Staff and legal interns also provide legal research on pollution permit compliance. The Commonwealth also eliminated the states swimming advisory standard for freshwater recreation areas in October 2019 and changed its standard for impaired waters. Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper, said: Virginia has failed to implement plans already on the books that would actually result in improved water quality in the Shenandoah Valley. They stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. Shenandoah National Park consists of nearly 200,000 acres of protected land in Northern Virginia and boasts over 500 miles of hiking trails, the 105 mile Skyline Drive with beautiful views, and thousands of living creatures, including the endangered Shenandoah Salamander that is only found in the park. The proposed construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline would impact the headwaters of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. 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. 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 sediments, which are disturbed during high river flows. But in the past 15 years or so, he began to see fish die-offs and excessive algae growth. 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. Discharge Pipes (or any other apparent point source pollution) - Discharge pipes that are discolored, emitting a foul odor, a lot of foam, or some other detectable pollution fall under this . It is ideal for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and observing nature. The Water Reporter app is not only for the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. 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. Due to the protection of the surrounding forests, the water in these streams is generally of high quality and low in sediment load. Using salt can keep our roads safe, but it has dangerous consequences for the Potomac River. Our Mission Our mission is to protect the public's right to clean water in the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and their tributaries. * Misrepresentation of your identity or affiliation The government only tests water for 1 out of every 400. The Potomac Riverkeeper Network is a The company, Electron Hydro LLC, also will pay $1 million that mostly . 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. The most important way Virginia could better implement its TMDLs would be to impose regulations that reduce the chronic over-application of manure to farm fields, especially those adjacent to waterways. The team has no cleanup plans. POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE Shenandoah 571.969.0746 Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 Potomac 336.809. . 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 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. The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is responding by calling the report "an opinion piece.". The Virginia Department of Health issued an alert Aug. 5 warning the public to avoid contact with the potentially toxic algae. 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. 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. They also harm native grasses and affect aquatic life. Some of problems are old and ongoing, but others are new. 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. 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 Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. 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.. Most of that is spread on surrounding farmland, the report found. 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. Experts say that they usually are a symptom of an ecosystem out of balance. 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. Fish consumption advisories have been in place on the South River and South Fork Shenandoah River since the mid-1970s. Robinson River flowing through Whiteoak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park. Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star BERRYVILLE. But its threatened by the failure of state and federal authorities to stop excessive nutrientsand the algae they producefrom entering the river. The department continues to conduct water column tests to determine if the bacteria cells are present in higher concentrations. It's great for wildlife, too. For many folks, the Shenandoah River is their only option to swim in the summer months.. 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. 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. 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. Washington DC 20007, POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE If constructed, this pipeline will traverse the South River, one of two rivers that join up down by Waynesboro to form the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. 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. Want to have a yard that works for clean water not against it? 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. Once your report is submitted it will be sent to your local Waterkeeper and to a live map available on the Water Reporter Website. Cement manufacturers are dumping their pollution into Virginian communities with impunity. But she said the state General Assembly rejected those requests for additional funding and an expanded freshwater testing program. Agricultural runoff, including manure from the Valley's 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. Source: Data Store Saved Search 709. But now we understand how paving over wetlands means destroying incalculable ecological services - and some of the Potomac River regions most magical travel destinations. Many small farms are not regulated and difficult for government agencies to monitor. For more than 20 years, DuPont leaked mercury from the textile plant into the South River, eventually ending up in the Shenandoah River. 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 the fish arent there, fishermen stay away too, and Finch said hes seen tourism-related businesses shut down. I make sure not to get it in my eyes, God forbid I drink any of it. 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. South Fork Shenandoah River [ edit] Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy The study, conducted by the Environmental Integrity Project, says the pollution is because. Network Headquarters Guest Article by Jeff "Yakfish" Little. 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. Posted on April 23, 2008. Shenandoah Riverkeeper Mark Frondorf, after a float patrol, stops at the boat launch ramp under Harry Byrd Highway (Va. 7) east of Berryville Thursday. * Advertising or solicitations 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. Mark also served onthe Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Fly Fishers. ADVERTISEMENT Photo credit: Alan Lehman, Program Manager, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. Those behind the report, however, have focused their criticism on the state. The streams are formed from numerous springs, some of which are located near the ridge tops. (Alan Lehman/Shenandoah Riverkeeper). As a last resort, we will take a polluter to court to stop the pollution. The Shenandoah River is a very popular river for canoeing, river tubing, and white-water recreation such as rafting and kayaking (class I-III in season, II-III+ during the spring run-off), and several commercial outfitters offer a variety of guided trips and rentals. 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. Other states, including Maryland and Pennsylvania, still use this freshwater beach action value.. 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. 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. 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! 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. The . Paved, drained, dammed and polluted to the point where it is barely recognizable as a stream, the Santa Ana River has long been more a source of ridicule than recreation, more of a waste pit than . The Environmental Integrity Project and Shenandoah Riverkeeper released a report in 2019 that used aerial photography to document that only about 20 percent of livestock farms in Virginias biggest agricultural counties, Rockingham and Augusta counties in the Shenandoah Valley, had fenced their cattle out of streams and rivers. With all the progress made since the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, it may still surprise you to learn there are plenty of ways you can still legally pollute the Potomac River. 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. Current Shenandoah Riverkeeper actions. Mark joined Potomac Riverkeeper Network in 2015 as the official Shenandoah Riverkeeper. 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. Agricultural runoff in the Shenandoah Valley are causing the algae outbreaks. (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. He said theres always room for improvement in the states nutrient management program, but Virginia has seen an overall improvement in bacterial contamination in the Shenandoah River basin. 3070 M St, NW Contact Evan Childress, Shenandoah NP Supervisory Fish Biologist, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network. He said that the agency is trying to sample fewer sites, but targeted in areas where people actually get wet during recreation. Spanning over 200,000 acres of land, the park is known for its beautiful views, natural landscape, and diverse wildlife. 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. 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. Despite its popularity, the river is often unsafe for swimming. If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. That has not occurred according to the most recent data collected by the Commonwealth. 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. PRKNs EIN # is 54-1982624. They notify government oversight agencies, contact the polluter, and if needed, take legal action if other actions do not result in improvements. Every year they host RiverPalooza, a series of paddling events. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 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. 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