shenandoah river pollution

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. 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. Each of these rivers eventually flows into the Chesapeake Bay. 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 . Virginia eliminated its state freshwater beach action value in October 2019 and changed its impairment value. State Disclosures, Nancy Marks, NRDC, 212-727-4414; Michael Town, Sierra Club, 804-225-9113; 804-319-6083. Think about it. Hear from a lawn care professional on how to harness natures power and take steps to ensure your lawn, big or small, is river friendly! They offer links to cost share programs and other support for farmers who are willing to implement best management practices. (For specifics, see Appendix C). Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 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. VDEQ intends to complete the bacteria pilot study in 2021 and will share the results with the public., VDEQ in October 2019 also modified the standard that the state uses to determine if waterways are impaired for recreation, a determination that triggers requirements for long-term clean-up plans under the federal Clean Water Act. 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. The report by the Environmental Integrity Project, "Water Pollution from Livestock in the Shenandoah Valley," relies on state records to document that more than 90 percent of the water quality monitoring stations where the state regularly samples the Shenandoah River and its tributaries detected fecal bacteria (E. coli) at levels unsafe for . A recent report found that 90 percent of the water quality monitoring stations along the Shenandoah River and its tributaries detected fecal bacteria (E. coli) at levels unsafe for human contact between 2014-2016. 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. 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. But it's threatened by the failure of state and federal authorities to stop excessive nutrientsand the algae they producefrom entering the river. But many farms still lack livestock fencing. Source: Data Store Saved Search 686 (results presented are a subset). 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. On this episode of fishing the DMV we talk to Mark Frondorf. 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. 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. We hope this lawsuit will change that, said Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. 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. Paddling on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in the George Washington National Forest. Mark joined Potomac Riverkeeper Network in 2015 as the official Shenandoah Riverkeeper. These monitoring reports are more in-depth than resource briefs and include data analysis and a discussion of our findings. What's plaguing the Potomac River? , much of the Shenandoah River is polluted with unsafe levels of E. coli. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, No fish other than trout should be eaten from the South River. The streams are formed from numerous springs, some of which are located near the ridge tops. Potomac Riverkeeper Network is the home for three Riverkeepers: Potomac, Shenandoah and Upper Potomac. Trees do so much for our climate and clean water, but what do they do for our health? 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. Protocols describe how we monitor. Cattle stand on the banks of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River in Rockingham County, VA, where a harmful algal bloom recently closed more than 52.5 miles of the waterway to recreational uses. Shenandoah 571.969.0746 CAPTION: A Symbol Of Pollution Is No More Cameras rolling, onlookers view the demolition of the 30-story smokestack of the the former Avtex Fibers plant, a Superfund site on Virginia's. 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. Makes it easier to find and report pollution and to report the fun things you see and do on the river. Virginia did not follow that recommendation, and instead eliminated its state freshwater beach action value.. Financial statements can be provided upon request. The South River Science Team was established in 2001 and began conducting studies to understand how mercury enters the South River and why mercury in South River and South Fork Shenandoah River fish continue to remain elevated some 60 years after it was used at the former DuPont facility in Waynesboro, Virginia. That advisory continues today. And many of the plans that have been in place for years have failed because they lack any enforcement or funding mechanisms and because monitoring has been inadequate. 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. 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. If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. We aim to provide a forum for fair and open dialogue. There are 18 local Waterkeepers in the Chesapeake Bay region waiting for your reports. "I am always very careful about getting in this water. 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. The North Fork is no stranger to algae. Network Headquarters 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.) The North Fork is no stranger to algae. 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 lawsuit asks the court to order EPA to disapprove Virginias list of impaired streams, to identify the Shenandoah River as impaired by algae-fueling pollutants, and to establish the pollution caps needed to bring the river back into attainment with state water quality standards. Shenandoah Riverkeeper, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, the Warren County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, and the Potomac River Smallmouth Club filed the suit and are represented by Earthjustice. Shenandoah 571.969.0746 Fish consumption advisories have been in place on the South River and South Fork Shenandoah River since the mid-1970s. The agreement comes in response to a lawsuit filed by community and conservation organizations late last year. The team has no cleanup plans. Shenandoah Riverkeeper Mark Frondorf, after a float patrol, stops at the boat launch ramp under Harry Byrd Highway (Va. 7) east of Berryville Thursday. Cement manufacturers are dumping their pollution into Virginian communities with impunity. * Explicit or vulgar language Austin, TX 78701. 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.. Shenandoah Riverkeeper works to protect the publics right to clean water in our rivers and streams. 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. Its a matter of basic fairness.. Washington, D.C. Almost three quarters of water quality monitoring sites in Virginias scenic Shenandoah Valley had levels of fecal bacteria last year that were so high that EPA would consider them unsafe for swimming. For more than 20 years, DuPont leaked mercury from the textile plant into the South River, eventually ending up in the Shenandoah River. To many environmental groups, the root of the algae issue in the Shenandoah is clear: nutrient pollution, especially from agriculture. 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. The Commonwealth also eliminated the states swimming advisory standard for freshwater recreation areas in October 2019 and changed its standard for impaired waters. Most of that is spread on surrounding farmland, the report found. It can be fatal to dogs and other animals. 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. Mercury pollution is known to cause severe physiological, behavioral, and reproductive disorders and is particularly harmful to developing fetuses. 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.. 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. * Insults, verbal attacks or degrading statements Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy 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.). Posted on April 23, 2008. 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. Listing would have triggered specific government plans to combat algae pollution on the Shenandoah. 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. 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. 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. 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. Spanning over 200,000 acres of land, the park is known for its beautiful views, natural landscape, and diverse wildlife. Financial statements can be provided upon request. PRKNs EIN # is 54-1982624. follow these guidelines. The report focuses on four counties in the bucolic Shenandoah Valley watershed that are also home to a large-scale farming industry. EIP Study Demands Stronger Regulation of Livestock Pollution and Health Advisories for Waterways Contaminated with Bacteria. A potentially harmful chemical has been found in drinking water systems that serve about 7.5 million California residents, according to a report by a nonprofit environmental organization. Having guided on the Shenandoah and Potomac for almost twenty years, Mark Frondorf comes to the Shenandoah Riverkeeper position used to hard work and r Determine the natural range of variability in water chemistry (including bacterial composition). We will The . Discover 11 fun facts about the mysterious, magical powers of trees and how we can help support them! Its website can be found at www.sierraclub.org. In October 2019, Virginia revoked its beach action value for E. coli in freshwater areas, a trigger value that EPA recommends for issuing short-term no swimming advisories in waterways that have more than 235 counts of E. coli/100 ml of water. Xranks ! The warning signs could include a website or hotline that people could use to get the most recent bacteria monitoring information. 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. The Environmental Integrity Project is a 19-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Washington D.C., that is dedicated to enforcing environmental laws and strengthening policy to protect public health. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. Total Wages: Total wages reported by the employer from Box 5 of the W-2, with some exceptions, and Elected Officials who received pay reported on IRS Form 1099. Agricultural pollution, primarily from manure runoff from fields and livestock yards, was a source of contamination for 71 percent (or 723) of the impaired miles of rivers and streams that were assessed in 2020. Shenandoah features waterfalls, quiet woods, wildflower fields, rocky hiking trails, and so much more. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. That has not occurred according to the most recent data collected by the Commonwealth. Of that is spread on surrounding farmland, the park is known for its beautiful,... 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