Omission from the list means delay in addressing a serious and growing problem. Mark Frondorf, the Shenandoah Riverkeeper, said: The river and its users cannot afford the sleight-of-hand technique employed by authorities on water quality standards. 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. 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. 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. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. What's plaguing the Potomac River? It's just dangerous," said Herschel Finch, a fisherman in Front Royal. Furthermore, the states manure control system allows manure containing far more phosphorous to be applied than the crops need, according to the report. Shenandoah National Park is located in Virginia's Blueridge Mountains. To many environmental groups, the root of the algae issue in the Shenandoah is clear: nutrient pollution, especially from agriculture. 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. Shenandoah RIVERKEEPERMark Frondorf joined Potomac RIVERKEEPERNetwork in 2015. Potomac 336.809.6041. The main route of human exposure is through eating contaminated fish. For years, Shenandoah Riverkeeper has been pressing Virginias Department of Environmental Quality to designate the river as impaired because of the algae blooms. Photo credit: Alan Lehman, Program Manager, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. Experts say that they usually are a symptom of an ecosystem out of balance. (1/7) Dear Potomac Conservancy community: After much consideration, our organization has made the decision to paus, We're a proud sponsor of the 5th Taking Nature Black Conference hosted by @, Citing public health threats, local groups sue over Shenandoah River pollution, E.coli bacteria caused the cancellation of the Nations Triathlon swim portion, History we should know: How the Potomac shaped our community. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. The warning signs could include a website or hotline that people could use to get the most recent bacteria monitoring information. 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. Since 2010, Shenandoah Riverkeeper has collected hundreds of complaints from river users and submitted most of them to the Virginia government in hopes it would recognize the problem and take direct corrective action. The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, which has some 35,000 farmer members, pushed back against the report, calling it an opinion piece that aims to paint agriculture in a bad light. Learn More Our Rivers Today's announcement marks that notice. 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. They stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. For more than 20 years, DuPont leaked mercury from the textile plant into the South River, eventually ending up in the Shenandoah River. Shenandoah Riverkeeper tracks, comments on and challenges Clean Water Act permits for stormwater from construction sites, industrial sites, and municipal stormwater systems. The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. 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. As a last resort, we will take a polluter to court to stop the pollution. He said that the agency is trying to sample fewer sites, but targeted in areas where people actually get wet during recreation. The Southern Environmental Law Center will be assisting in the case. 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. many people love the Shenandoah River, "Despite its popularity, the river is often unsafe for swimming. 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. 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 . The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and James River Association, represented by in . 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. Here are a few of the most common and most effective changes we ask farmers to make: The program begins by initiating dialogue with the farmers to build trust and understanding about the way their farming practices may be damaging our water supply. Mercury pollution is known to cause severe physiological, behavioral, and reproductive disorders and is particularly harmful to developing fetuses. 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 . For most of this country's history, wetlands were seen as an impediment to development. This is an opinion piece that tries to paint agriculture in a bad light, said Stoneman, who has been the federations point person on water quality and environmental issues for 22 years. Almost of half of the impaired waters in the Shenandoah Valley lack either the cleanup plans or implementation plans required by federal and state law. Having a healthy lawn fit for summer picnics and protecting clean water aren't mutually exclusive. In the Shenandoah River basin, drought conditions this summer set the stage for a bloom that began to grow in July. All Rights Reserved. Virginia did not follow that recommendation, and instead eliminated its state freshwater beach action value.. Thanks for signing up. Snows certainly not been a stanger this winter! 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. But she said the state General Assembly rejected those requests for additional funding and an expanded freshwater testing program. 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. Local groups challenge EPAs approval of Virginias decision to not list the Shenandoah as impaired, despite excessive algae blooms and nutrient pollution. 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 The health department didnt respond to requests for comment about the states policies. Inevitably, humans shaped the river back. Many farmers will use animal waste as a fertilizer for crops. 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. Some of problems are old and ongoing, but others are new. Please use language that is accurate and respectful. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat fish from these waters. If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. Trees do so much for our climate and clean water, but what do they do for our health? 2023 Environmental Integrity Project. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. 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. The North Fork is no stranger to algae. 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. The river is a popular recreation spot, and the excessive pollution levels pose a threat to local residents, wildlife, and underwater vegetation. If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. They also harm native grasses and affect aquatic life. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. That has not occurred according to the most recent data collected by the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth also eliminated the states swimming advisory standard for freshwater recreation areas in October 2019 and changed its standard for impaired waters. 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. E. coli pollution is also an issue for the Potomac River. 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. 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. * Misrepresentation of your identity or affiliation 3070 M St, NW Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the federal statute under which the two groups are planning to bring suit, a notice of intent must be served 90 days in advance of filing a lawsuit. Shenandoah Riverkeeper Mark Frondorf, after a float patrol, stops at the boat launch ramp under Harry Byrd Highway (Va. 7) east of Berryville Thursday. 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. Sampling locations often change from year to year. The report focuses on four counties in the bucolic Shenandoah Valley watershed that are also home to a large-scale farming industry. Because of the sensitivity of the streams to acidification, long-term monitoring of stream water chemistry and hydrogeochemical processes is a major component of the Inventory and Monitoring Program. 5 *completely legal* ways to pollute the Potomac, 6 local wetlands to quench your wanderlust. member of Waterkeepers Alliance 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. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) In a story April 26 about a report on pollution in the Shenandoah River, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has 3,500 farmer members. After a review, in most cases, they contact the worst polluters to tell them to stop polluting our water supply and to clean up existing pollution. 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. 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. 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. 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 Potomac River has been shaping its physical surroundings for over 3 million years when it was first formedand for thousands of years, it has played a critical role in the lives of the communities that settled along its banks. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. In a story April 26 about a report on pollution in the Shenandoah River, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has 3,500 farmer members. Algae bloom on the Shenandoah River. 72 Percent of Sampling Locations in Valley Had E Coli Bacteria Above EPA Safe Swimming Recommendations in 2020. Experts say that they usually are a symptom of an ecosystem out of balance. The department continues to conduct water column tests to determine if the bacteria cells are present in higher concentrations. The lawsuit says EPA did not fulfill its duty under the Clean Water Act when it approved Virginias decision not to identify the Shenandoah Rivers algae impairment on the states list of quality-impaired rivers and streams. Monitoring Program 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. 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. 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. Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 The North Fork of the Shenandoah River is approximately 95 miles long, while the South Fork runs about 150 miles. Document the status of and long-term trends in water flow. 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. 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. 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. Back in 2018, Smigo said her agency asked the Virginia General Assembly for about $200,000 in additional state funding to start a freshwater swimming area safety program, including by conducting more sampling and raising bacteria warning signs for swimmers on waterways that are impaired for bacteria. 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.. Schaeffer was formerly the director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys office of civil enforcement. DuPont stopped leaking mercury in 1950. & Waterkeepers Chesapeake. 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. Collecting and Managing Surplus Manure: Who Should Pay? And so Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper, has launched the Respect the Shenandoah Campaign. Staff and legal interns also provide legal research on pollution permit compliance. 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