Visit Eye on Ohio for more from the Ohio Center for Investigative Journalism. More intense rainfall followed by long, drought-like stretches are just what algae need to thrive. “If we just sit in our ivory towers and write journal articles and discuss whether the world is moving in the direction we think it should, we aren’t fixing the problem.”. A corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution. But even if that cycle can be broken, even if paint pigments and rare earth elements turn a profit and remediation projects are funded in perpetuity, that doesn’t fix the Ohio River drainage basin. The Clean Water Act helped solve many of Ohio's traditional pollution problems. 0 “You can’t tell me that’s not because of the water.”. 2019 Pollution Control Standards (PCS) for the Ohio River Review. BarbiAnn Maynard stands on the porch of her home in Huntleyville, Kentucky, (population 188) and points across the two-lane road, where three houses perch on a tree-speckled mountainside. It was so laden with acidity that snow plows had to be called in to scrape the resulting iron off the asphalt, and fish kills became a regular occurrence where Hewett Fork flows into Raccoon Creek. Archaic, but effective. But the money for that program is collected from a fee on coal companies that is set to expire in 2021. The Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission [ORSANO] is an interstate commission in the watershed that sets pollution control standards for states permitting industrial and municipal wastewater discharges into the Ohio River. In 2013, 24,180,821 pounds of pollution discharges from industry were recorded—this is more than double of what pours into the Mississippi River. Pollution Control Board. The waterways were so acidic that the steel-hulled boats meant to last 20 years rusted out in three and the pH routinely measured less than 4. It threatens aquatic life, endangers people taking part in river recreation and — perhaps most critically — creates water unfit for human consumption. The same can’t always be said for the greater Ohio River watershed. “I figured I could lay down and die or I could fight,” Maynard said. These tanks, shown here in June 2019, will hold the plastic pellets produced by Shell’s ethane cracker. the Ohio River will be required to be modified or treated to the extent specified in the standards established as above set forth. Representatives from the Martin County Water District did not return a phone call seeking comment but have said in the past that they are changing the chlorination process to avoid contamination issues and are looking for funds to fix broken water lines. Experts estimate nearly 70% of drinking water is lost while contaminants in the soil and groundwater are allowed to leach into the system. Since 1977, the federal Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program has doled out money to states in order to soothe the scars of coal mining. The upshot of the doser is a rehabilitated waterway. There are simple ways to help curb the problem. These elements, which until now have largely been imported from China, are used in dozens of technological products, including cell phones, computers and televisions. The black custard coated and killed everything in its path as it slithered for hundreds of miles and shifted into adjoining waterways, including the Tug Fork, Big Sandy and Ohio. The EPA recommended the standard first in 1986, based in part on studies of a sewage-contaminated Ohio River beach near Cincinnati where swimmers … Fifty years ago, the water was so dirty the kids would have to flick oil off their lines before recasting them in the water. The Ohio River is consistently ranked as the most polluted in the country, with an estimated 30-million pounds of toxic chemicals illegally dumped into its waters each year. The river is extremely diverse and very clean for a body of water with its diversity and size, a fact that belies its appearance most days. “That one – dementia. Throughout 2019, several locations in Northeast Ohio, including the Cleveland airport, will display archival and contemporary photos of the river as part of the exhibit “Crooked River Contrasts.” Those nutrients eventually make their way to the Ohio River, where algae feed on them. Their findings showed that while the source of total dissolved solids was mine water, the salinity wasn’t actually the mine’s fault. Concerns about air quality, which has already begun declining nationally since 2016, are growing rapidly for those living in the shadow of Shell’s $6 billion The proposed 2019 Revision maintains ORSANCO's Pollution Control Standards for the Ohio River to protect the uses delineated in ORSANCO's Compact while providing needed flexibility for member states to utilize the Pollution Control Standards or their own rigorously developed and United States Environmental Protection Agency approved water quality criteria for Ohio River discharge permits. The standards are for … The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission reviews the pollution standards for the 981-mile-long river at least every three years. OHIO RIVER VALLEY WATER SANITATION COMMISSION. As of Sept. 5, the county had received two grants – one from an abandoned mine fund and another from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – to improve water supply infrastructure and service. