All rights reserved. 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. 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. Federal, state, and local governments are mandated to provide basic services like safe, clean drinking water. (Virginia.org) By Mark Frondorf For years, herds of cattle wading and defecating in our rivers caused pollution and rendered the waters disgusting and, in some cases, dangerous for contact by those seeking recreation and drinking water. Posted on April 23, 2008. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. 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. 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. Media contacts: There are 80,000 chemicals in the US marketplace. They also harm native grasses and affect aquatic life. 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. Schaeffer was formerly the director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys office of civil enforcement. 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. 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. Rappahannock River Basin, Roanoke and Yadkin River Basin, Shenandoah River Basin, . The North Fork is no stranger to algae. 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. 2023 Environmental Integrity Project. Potomac 336.809.6041. The report found that more than 90 percent of the water quality monitoring stations where the state regularly samples the river and its tributaries detected E. coli at levels unsafe for human contact over the past two years. 2023 Environmental Integrity Project. 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. 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. Think about it. 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.. Check out these 7 benefits trees have for cities in the Potomac River region! The government only tests water for 1 out of every 400. 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. Each of these rivers eventually flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Mark also served onthe Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Fly Fishers. For years, Shenandoah Riverkeeper has been pressing Virginias Department of Environmental Quality to designate the river as impaired because of the algae blooms. Shenandoah Riverkeeper uses information from monitoring and community activity and takes actions to create positive change. In the Shenandoah River basin, drought conditions this summer set the stage for a bloom that began to grow in July. 5 *completely legal* ways to pollute the Potomac, 6 local wetlands to quench your wanderlust. Amounts listed may Hayden said no one at the agency had reviewed the report yet, so he couldnt comment on the specifics. 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. Recreational uses can continue in the river as long as people dont touch the blanket of scum. Some of problems are old and ongoing, but others are new. Source: Data Store Saved Search 709. The Orange County Water District estimated earlier this year that treatment could cost the average home in a local district with PFAS $4 to $5 more monthly but could reach as high as $20 per . Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. The state should either require the livestock industry --or use public funds -- to collect the excess manure that crops cant use and ship it out of the valley, to a region that needs it., The report also found high levels of phosphorous, which feeds algae and can kill fish. For several years, Shenandoah Riverkeeper has worked with research partners at the USGS and other agencies on further understanding the health effects of endocrine disruptors in rivers, vigilantly monitoring the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers for further fish kills, and are building community awareness. But its threatened by the failure of state and federal authorities to stop excessive nutrientsand the algae they producefrom entering the river. The proposed construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline would impact the headwaters of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Site Designed by DC Web Designers, a Washington DC web design company, Advocates Guide For Challenging LNG Projects, Water Quality in the Shenandoah Valley: Virginias Cleanup Plans Fail to Solve Bacteria Problem, Environmental Integrity Project's Twitter. 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. Due to the interest and concerns expressed by public and nonprofit groups for improving the information available on inland beach water quality, VDH has made several attempts to secure funding as recently as 2018, for the 2019-2020 state fiscal budget year. 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. 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. Want to have a yard that works for clean water not against it? 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. Once your report is submitted it will be sent to your local Waterkeeper and to a live map available on the Water Reporter Website. 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. They stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. Ninety-two percent of every dollardonated goes directly to efforts to reduce illegal pollution. Determine the natural range of variability in water chemistry (including bacterial composition). The report focuses on four counties in the bucolic Shenandoah Valley watershed that are also home to a large-scale farming industry. As a last resort, we will take a polluter to court to stop the pollution. 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. 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. Interactive map of the South River Science Team showing the fish consumption advisories: http://southriverscienceteam.org/map/, Purpose and roles of the SRST: http://southriverscienceteam.org/what-is-srst/, SRST Mercury Fact Sheet: http://southriverscienceteam.org/news/fact-sheets/SR_No2.pdf, SRST newsletter going into great detail as to how they are going to perform the remediation: http://southriverscienceteam.org/news/newsletters/2016/UPDATE_2016_First%20Half_final.pdf, Potomac 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. 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. For decades, Virginia has collected bacteria data in both fresh and saltwater areas of the state, but has only posted warning signs for swimmers on ocean and saltwater beaches. He founded the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project, which advocates for effective enforcement of environmental laws. Washington DC 20007, POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE According to water quality monitoring data from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, 72 percent (or 18 of 25) of monitoring sites along the Shenandoah Valley and its tributaries had levels of E. coli bacteria last year above EPAs recommendations for swimming. 7 benefits of urban trees for communities, clean water, and more! He said that the agency is trying to sample fewer sites, but targeted in areas where people actually get wet during recreation. Where does that leave us now? 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.. 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 . Spanning over 200,000 acres of land, the park is known for its beautiful views, natural landscape, and diverse wildlife. You have permission to edit this article. For most of this country's history, wetlands were seen as an impediment to development. The pollution at Shenandoah National Park, which extends 80 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge in northern Virginia, not only obscures the striking panoramas once visible from cliff-hugging . 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. 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." The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club has over 16,000 members. Shenandoah Riverkeeper works to protect the publics right to clean water in our rivers and streams. 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. Learn More Our Rivers 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. 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. But 47 percent of the waterways impaired by bacteria in the Shenandoah Valley lack either cleanup or implementation plans. DuPont's textile operations discharged tens of thousands of pounds of mercury into the South River from 1929 to 1950. South Fork Shenandoah River [ edit] Unfortunately, to date, such efforts have not been successful.. Algal blooms occur throughout the Chesapeake Bay system. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has also assessed a very low percentage of waters, leaving residents guessing whether it is safe to swim and recreate in the rivers and streams.. Small farms, when viewed as one, represent a large portion of the agricultural sector in the Shenandoah Valley and other parts of the Potomac River watershed. 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. Integrity Project, which advocates for effective enforcement of Environmental Quality to designate the River as because... The blanket of scum to reduce illegal pollution onthe Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Fishers. 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