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Virginia waters impaired by pollution growing, says draft state environmental report Date published: 8/24/2010
By RUSTY DENNEN Virginia's rivers, lakes and streams, including many in the Fredericksburg area, are facing a growing threat from pollution. That's according to the latest "impaired waters" report by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The draft report, updated every two years, contains a six-year water quality assessment and a statewide list of impaired waters. Key findings: Impaired areas in rivers and streams increased from 10,543 miles in 2008 to 12,103 miles this year. Impairments in the state's largest public-use lakes, such as Lake Anna, grew from 94,044 acres in 2008 to 96,510 acres in 2010. One bright spot: Impaired areas in estuaries, including the Chesapeake Bay, dropped from 2,182 square miles to 2,157 square miles during the period. Sufficient information was not available on about 34,500 miles of streams and rivers, and 3,700 acres of lakes and reservoirs. "We continue to find watersheds where pollution is a problem," DEQ Director David K. Paylor said yesterday. "But we also are seeing more areas where water quality has improved. This is good news that we expect to continue as our cleanup efforts progress throughout the state." The report notes that more than 430 waters have been removed from the impaired waters list because they now meet water quality standards. In a statement yesterday, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said the report demonstrates that state waters and the bay are "still under siege" and that cleanup efforts must stay on track. The data, "should alarm all who value clean water, public health and a vibrant economy," CBF Senior Scientist Mike Gerel said. "Virginia simply must take more aggressive steps to reduce pollution, especially pollution running off farms, streets and parking lots." The state is creating "pollution diets" to clean up the waterways, establishing total maximum daily loads--TMDLs--of allowable pollutants. The impaired waters list is based on six designated uses: whether they can support aquatic life, fish consumption, public water supplies, shellfish consumption, swimming and wildlife. Dozens of waterways, covering hundreds of miles in the Fredericksburg area, are impaired. Those are along tributaries of the Potomac River, the Rappahannock River and portions of the York River basin, which includes Lake Anna.
Date published: 8/24/2010
Corporations are the commonwealths lifeblood, we give them all these concessions so they will locate jobs to Virginia.
Quit your bellyaching citizens..get back to work.. Keep Buying Deer Park water from Pennsylvania.. you can't drink the water here..
Here is my public comment.
CLEAN UP THE COMMONWEALTHS WATERS ASAP!!!
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