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has filed suit against chemical company DuPont, alleging it released toxic perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or … Related Program: Cincinnati Edition. Good River: Stories of the Ohio is a series about the environment, economy, and culture of the Ohio River watershed, produced by seven nonprofit newsrooms. 1960s OHIO RIVER POLLUTION & CLEAN-UP ENVIRONMENTAL FILM "TROUBLED WATERS" 16774 ... 2019. Their goal is to swim the 450 meters to the Kentucky shore and back again. The Ohio River is a source of drinking water for more than 5 million people. Share Tweet Email. Watershed pollution in Appalachia, much of which has been caused by coal mining, is an ongoing environmental hazard that mimics the threat steel once posed to big cities on the Ohio. In Ohio, Bowman is on a mission to create a 50-foot buffer at the edge of area waterways – basically a barrier of untamed grasses, shrubs and trees that would prevent erosion and provide shade from sunlight. The Commission also noted mercury pollution as an ongoing concern, citing a 500% increase in mercury discharges between 2007 and 2013. The easing of fish consumption restrictions on the Cuyahoga was lauded Monday by Republican Gov. February 13, 2019. As recently as 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency named the Ohio River one of the country’s most polluted. Maynard drives 45 minutes to a spring at the Mingo-Logan county line in West Virginia to fill containers with fresh water to drink. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) has authorized its Pollution Control Standards (PCS) Committee to proceed with a public comment … To many, the Cuyahoga River fire on June 22, 1969 represents a turning point for environmental regulation. According to Shell, 1.6 million metric tons of plastic will be produced there annually. Days before the race was to commence, ORSANCO received reports of algae in the water, and the Kentucky Department for Public Health issued a harmful algae bloom advisory, effectively shutting down river recreation. It’s a slow process. The Ohio River is a 981-mile (1,579 km) ... ranked behind 16 other American rivers for water pollution at number 17. Over 90 percent of the pollutants are nitrate compounds, these too also being discharged by the AK steel group among others and also due to the use of high levels of pesticides around the river. But no amount of anger or advocacy can fix the underlying issue plaguing Martin County and others like it: inadequate funds. This process for remediating acid mine drainage in creeks isn’t a perfect one, said Jen Bowman, the director of environmental programs for Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, which worked with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources [ODNR] on the doser project. But long periods without rain cause river flow to slow, allowing sediment to drop out of the water and sunlight to come in, creating the perfect conditions for rapid algae growth. The money comes from the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation program. Before 2004, that water washed across a field and the road before dumping into Hewett Fork, turning it tangerine. © 2021 www.cincinnati.com. 2017 figures above 0 shown. “There’s a lot of greed and corruption,” Maynard maintained. Ohio River Pollution Points. The 2019 PCS Revision was approved after significant consideration and public outreach through three separate public comment periods, four public hearings, and six webinars over the past 18 months. By Michael Monks • Apr 5, 2019 . The Ohio River drainage basin is an interconnected web of small rivers and creeks covering 205,000 square miles of largely rural, Applachian landscape and is home to 25 million people, many of whom are among the country’s poorest. But the roots of the county’s water issues and the fixes are complicated. Like much of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia, Martin County has an aging infrastructure problem and little money to fix it. Some days, it’s cloudy and smells so strongly of chlorine that it burns the eyes. She’s become the face of the Martin County water crisis, both locally and in media outlets as far away as France