Virginia’s waterways among most polluted in U.S., study finds
Thursday, Mar. 22, 2012 by Trevor Baratko
Virginia was listed as the second-worst state for toxic chemicals dumped into its waterways, according to research released today by Environment Virginia, a statewide environmental advocacy group.
More than 18 million pounds of toxic chemicals – including arsenic, mercury and benzene – have been released annually into Virginia’s waterways in recent years, states the study “Wasting our Waterways: Industrial Toxic Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act.”
“Virginia’s waterways are a polluter’s paradise right now,” said Laura Anderson, field organizer with Environment Virginia.
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/virginias_waterways_among_most_polluted_in_u.s._study_finds423/
Virginia waterways ranks second-dirtiest in country
By Julian Walker
The Virginian-Pilot
Virginia has the second-dirtiest waterways among the 50 states.
That's according to a recent study by the Environment America advocacy group tallying the amount of pollutants discharged into bodies of water across the nation.
Based on numbers reported to federal authorities, only Indiana had more toxic chemicals released into its waterways by industry than Virginia's 18 million-plus pounds in 2007.
That is the most recent year for which discharge figures are publicly available from the Environmental Protection Agency, which collects the data.
The report also awards this dubious distinction to the Old Dominion: It is home to a portion of the nation's second-most-polluted waterway, the roughly 320-mile New River, which snakes through southwest Virginia and two other states. The most polluted waterway, it says, is the Ohio River.
Across the nation in 2007, 232 million pounds of toxic chemicals were dumped into 1,900 waterways, the report finds.
"Nearly half of the rivers and lakes in the U.S. are considered too polluted for safe fishing or swimming," said Sarah Driscoll, an official with the Virginia chapter of Environment America.
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/virginia-waterways-ranks-seconddirtiest-country
Thursday, Mar. 22, 2012 by Trevor Baratko
Virginia was listed as the second-worst state for toxic chemicals dumped into its waterways, according to research released today by Environment Virginia, a statewide environmental advocacy group.
More than 18 million pounds of toxic chemicals – including arsenic, mercury and benzene – have been released annually into Virginia’s waterways in recent years, states the study “Wasting our Waterways: Industrial Toxic Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act.”
“Virginia’s waterways are a polluter’s paradise right now,” said Laura Anderson, field organizer with Environment Virginia.
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/virginias_waterways_among_most_polluted_in_u.s._study_finds423/
Virginia waterways ranks second-dirtiest in country
By Julian Walker
The Virginian-Pilot
Virginia has the second-dirtiest waterways among the 50 states.
That's according to a recent study by the Environment America advocacy group tallying the amount of pollutants discharged into bodies of water across the nation.
Based on numbers reported to federal authorities, only Indiana had more toxic chemicals released into its waterways by industry than Virginia's 18 million-plus pounds in 2007.
That is the most recent year for which discharge figures are publicly available from the Environmental Protection Agency, which collects the data.
The report also awards this dubious distinction to the Old Dominion: It is home to a portion of the nation's second-most-polluted waterway, the roughly 320-mile New River, which snakes through southwest Virginia and two other states. The most polluted waterway, it says, is the Ohio River.
Across the nation in 2007, 232 million pounds of toxic chemicals were dumped into 1,900 waterways, the report finds.
"Nearly half of the rivers and lakes in the U.S. are considered too polluted for safe fishing or swimming," said Sarah Driscoll, an official with the Virginia chapter of Environment America.
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/virginia-waterways-ranks-seconddirtiest-country
