Shenandoah Riverkeeper supports chlorophyll A standards for Virginia’s waterways to combat nutrient pollution and urges Department of Environmental Quality to adopt additional standards for toxic cyanobacteria algae. COMMENT LETTER Potomac Riverkeeper Network Comments on Notice of Intended Regulatory Action (NOIRA) for Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards, 9 VAC25-260 (PDF)
On December 8, 2017 the Maryland Department of Environment’s (MDE) published its proposed Water Quality Trading Program regulations which would establish rules for creating a nutrient pollution credit trading market. The weak draft rules fail to protect local water quality and, if not dramatically improved, would prevent Maryland from meeting its Chesapeake Bay cleanup targets … Read More
Millions of livestock animals are raised in the Shenandoah Valley, a region that by most standards is the breadbasket of Virginia. Agriculture has intensified over the past 40 years, as landowners work to produce more with their limited acreage and to out-strip the drop in commodity prices. The result? The confinement of animals in what … Read More
As part of Potomac Riverkeeper’s settlement with NRG Energy and the state of Maryland on NRG’s pollution of the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers with excess nutrients, NRG was required to fund a $0.5 million environmental project in the Potomac that would help reduce nutrient pollution. The result? A five year plan developed by the Potomac … Read More
Local groups challenge EPA’s approval of Virginia’s decision to not list the Shenandoah as ‘impaired,’ despite excessive algae blooms and nutrient pollution Front Royal, VA — Today, four local citizen groups filed a lawsuit filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the agency’s repeated failure to address the Shenandoah River’s increasing problem with … Read More
The Shenandoah Riverkeeper scored a major victory in protecting the Shenandoah watershed by compelling the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to dramatically improve the Massanutten Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) permit and halt nutrient trading at the facility. The previous permit allowed the STP to exceed its permit limits for nutrients and purchase credits to … Read More
On April 26, 2017, Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) came out with a report focusing on the livestock pollution issues in the Shenandoah. The Washington Post covered the report’s release, and perhaps out of an abundance of caution, focused a bit too heavily on the bacterial concerns. The report is extremely important, however, and is accurate … Read More
In 2013, Potomac Riverkeeper, Patuxent Riverkeeper and Food & Water Watch filed a notice of intent to sue to NRG. NRG operates coal powered generating stations at Chalk Point on the Patuxent River and at Dickerson on the Potomac River. One of our main concerns was that NRG tried to persuade the state to let … Read More
Now that the summer has officially arrived, everyone wants to know how the fishing is doing on the Shenandoah River. Unfortunately, for this season, I am afraid it will be a bit of a slog, but there are a couple of encouraging signs that bode well for the fishery in future seasons. In 2014, a … Read More
In light of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to withdraw its appeal of the West Virginia district court decision in the case of Alt v. EPA, Environmental Intervenors, Potomac Riverkeeper, Inc., Food & Water Watch, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, Waterkeeper Alliance, and Center for Food Safety, have today asked the court to dismiss … Read More
