Most of that is spread on surrounding farmland, the report found. 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. Lives are lost every year from this pollution, and our economy is forced to bear the burden of . 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. Water quality standards have changed in the Commonwealth, and the changes make it harder for waterways to be designated as impaired in the future meaning fewer could be aided by cleanup plans. EIP Study Demands Stronger Regulation of Livestock Pollution and Health Advisories for Waterways Contaminated with Bacteria. Network Headquarters 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. Cleaning up our local streams and creeks isn't just good for public health. 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. follow these guidelines. Virginia should significantly expand its water quality monitoring program statewide, especially in freshwater areas, so that the nearly 80 percent of waterway miles that lack enough data can be evaluated for impairment decisions and cleanup plans. Determine the natural range of variability in water chemistry (including bacterial composition). Its website can be found at www.sierraclub.org. The . "In the Shenandoah River basin, animal manure is the major source of E. coli bacteria either from cattle wandering directly into rivers and streams or manure being spread onto crops and pastures as fertilizer, which runs off into waterways, according to a 2017 Environmental Integrity Project report, 'Water Pollution from Livestock in the . 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. The Commonwealth should also issue rules to require all farmers to fence their cattle out of streams and rivers. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat fish from these waters. Once your report is submitted it will be sent to your local Waterkeeper and to a live map available on the Water Reporter Website. Mercury is a neurotoxin and it is not to be trifled with. But 47 percent of the waterways impaired by bacteria in the Shenandoah Valley lack either cleanup or implementation plans. 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. Potomac 336.809.6041. Unfortunately, much of it is making its way into our rivers, causing serious threats to wildlife and public health, a new study found. Please use language that is accurate and respectful. According to a new study , much of the Shenandoah River is polluted with unsafe levels of E. coli. The warning signs could include a website or hotline that people could use to get the most recent bacteria monitoring information. 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. It's just dangerous," said Herschel Finch, a fisherman in Front Royal. 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. 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. 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. 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. Algal blooms occur throughout the Chesapeake Bay system. 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. Washington, DC 20005, Phone: (202) 296-8800 Some of problems are old and ongoing, but others are new. Potomac Riverkeeper Network is the home for three Riverkeepers: Potomac, Shenandoah and Upper Potomac. Our Mission Our mission is to protect the public's right to clean water in the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and their tributaries. 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. 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. Its almost a five-hour drive for people living in the Shenandoah Valley to drive to a Virginia beach and they should not be treated like second-class citizens due to their lack of proximity to a saltwater beach, said Frondorf. We hope this lawsuit will change that," said Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. 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. The . 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. Virginia did not follow that recommendation, and instead eliminated its state freshwater beach action value.. If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. Virginia eliminated its state freshwater beach action value in October 2019 and changed its impairment value. 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. Shenandoah Riverkeeper is working with the Allegheny Blue-Ridge Alliance and others to fight the construction of this pipeline. We aim to provide a forum for fair and open dialogue. 2023 Environmental Integrity Project. 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. Financial statements can be provided upon request. Ninety-two percent of every dollardonated goes directly to efforts to reduce illegal pollution. 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. Site Designed by DC Web Designers, a Washington DC web design company, Advocates Guide For Challenging LNG Projects. Document the status of and long-term trends in water flow. Those behind the report, however, have focused their criticism on the state. The Southern Environmental Law Center will be assisting in the case. 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 Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. 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. 2023 Environmental Integrity Project. 2023 Waterkeepers Chesapeake. , much of the Shenandoah River is polluted with unsafe levels of E. coli. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 550,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco. 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.) Collecting and Managing Surplus Manure: Who Should Pay? 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. 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. Last year unsafe levels of E.coli bacteria caused the cancellation of the Nations Triathlon swim portion. Shenandoah features waterfalls, quiet woods, wildflower fields, rocky hiking trails, and so much more. Cement manufacturers are dumping their pollution into Virginian communities with impunity. Find out how. 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. Source: Data Store Saved Search 686 (results presented are a subset). Xranks ! "Instead of solving the problem, the DuPont funded team is just generating lots of reports, not one of which is aimed toward a cleanup.". Ninety-two percent of every dollardonated goes directly to efforts to reduce illegal pollution. 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. No fish other than trout should be eaten from the South River. The state should take action to implement the cleanup plans it creates, so that TMDLs are more meaningful. The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) report is based on an examination of state records and water quality monitoring data, and includes the following findings: EIPs report also examines how the regulatory landscape is shifting in Virginia. ADVERTISEMENT 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. 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