and Japan. Nurdles are tiny plastic pellets similar in size to a lentil and produced at petrochemical plants. River recreation ceased and, as blooms made their way into drinking water intakes, several companies had to switch to alternate water sources. (Photo by Reid Frazier/The Allegheny Front) In an email, Shell says it has pledged to prevent accidental loss of plastic pellets from its manufacturing facility into the environment, using industry safety and production measures. Nov 14, 2019 'That's vinegar:' The Ohio River's history of contamination and progress made "It's a functioning ecosystem now" April Johnston. Get Your Custom Essay on Ohio River Pollution Just from $13,9/Page. The 2019 PCS Revision was approved after significant consideration and public outreach through three separate public comment periods, four public hearings, and six webinars over the past 18 months. Feb 14, 2019 3 PM 0. Mayflies hatched on their surfaces; many pollution-intolerant aquatic species returned; and lock chamber sampling – done without cyanide – could yield hundreds, even thousands, of fish. They no longer looked or smelled like open sewers. Pollution of waterways is often accredited to the industrialization period during. A 1967 photograph, showing old cars used as rip-rap along the banks of the Cuyahoga River to protect it from erosion, is held in front the foliage-filled landscape of the river in 2006. Top of the list is clearly the Ohio River, having won the dubious honor of America’s most polluted river seven years in a row, in terms of pollutant discharges.Millions of tons of chemicals are dumped into the river, from a wide range of businesses and industries but nearly three quarters of them come from a single source: AK Steel Corp. Read time: 10 mins. The standards are for … The Ohio River is infamous for pollution even after strict rules and regulations were passed by government agencies, the river is still being largely neglected when it comes to pollution. She has a vast and growing collection of water-related public documents, religiously attends municipal meetings and writes letters to the public service commission. With the abandoned mine land fund and its resulting projects in peril, university research institutes like Bowman’s have been joining environmental nonprofits in entrepreneurial efforts to ensure that remediation continues. The Ohio River is infamous for industrial pollution. Share Tweet Email. The slurry was an unprecedented disaster – 30 times larger than the Exxon Valdez oil spill more than a decade earlier. According to Martin County officials, it will take at least $10 million to address the water issues there. On Oct. 11, 2000, 300 million gallons of coal slurry broke through a reservoir in Martin County, Kentucky, flooding the abandoned mine shafts below and rushing out into the waters of Wolf Creek and Coldwater Fork. The other problem occurs when water leaves the plant and heads toward homes. As part of the review process, workshops and public hearings are held for public input. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) today authorized its Pollution Control Standards (PCS) Committee to proceed with a public comment period on the Committee's recommended changes to the Pollution Control Standards, and to invite public review and comment on the proposed modification ; the 2019 Revision. Conservation and environmental groups will now have a formal seat at the table when regulators meet to review water quality issues and standards for the Ohio River – a status … At the time, the best way to accomplish this was what’s called lock chamber sampling, or filling a 350-by-56-foot lock with river water, injecting it with cyanide and waiting for the dead fish to float to the top. Tim Reddinger has lived along the Ohio River his entire life, working for most of his career in the steel mills that once lined the riverfront. It was a major milestone in the river’s recovery—once one of … • Nonpoint source pollution from urban runoff, agricultural activities, and abandoned mines is a major cause of water pollution in the Ohio River. The water issues start at the treatment plant, where water pulled from the Tug Fork River is disinfected. The blooms are a result of rains that wash fertilizer off farmland and into nearby creeks. It’s not a good choice, said Paul Ziemkiewicz, director of the West Virginia Water Research Institute at West Virginia University. In West Virginia, Ziemkiewicz and his team at the West Virginia Water Research Institute are extracting rare earth elements from acid mine drainage. As a child, Reddinger would come to this very spot with friends to fish. — Area residents will have a chance next month to comment in person on a plan keeping in place pollution control standards for the Ohio River. “It’s a functioning ecosystem now,” Schulte said. ���YtfOlU=z��:�֔o�*M�8���o����6�袴�͞���M��"��-�86���{q�Q1P(i��i�|��A?