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. Despite its popularity, the river is often unsafe for swimming. The study, conducted by the Environmental Integrity Project, says the pollution is because. Mercury is a neurotoxin and it is not to be trifled with. But she said the state General Assembly rejected those requests for additional funding and an expanded freshwater testing program. Potomac Riverkeeper Network is the home for three Riverkeepers: Potomac, Shenandoah and Upper Potomac. All across our region animals once in decline are making a comeback. Jeremy Cox is a Bay Journal staff writer based in Maryland. 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. Mercury pollution is known to cause severe physiological, behavioral, and reproductive disorders and is particularly harmful to developing fetuses. 2023 Environmental Integrity Project. Thanks for signing up. The algae blooms, caused by agricultural runoff in the Shenandoah Valley, interfere with recreational uses of the river, such as swimming, kayaking and fishing. As a last resort, we will take a polluter to court to stop the pollution. 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. 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. Virginia is required by the Act to consider all information about stream impairments when updating its list. 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. His passion for the water,combined with his people and analytical skills, honed over 25 years as a think tank seniorpolicy analyst tackling some of the most vexing issues facing our nation, make him ideallysuited to defend the Shenandoah against pollution, protect our right to clean water, andpromote the recreational use of this beautiful river. 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. The report focuses on four counties in the bucolic Shenandoah Valley watershed that are also home to a large-scale farming industry. Wilmer Stoneman, director of commodities and marketing for the Farm Bureau Federation, said farmers face stringent regulations and are doing more than ever to improve conservation overall. 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. Potomac 336.809.6041. Many small farms are not regulated and difficult for government agencies to monitor. Potomac 336.809.6041. That manure can leak into groundwater or wash into surrounding streams when it rains, eventually making it to the Shenandoah, which joins the Potomac that empties into the Chesapeake Bay. 5 *completely legal* ways to pollute the Potomac, 6 local wetlands to quench your wanderlust. The state issues public advisories warning beachgoers to stay out of the ocean when bacteria levels do not meet the recreational standard. Check out these 7 benefits trees have for cities in the Potomac River region! No more than two meals pound each or the size of your hand of fish per month should be eaten from the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. * Advertising or solicitations Washington, D.C. A new report finds that Virginias efforts to restore the health of the scenic Shenandoah River are failing because of toothless and absent cleanup plans, a lack of regulations on the livestock industry, and inadequate monitoring. 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. DuPont's textile operations discharged tens of thousands of pounds of mercury into the South River from 1929 to 1950. * Explicit or vulgar language 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. But many farms still lack livestock fencing. Monitoring Program Most of that is spread on surrounding farmland, the report found. Hayden said no one at the agency had reviewed the report yet, so he couldnt comment on the specifics. Financial statements can be provided upon request. The Potomac Riverkeeper Network is a Virginia eliminated its state freshwater beach action value in October 2019 and changed its impairment value. Tom Pelton, Environmental Integrity Project, (443) 510-2574 or tpelton@environmentalintegrity.org Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. They also harm native grasses and affect aquatic life. Margaret Smigo, Waterborne Hazards Program Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), said that her agency does not have funding or staff to conduct adequate testing in freshwater swimming areas of the state, like campgrounds along the Shenandoah River. The Southern Environmental Law Center will be assisting in the case. Furthermore, the states manure control system allows manure containing far more phosphorous to be applied than the crops need, according to the report. On this episode of fishing the DMV we talk to Mark Frondorf. 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. 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.. 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. The Virginia Department of Health issued an alert Aug. 5 warning the public to avoid contact with the potentially toxic algae. 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. 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. PRKNs EIN # is 54-1982624. Having a healthy lawn fit for summer picnics and protecting clean water aren't mutually exclusive. The . 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. 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. 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. It can be fatal to dogs and other animals. The health department didnt respond to requests for comment about the states policies. (For specifics, see Appendix C). So far, the best way to improve water quality downstream from farms is to persuade farmers to adopt Best Management Practices (BMPs) on a voluntary basis. 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. So far this time, cyanotoxins have been below or just above the detection level in water samples tested not high enough to trigger advisories, health officials say. Makes it easier to find and report pollution and to report the fun things you see and do on the river. We will 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 year unsafe levels of E.coli bacteria caused the cancellation of the Nations Triathlon swim portion. But those 2012 EPA criteria recommended that states continue using a trigger value for issuing short-term advisories to swimmers in freshwater areas called the beach action value of 235 counts of E. coli/100 ml water. Snows certainly not been a stanger this winter! The river is a popular recreation spot, and the excessive pollution levels pose a threat to local residents, wildlife, and underwater vegetation. Potomac Riverkeeper Network undertakes a number of activities and projects that enhance the use and enjoyment of our rivers, with the ultimate goal of increasing public awareness of and participation in protection of the rivers. The river in this county flows not just over the Shenandoah Valley bedrock, not just through our fields and forests and over limestone karst; it flows through our citizens veins, and our hearts. Schaeffer was formerly the director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys office of civil enforcement. Ninety-two percent of every dollardonated goes directly to efforts to reduce illegal pollution. 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. The streams are formed from numerous springs, some of which are located near the ridge tops. 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. For more data and information on bacteria testing in the Shenandoah Valley, visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. The Potomac Riverkeeper Network is a update email soon. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. They notify government oversight agencies, contact the polluter, and if needed, take legal action if other actions do not result in improvements. visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. 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. Shenandoah Riverkeeper, represented by Earthjustice, filed a notice of intent to sue the EPA for its failure to act in the face of this threat. Lives are lost every year from this pollution, and our economy is forced to bear the burden of . 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. 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. You can reach him at jcox@bayjournal.com. 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. Comments may not include: Washington DC 20007, POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE In order to guarantee that our water is safe, these pollutants must be stopped from entering waterways in the first place, and we must study, test for, andif necessaryremove endocrine disruptors in our water supply. 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., Phillip Ellis, Earthjustice, (202) 745-5221, Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper, (571) 969-0746, Phillip Musegaas, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, (914) 806-0916, Hershel Finch, Warren County, VA Chapter of Izaak Walton League of America, (540) 270-1590, Stephan J. Kimm, Potomac River Smallmouth Club, (703) 928-5473, Potomac Riverkeeper While Virginia has taken account of similar evidence in prior decisions to list other water bodies as impaired, it has refused to list the Shenandoah as impaired despite the ample evidence submitted in this case. Today's announcement marks that notice. 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. Most of that is spread on surrounding farmland, the report focuses on four shenandoah river pollution the. Legal * ways to pollute the Potomac Riverkeeper Network is a update soon! For additional funding and an expanded freshwater testing program across our region once. Numerous springs, some of which are located near the ridge tops springs, some of which are near! 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