PRKNs EIN # is 54-1982624. 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. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Its website can be found at www.sierraclub.org. 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. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. All rights reserved. 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. Have you heard about how tree-mendous urban trees are? Mark also served onthe Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Fly Fishers. 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. 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. To many environmental groups, the root of the algae issue in the Shenandoah is clear: nutrient pollution, especially from agriculture. What's plaguing the Potomac River? 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. For many folks, the Shenandoah River is their only option to swim in the summer months.. 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. 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. Unfortunately, much of it is making its way into our rivers, causing serious threats to wildlife and public health, a new study found. Paddling on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in the George Washington National Forest. Virginia needs to start notifying the public that the Shenandoah Valleys waterways are unsafe for swimming and tubing or, better yet, the state should solve this manure overload problem, said Eric Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project and former Director of Civil Enforcement at EPA. And so Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper, has launched the Respect the Shenandoah Campaign. Jeremy Cox is a Bay Journal staff writer based in Maryland. 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. 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. As a last resort, we will take a polluter to court to stop the pollution. Source: Data Store Saved Search 686 (results presented are a subset). Determine the natural range of variability in water chemistry (including bacterial composition). Additional bacteria sampling data is available from Friends of the Shenandoah River. 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. Please use language that is accurate and respectful. & Waterkeepers Chesapeake. All Rights Reserved. The Environmental Integrity Project is a 19-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas, dedicated to enforcing environmental laws and strengthening policy to protect public health and the environment. Proposed standards are due before the end of 2023. All across our region animals once in decline are making a comeback. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. The proposed construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline would impact the headwaters of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Austin, TX 78701. 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 EIP Study Demands Stronger Regulation of Livestock Pollution and Health Advisories for Waterways Contaminated with Bacteria. 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. Pcfawc.com Pcfawc.com ? Photo credit: Alan Lehman, Program Manager, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. Ever wonder where all that salt on the roads goes? The. 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. 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.. All Rights Reserved. Document the status of and trends in water quality as influenced by point source and non-point source pollution (including atmospheric deposition). Our Mission Our mission is to protect the public's right to clean water in the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and their tributaries. Current Shenandoah Riverkeeper actions. Environmental Integrity Project's Twitter. We reserve the right to edit or decline comments that do The cleanup deadlines for four of the implementation plans in the Valley have passed, but the waterways in three of these four remain impaired by fecal bacteria. 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. Potomac 336.809.6041. They stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. The legal steps being taken today are required because the political will to do anything about the algae problems we see on the Shenandoah River seems to be lacking both in Richmond and by our federal regulatory agencies, said Stephan J. Kimm, president of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club. 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. Listing would have triggered specific government plans to combat algae pollution on the Shenandoah. 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. Document the status of and long-term trends in water flow. Experts say that they usually are a symptom of an ecosystem out of balance. The agreement comes in response to a lawsuit filed by community and conservation organizations late last year. Virginia is required by the Act to consider all information about stream impairments when updating its list. Document changes in stream channel characteristics at sampling sites. 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. That means the health of the people in the Shenandoah Valley is at risk, and a Virginia treasure -- part of our children's heritage -- is being diminished," said Michael Town, director of the Sierra Club's Virginia Chapter. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat fish from these waters. 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. In the absence of a mechanism for conducting frequent seasonal bacteria monitoring at freshwater beaches, VDH lacks the data necessary to make advisory decisions for these waters, Smigo wrote in an email. 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. 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. 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. 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. Over 20 years ago, DuPont and its consultants convinced government regulators that the mercury contamination would disappear on its own. Amounts listed may Shenandoah RIVERKEEPERMark Frondorf joined Potomac RIVERKEEPERNetwork in 2015. 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. 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. Partly in response to that report and its own follow up study, Virginia boosted its reimbursement rates for farmers who install fencing, leading to increased sign-ups for the fencing reimbursement program last year. 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. Contact Evan Childress, Shenandoah NP Supervisory Fish Biologist, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network. 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. 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.. 72 Percent of Sampling Locations in Valley Had E Coli Bacteria Above EPA Safe Swimming Recommendations in 2020. 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. 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. Source: Data Store Saved Search 699 (results presented are a subset). That type of blue-green algae can release toxins that, when touched or swallowed, can lead to rashes and gastrointestinal illness. 