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. Sampling locations often change from year to year. Over 20 years ago, DuPont and its consultants convinced government regulators that the mercury contamination would disappear on its own. 2023 Environmental Integrity Project. The Environmental Integrity Project analyzed hundreds of state records for the report released Wednesday. Virginia is required by the Act to consider all information about stream impairments when updating its list. 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. According to a new study , much of the Shenandoah River is polluted with unsafe levels of E. coli. The Riverkeeper programs also work on some policy and legislative issues related to our work protecting access to the rivers. In the event that discussions break down, or improvements stall, the program will use local regulations where they exist that may compel farmers to make changes. 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. The study found that almost 70 percent of the river and stream miles in the Shenandoah Valley that have been assessed by the state (1,014 of 1,461 miles) had so much fecal bacteria in them that they were considered to be impaired for recreational uses in 2020 (using terms used in the federal Clean Water Act for waterways so polluted they require cleanup plan.). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. 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. 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. 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. Our Mission Our mission is to protect the public's right to clean water in the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and their tributaries. The state issues public advisories warning beachgoers to stay out of the ocean when bacteria levels do not meet the recreational standard. 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. Please use language that is accurate and respectful. DuPont's textile operations discharged tens of thousands of pounds of mercury into the South River from 1929 to 1950. 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. You can read through the full report and see what the Environmental Integrity Project recommends to solve these problems, Report: Shenandoah River polluted with unsafe levels of E. coli, Dog found dead under suspicious circumstances, SCSO says, ACSO looking for suspicious man in the Weyers Cave area, Pilot identified in fatal plane crash near Hillsville, Impacts the end of the COVID public health emergency will have, FDA advisers give green light for RSV vaccine approval; why this is important for older adults, Eastern Mennonite boys basketball defeats Walsingham 69-56, advances to VISAA DIII semifinals, Charlie Obaugh RV & Outdoor Student Athlete of the Week, Water Pollution from Livestock in the Shenandoah Valley.pdf. Its a matter of basic fairness.. Determine the natural range of variability in water chemistry (including bacterial composition). 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. 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 So far this time, cyanotoxins have been below or just above the detection level in water samples tested not high enough to trigger advisories, health officials say. The Shenandoah Valley is a place of incomparable beauty and cultural value, but its continued health is at risk, says the report, which suggests the states manure management system isnt adequately protecting human health or water quality and is undermining Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts. The . In the Shenandoah River basin, drought conditions this summer set the stage for a bloom that began to grow in July. Shenandoah 571.969.0746 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. Some fish in the two rivers currently have mercury levels more than eight times the level at which the state issues health advisories. 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. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. Other states, including Maryland and Pennsylvania, still use this freshwater beach action value.. 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. A corrected version of the story is below: Report: Cows, chickens taint Shenandoah River with E. coli, The bucolic Shenandoah River is sending some not-so-lovely material downstream, according to a new report that finds Virginia is failing to adequately manage waste from millions of chickens and cows. 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. "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 . 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. No more than two meals pound each or the size of your hand of fish per month should be eaten from the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. 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. Ninety-two percent of every dollardonated goes directly to efforts to reduce illegal pollution. , much of the Shenandoah River is polluted with unsafe levels of E. coli. "The Shenandoah is one of the most beautiful rivers in the countryand a popular recreation destination. The warning signs could include a website or hotline that people could use to get the most recent bacteria monitoring information. For most of this country's history, wetlands were seen as an impediment to development. Mercury pollution is known to cause severe physiological, behavioral, and reproductive disorders and is particularly harmful to developing fetuses. 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 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. 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