�.a�j���-f��a�C�Cݬs9=�/���ܸ�����nF6���X�T����Tc���������R�mjjܖ�d�� ��xi���U@���WӂZ|��7���!x��[�z�sSKR�����y)��Y ���/B@��!���,EVw�y��"�X�ѴY��D�1����K�F+������Ɔ�`�h`�`2v���h``� R� � � R�����v44X�9@���T�ѐ����4 5ppd� SG��T ��������&�@����B�������X+�0D5�.fbg��j���Q���C7������m*;�(�ӫ7����Ζ�5��Ó�A�7U�� >[ߒ The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission reviews the pollution standards for the 981-mile-long river at least every three years. Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Ohio River Compact Considers Vote to Eliminate Its Pollution Standards. Photo: Kara Lofton . The result, Maynard claims, is that no one in Martin County trusts or drinks the water. The Ohio River from Covington Nick Swartsell A commission that sets pollution regulations for the Ohio River won't roll back its standards just yet. Construction of Shell’s $6 billion ethane cracker along the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, in June 2019. %PDF-1.5 %���� It comes as no surprise that there are chemicals in the Ohio River. October 16, 2019 Illinois . IL, IN, KY, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV, Federal Govt. %%EOF The hope is that these initiatives will eventually generate enough money to cover the remediation and abatement projects that have restored waterways. Around Athens, residents have become accustomed to neatly manicured riverfront property and aren’t keen to let it go uncut. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) today approved revisions to the Pollution Control Standards (PCS) for industrial and municipal wastewater discharges into the Ohio River. Read time: 10 mins. Because while coal is a dire problem, it is just one of many problems. The easing of fish consumption restrictions on the Cuyahoga was lauded Monday by Republican Gov. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Fish in the Cuyahoga River, which became synonymous with pollution when it caught fire in Cleveland in 1969, are now safe to eat, federal environmental regulators say. Photo: Kara Lofton, West Virginia Public Broadcasting . Share. endstream endobj startxref “It was like mud pie,” Maynard said, “only instead of mud and water, it was mud and oil.”. ORSANCO is accepting public comment on a plan to revise Ohio River pollution control standards. The Ohio Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) reported the river has 23 million pounds of toxic discharge. Pollution In Ohio River. According to Youngstrom, the increasing frequency of algae blooms is related to the extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change. Closer to Athens, Bowman and her team at Ohio University [OU] have created a steel slag leach bed system, which uses an alkaline byproduct of steel production to neutralize acidic water. That fall, salinity in the Monongahela River spiked, causing problems for public water supplies and eventually leading to a fish kill on Dunkard Creek. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission - also known as ORSANCO - sets pollution limits for the river that are sometimes more stringent than state ones. EVANSVILLE, Ind. That one over there – dementia. h�bbd``b`�k�S�`m����h �\bY�V8�D��*@��NH\Ud`b�2���h����� ��' Related Program: Cincinnati Edition. The calcium oxide neutralizes the acid in the water as it makes its way through a concrete channel and into Hewett Fork. Doing so prevents pollution from entering the water and creates a prime area for camping and water recreation. Watershed pollution in Appalachia, much of which has been caused by coal mining, is an ongoing environmental hazard that mimics the threat steel once posed to big cities on the Ohio. Pollution Water. Don't use plagiarized sources. They’re the raw material of the plastics industry, the building blocks of everything from car parts to keyboards to grocery store bags. In 2018, several members of the county’s water board quit after the state attorney general opened an investigation into mismanagement. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Fish in an Ohio river that became synonymous with pollution when it caught fire in 1969 are now safe to eat, federal environmental regulators say. Mike DeWine as an important step toward ultimately delisting the river altogether as an area of … The Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] works with authorized state regulatory agencies to implement the NPDES permitting program. The easing of fish consumption restrictions on the Cuyahoga River in northeast Ohio was lauded Monday by Republican Gov. But some researchers and activists warn that it could also bring a new type of pollution to the Ohio River Valley — nurdles. Government and industry argued over responsibility – “Pennsylvania blamed West Virginia, West Virginia blamed Pennsylvania; coal companies blamed oil and gas, oil and gas blamed coal companies,” Ziemkiewicz said. The river again ranked as the most polluted in 2013 and has been the most polluted river since at least 2001, according to the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). About the author. Who is ORSANCO. Tweet. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, which wrapped up … “A lot of it is just behavioral change,” Bowman said. Cleveland's Cuyahoga River, once one of the dirtiest in the U.S., has seen a resurgence of life—both on the surface and below. This academic paper is composed by Samuel. For residents in Martin County, turning on the tap is always a surprise. ORSANCO is accepting public comment on a plan to revise Ohio River pollution control standards. 4383 0 obj <>stream First sightings of nurdles. Maynard believes her late mother’s multiple bouts with cancer are a direct result. By Michael Monks • Apr 5, 2019 . Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. They developed a model that showed coal companies how many total dissolved solids could be safely released based on river flow. That summer, more than 700 square miles of toxic algae grew on the Ohio River in West Virginia and Ohio. A corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution. While the Ohio River Valley, long home to the coal and steel industries, is no stranger to air pollution, the region’s natural gas boom and burgeoning petrochemical industry threaten to erase the gains of recent decades. Nineteen years later, the water in Martin County still comes with warnings. Events like Riversweep are getting people involved in actually making positive change happen. “Maybe it gets us out of that vicious cycle of mining coal to fix the legacy of coal mining,” Bowman said. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , ORSANCO held its first hearing on the proposal Monday, April 1 in Green Tree. In 1958, researchers from the University of Louisville and the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission gathered at a lock on the Monongahela River for routine collecting, counting and comparing of fish species. It shouldn’t have been surprising, said Jerry Schulte, a biologist who managed the source water protection and emergency response team for the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission [ORSANCO] for more than two decades. But some researchers and activists warn that it could also bring a new type of pollution to the Ohio River Valley — nurdles. h�b```��,,��cb�P(m�� There are two types of permits: general and individual. That, by itself, wouldn’t be such a problem. Every few months, she drives across the state line to a Tennessee grocery store to pick up pallets of bottled water, which she then distributes to county residents. In 2014, a large toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie caused 400,000 people in Toledo to lose access to clean drinking water. To see more, please visit ohiowatershed.org. “That’s vinegar,” Schulte said. Remaining problems are more challenging and may be traced to two kinds of pollutants: polluted run off and physical alterations to a stream or river channel. She can be reached at aljohnston14@gmail.com. To keep pace with current issues, ORSANCO strives to review the standards at least every three years. It takes time for the calcium oxide to dissolve, so a section of Hewett Fork near the doser still runs rusty and lifeless before giving way to clean water.And the doser is expensive. He studies Biological Sciences at Ohio State University. Jason Flickner, Lower Ohio River Waterkeeper director said officials often expect the massive amount of water flowing through the Ohio River to dilute the pollution. rivers. In 1958, researchers from the University of Louisville and the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission gathered at a lock on the Monongahela River for routine collecting, counting and comparing of fish species. It cost ODNR nearly $400,000 to install, and the tower must be refilled with calcium oxide every six to eight weeks at a rate of about $40,000 per year, according to Bowman. After an 11-month investigation, the grand jury returned no charges. A mine near Lake Hope State Park, fewer than 20 miles west of Athens, was sealed off nearly 20 years ago. Even after much clean-up and stricter regulation, the Ohio River still ranks first of the most polluted waterways in the U.S. When water service resumed later that year, bills came stamped with a warning: If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your health care providers about drinking this water. But even in areas of the river basin where sensical solutions to water pollution have been developed and instituted, the results are still subject to imminent financial threat. Not only is this pollution bad for the species in the water, but it also shows an inaccurate representation of the Ohio River as a whole. Sharon Kelly | June 5, 2019 . endstream endobj 4357 0 obj <. 