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.. 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. 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. * Insults, verbal attacks or degrading statements Mark joined Potomac Riverkeeper Network in 2015 as the official Shenandoah Riverkeeper. Financial statements can be provided upon request. The . 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. Collecting and Managing Surplus Manure: Who Should Pay? 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. Front Royal, VA Today, four local citizen groups filed a lawsuit filed a lawsuitagainst the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the agencys repeated failure to address the Shenandoah Rivers increasing problem with algae blooms and pollution. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. ADVERTISEMENT 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. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and James River Association, represented by in . Shenandoah Riverkeeper tracks, comments on and challenges Clean Water Act permits for stormwater from construction sites, industrial sites, and municipal stormwater systems. 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. The organization says it has approximately 35,000 farmer members. Today's announcement marks that notice. 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. But in the past 15 years or so, he began to see fish die-offs and excessive algae growth. The Shenandoah is one of the most beautiful rivers in the countryand a popular recreation destination. The department continues to conduct water column tests to determine if the bacteria cells are present in higher concentrations. 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. South Fork Shenandoah River [ edit] Proposed standards are due before the end of 2023. 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! But unlike in DC where sewage overflows are to blame, its agricultural runoff thats harming the Shenandoah. "The Shenandoah is one of the most beautiful rivers in the countryand a popular recreation destination. 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. Rising salt levels in the Potomac River threaten wildlife, drinking water. They offer links to cost share programs and other support for farmers who are willing to implement best management practices. 2023 Environmental Integrity Project. POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE Shenandoah 571.969.0746 Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 Potomac 336.809. . 5 *completely legal* ways to pollute the Potomac, 6 local wetlands to quench your wanderlust. 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. 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. Algal blooms occur throughout the Chesapeake Bay system. 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 . 7 local animals making a comeback thanks to clean water, 7 tree-mendous facts: How trees support the Potomac River, us, and each other, Study finds the Potomac is getting saltier, threatening drinking water and wildlife. visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. 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. (Alan Lehman/Shenandoah Riverkeeper). It has never issued public health advisories or posted signs in freshwater areas like the Shenandoah River, even though rafting and swimming are common in the scenic waterway. I make sure not to get it in my eyes, God forbid I drink any of it. 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. Hayden said no one at the agency had reviewed the report yet, so he couldnt comment on the specifics. Bill Hayden, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Quality, said the state health department is responsible for deciding when and where to notify the public about water quality. The Shenandoah River not only provides rich soils for farming, but also supports a wide variety of species, including white-tailed deer, black bears, bobcats, coyotes, eastern brook trout, red-tailed hawks, and the endangered Shenandoah salamander. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Waste-water treatment, residential runoff and wildlife also impact water quality, he said. The Environmental Integrity Project analyzed hundreds of state records for the report released Wednesday. The evidence of pollution observed during monitoring includes polluted runoff from construction sites and farm land, fish kills and fish with lesions, algae blooms, illicit discharges from pipes and many other signs of compromised water quality. Shenandoah features waterfalls, quiet woods, wildflower fields, rocky hiking trails, and so much more. Shenandoah Riverkeeper works to protect the public's right to clean water in our rivers and streams. 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. 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. 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.. Rappahannock River Basin, Roanoke and Yadkin River Basin, Shenandoah River Basin, . South Fork Shenandoah River Project Title South River Mercury TMDL Number 2482-9RO95 Cooperating Agencies Virginia Department of Environmental Quality US EPA - Region III Project Chief Jack Eggleston jegglest@usgs.gov 804-261-2652 Cooperator Robert Brent mbrent@deq.virginia.gov 540-574-7848 Period of Project Jan. 2005 - Oct. 2008 We wish to see our river returned to the condition it once was, a fishable, swimmable waterway, and enjoyable experience, unencumbered by the thick, extensive mats of algae we see today.. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy Protocols describe how we monitor. 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.. Due to the protection of the surrounding forests, the water in these streams is generally of high quality and low in sediment load. Xranks ! The state should take action to implement the cleanup plans it creates, so that TMDLs are more meaningful. 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 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. Virginias monitoring of water quality is inadequate. 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. 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. Margaret Smigo, Waterborne Hazards Program Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), said that her agency does not have funding or staff to conduct adequate testing in freshwater swimming areas of the state, like campgrounds along the Shenandoah River. 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. Check out these 7 benefits trees have for cities in the Potomac River region! 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. The North Fork is no stranger to algae. The Water Reporter app is not only for the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Those behind the report, however, have focused their criticism on the state. . 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. 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. Comments may not include: 2023, Potomac Conservancy, Silver Spring, MD. He founded the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project, which advocates for effective enforcement of environmental laws. 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