the farms in the area, opening a dialogue with farmers about improving the practices that endanger the health and jobs of people living downstream. However, those numbers could soon fall not because the waters are any cleaner, but because Virginia recently revised its water quality standards to tolerate higher concentrations of fecal bacteria, according to EIPs report. * Insults, verbal attacks or degrading statements Listing would have triggered specific government plans to combat algae pollution on the Shenandoah. Small changes can make a big difference. 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. An all-too-familiar scourge has returned to the Shenandoah Rivers waters this summer: thick, green mats of algae. 10/13/2020 Whenever it rains in Washington, D.C., raw sewage spills into the Potomac River. Guest Article by Jeff "Yakfish" Little. For more than 20 years, DuPont leaked mercury from the textile plant into the South River, eventually ending up in the Shenandoah River. EPA has failed to carry out a non-discretionary duty to either approve or disapprove of Virginias list of waters deemed impaired under the Clean Water Act, which was published in 2012 without an acknowledgment of the Shenandoahs algae problems. Shenandoah Riverkeeper is working with the Allegheny Blue-Ridge Alliance and others to fight the construction of this pipeline. The health department didnt respond to requests for comment about the states policies. While we acknowledge DuPonts commitment to the community, and agreeing to stabilize the riverbank by employing a impermeable barrier and covering that with additional clay, soil and native plants, it has been 66 years thats right 66 years since the active leaking stopped. * Incorrect, fraudulent or misleading content . Many small farms are not regulated and difficult for government agencies to monitor. They stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. Environmental Integrity Project's Twitter. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat fish from these waters. People might be upset by warning signs, but the signs would increase public pressure on state lawmakers to invest the funds and effort needed to reduce pollution for example, by requiring farmers to fence their herds of cattle out of the Shenandoah River, said Schaeffer, former Director of Civil Enforcement at EPA. 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. Rather than take what the plaintiffs see as effective enforcement action to make DuPont clean up, state and federal regulators have joined DuPont in a collaborative South River Science Team to examine various aspects of the mercury contamination as part of a 100-year monitoring plan. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy In addition, they work with university law clinics, nonprofit legal groups and corporate law firms that provide pro bono legal services and conduct compliance reviews of pollution permits. Water quality standards have changed in the Commonwealth, and the changes make it harder for waterways to be designated as impaired in the future meaning fewer could be aided by cleanup plans. The members of our local chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America stand shoulder to shoulder with our local Riverkeepers and others to ensure this river is restored, and remains the national treasure we know it to be.. 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. If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. The . Amounts listed may Shenandoah 571.969.0746 Xranks ! If youre out and about and see debris flowing from a construction site, cows in your stream, or a pipe discharging questionable water, use the app to report it. This is why Shenandoah Riverkeeper has filed its notice of intent to sue the EPA. "Instead of solving the problem, the DuPont funded team is just generating lots of reports, not one of which is aimed toward a cleanup.". We reserve the right to edit or decline comments that do "In the Shenandoah River basin, animal manure is the major source of E. coli bacteria either from cattle wandering directly into rivers and streams or manure being spread onto crops and pastures as fertilizer, which runs off into waterways, according to a 2017 Environmental Integrity Project report, 'Water Pollution from Livestock in the . 7 benefits of urban trees for communities, clean water, and more! In December 2013, EPA compounded Virginias inaction by failing to either approve or disapprove of Virginias decision not to list the Shenandoah as impaired, in violation of an explicit statutory duty to take action. Only 21 percent of the rivers and streams miles in the Shenandoah Valley, and 22 percent statewide, have been assessed by the state to determine if they are impaired with pollutants. Having a healthy lawn fit for summer picnics and protecting clean water aren't mutually exclusive. 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. * Explicit or vulgar language Additional bacteria sampling data is available from Friends of the Shenandoah River. Its website can be found at www.sierraclub.org. Detect water quality measures that exceed threshold values and determine their compliance with state and federal water quality standards. Agricultural runoff, including manure from the Valleys many livestock operations and industrial scale poultry operations, is a source of contamination for 71 percent of the polluted river and stream miles in the Shenandoah Valley, according to state figures. They notify government oversight agencies, contact the polluter, and if needed, take legal action if other actions do not result in improvements. The algae blooms, caused by agricultural runoff in the Shenandoah Valley, interfere with recreational uses of the river, such as swimming, kayaking and fishing. Last year, pollution credit trading allowed the Strasburg Sewage Treatment Plant to release 2,942 pounds of phosphorus into the North Fork of the Shenandoah, according to the new Environmental . 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. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. The threshold used in this graph is EPAs recommended beach action value for swimming, which recommends states to notify the public when bacteria levels exceed 235 counts of E. coli bacteria/100 ml water. The cleanup plans (also called Total Maximum Daily Loads or TMDLs) that do exist lack enforcement and funding mechanisms. But now we understand how paving over wetlands means destroying incalculable ecological services - and some of the Potomac River regions most magical travel destinations. Makes it easier to find and report pollution and to report the fun things you see and do on the river. The. The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is responding by calling the report "an opinion piece.". Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 550,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco. 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. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Mercury pollution is known to cause severe physiological, behavioral, and reproductive disorders and is particularly harmful to developing fetuses. Schaeffer was formerly the director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys office of civil enforcement. Financial statements can be provided upon request. The . Among the causes: nutrient pollution from fertilizers and sewage, as well as increasing problems from climate change, such as extreme wet and dry spells and warmer water temperatures. The river is a popular recreation spot, and the excessive pollution levels pose a threat to local residents, wildlife, and underwater vegetation. 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. 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. The Commonwealth also eliminated the states swimming advisory standard for freshwater recreation areas in October 2019 and changed its standard for impaired waters. And so Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper, has launched the Respect the Shenandoah Campaign. The warning signs could include a website or hotline that people could use to get the most recent bacteria monitoring information. Once your report is submitted it will be sent to your local Waterkeeper and to a live map available on the Water Reporter Website. Proposed standards are due before the end of 2023. In 2012, Shenandoah Riverkeeper officially requested that Virginia DEQ designate all reaches of the Shenandoah River as impaired by algae on Virginias 303(d) list, the list on which states are required to designate water bodies that fail to meet water quality standards under the federal Clean Water Act. Lack enforcement and funding mechanisms is licensed for use herein not, they begin legal actions by filing mandatory... 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