4372 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<28783B1861155545AA624F04A335FEBF><018C5D2628492A42A58D12D054C3CE33>]/Index[4356 28]/Info 4355 0 R/Length 79/Prev 519563/Root 4357 0 R/Size 4384/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream Still, most of the time, the majority of the river’s 981 miles are ripe for recreation and fit for drinking after proper treatment. It’s a lesson he tries to impress upon fellow researchers and scientists because he believes if true progress is to be made in the fight for clean water, it will require an abundance of data and a lack of political agenda, especially as burgeoning industries bring about new water challenges. My dad – dementia,” she said. Get Essay . Source: The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Enforcement and Compliance History online database, echo.epa.gov. Permitting process . As the plastics industry gears up in the Ohio Valley, regulators say water permits for the crackers in Beaver County and Belmont County, Ohio, already address nurdle pollution. She uses antibacterial hand soap as body wash in the shower and cleans her hands with disinfectant wipes rather than running them under the tap. “And they haven’t used common sense.”. Conservationists get a seat at Ohio River pollution discussions. By Sharon Kelly • Wednesday, June 5, 2019 - 15:12 . To see more, please visit ohiowatershed.org. Multiple municipal tests over the years show water in Martin County exceeds the maximum contaminant level for trihalomethane and haloacetic acid, both byproducts of the water’s treatment and both carcinogenic. On March 20, 2019, fish caught in Ohio’s Cuyahoga River were declared safe to eat by federal environmental regulators. Is the Ohio Valley Protected from Nurdle Pollution? • The widest point along the Ohio River is approximately 1 mile at the Smithland Dam near Smithland, KY. • The average depth of the Ohio River is approximately 24 feet. But public records only tell part of the story. In June 1969, a Time Magazine article garnered national attention when it brought to light the water quality conditions in Ohio: a river had literally caught fire. By Sharon Kelly • Wednesday, June 5, 2019 - 15:12 . “And I’m a fighter.”. So she came up with another option. Water authorities need to use limited amounts of chemicals to avoid bacteria-causing illness, but too much of those chemicals could put their residents at risk for cancer. Hewett Fork no longer causes fish kills, and 90 miles of Raccoon Creek, which flows through southeastern Ohio, are now safe for recreation. That summer, more than 700 square miles of toxic algae grew on the Ohio River in West Virginia and Ohio. Mike DeWine as an important step toward ultimately delisting the river altogether as an area of concern. April Johnston, a freelance writer for 100 Days in Appalachia, authored this story. This is the great irony of coal: the restoration of abandoned mines hinges on the perpetuation of coal mining. “Prior to 2015, everyone thought algae blooms were a lake problem,” said Greg Youngstrom, an environmental scientist and harmful algae bloom expert at ORSANCO. In November 2019, Congressman Donald McEachin (VA-04) introduced the 100% Clean Economy Act of 2019 with Representatives Deb Haaland (NM-01), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Paul Tonko (NY-20), and Chellie Pingree (ME-01). Coming in at second and third most polluted rivers are the Mississippi River and the New River. A commission that sets pollution standards for the Ohio River could be making those benchmarks voluntary for states. Mike DeWine as an important step toward ultimately delisting the river altogether as an area of … These tanks, shown here in June 2019, will hold the plastic pellets produced by Shell’s ethane cracker. Will Ohio River Get Optional Pollution Limits as New Fracking-Reliant Plastics Industry Moves in? All rights reserved. INDIANAPOLIS - Water quality along Indiana's southern border could be impacted by a long-awaited vote expected this week. Will Ohio River Get Optional Pollution Limits as New Fracking-Reliant Plastics Industry Moves in? Formed in 1948 by signing of Compact by Governors of 8 states and was approved by the US Congress. But without such treatment to the water, customers could be exposed to harmful bacteria and whatever residual effects of the coal slurry are still present in the waterway. River recreation ceased and, as blooms made … Tons of plastic will be produced there annually Compact Considers vote to its... 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