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Polluted Mine Runoff in Contrary Creek, VA

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Polluted Mine Runoff in Contrary Creek, VA

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Contrary Creek, a small creek located in Lousia County, VA has been contaminated by old mining sites.  The creek is park of the York River Watershed.  While these mines halted operations in the early 1920s, the remnants of the mines are leaching heavy metals like zinc, copper, and lead into the stream.  The heavy metals are in high enough concentrations that the creek cannot sustain life.  The leaching also causes the water to be very acidic, or have a low pH, which also limits the type of life that can be supported there.  The area is being studied and vegetation is being used to improve the health of the creek.

Sources:
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6983&context=etd
https://www.umw.edu/greatminds/2016/03/31/digging-for-answers/

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Letort Spring Run is famous for it's trout fishing. Letort Spring Run is a 9 mile long tributary of the Conodoguinet Creek. In 2019, a contractor was using a cured-in-place pipe rehabilitation process that led to chemicals, like styrene, being released into the stream. The same contractor was found responsible for pumping raw sewage into the stream. The combination of pollutants led to a large die off of fish. Over 200-250 brown trout and over 60 other small fish were killed. CIPP has been found to leach chemicals into 13 other sites and remain in the environment for at least 3 months.
Sources:
https://www.abc27.com/news/local/carlisle-west-shore/contractor-caused-fish-kill-in-letort-spring-run-dep-says/

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On August 19, the Department of Environmental Protection issued a notice of violation to the Borough of Carlisle in Cumberland County saying contractors working on sewer pipe near Letort Spring Run likely resulted in a discharge of heated water mixed with a Styrene-based resin that discharged upstream from the site of the July 31 fish kill.

DEP explained in the NOV the contractors were performing a "cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) installation" in the Letort Interceptor as part of the Borough's ongoing rehabilitation project. As part of the CIPP process, the contractor uses heated water in contact with a Styrene based resin.

The results from samples taken by DEP and listed in the NOV show evidence of Styrene.

DEP also said in the NOV an unpermitted discharge of raw sewage was observed from a portable pump hose flowing on the ground and into the channelized portion of Letort Spring Run used by the same contractors.

The NOV requests the Borough to submit a written report of its own investigation into the incident and the Borough's role in oversight of the project within 15 days. The report is to include a proposed timeline for completing the Letort Interceptor project and thermocouple data analysis as a potential cause of the fish kill.

DEP's investigation of the incident is ongoing.

On August 1, the Fish and Boat Commission reported a fish kill of more than 200 to 250 brown trout in Letort Spring Run. The site of the fish kill was near the U.S. Army War College. The Commission's investigation into this incident is ongoing.

Letort Spring Run is a 9.4-mile-long tributary of Conodoguinet Creek that is famous for its wild brown trout fishing. Its origin is south of Carlisle Borough in South Middletown Township and the Bonnybrook area.

It flows through downtown Carlisle and is on display at the borough's 12-acre Letort Park where it is contained within stone walls. The section of creek between Pennsylvania Route 34 and it's outlet at the Conodoguinet Creek is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.

Click Here for a copy of the NOV.
Cured-In-Place Process Impacts
Dr. Andrew Whelton, an Associate Professor of Civil, Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University, and several colleagues have been doing research on the cured-in-place pipe rehabilitation practice (CIPP) that is the subject of the Letort Spring Run fish kill investigation.

"Infrastructure is a big issue nationwide and the completely preventable fish kill shows the direct implications of how repairing infrastructure can sometimes cause environmental degradation," said Dr. Whelton. "The CIPP practice is used nationwide and we (Purdue researchers) have identified at least 13 chemical contamination incidents, others have included fish kills."

He said there have been at least 14 other water contamination incidents around the U.S. in Georgia, Vermont, Washington, Oregon, California, Minnesota, Alabama, Connecticut, and elsewhere.

"The CIPP process likely can be used without endangering the environment and fisheries if proper controls and monitoring was implemented," said Dr. Whelton. "Municipal engineers generally do not understand the pollution potential of outdoor plastic manufacturing and often contractors who use the technology do not either."

"Styrene is not the only chemical released by this practice. In a recent study we found some non-styrene chemicals were present above water quality standards in New York," said Dr. Whelton. "You have to throw the kitchen sink at a chemical release like this otherwise you risk letting chemicals remain in the environment and go undetected. Contamination has remained in the environment for 3 months at other release sites."

He recommends the Fish and Boat Commission consider a ban on eating fish in the affected area until adequate water testing results are obtained.

"We have been working on testing CIPP project sites for the past 3 years for six states-- Virginia, New York, Ohio, North Carolina, Kansas, and California," said Dr Whelton. "That 3 year project is ending and coming are recommendations on how to prevent chemical releases and fish kills from happening."

Dr. Whelton and the Purdue researchers have gathered the results of their research so far on the CIPP Solutions Group website. Questions should be directed to Dr. Whelton by sending email to awhelton@purdue.edu or calling 765-494-2160.
Related Article: Fish & Boat Commission Reports 200+ Fish Kill In Letort Spring Run, Cumberland County NewsClips: DEP Serves Carlisle Borough Notice Of Violation In Letort Spring Run Fish Kill Contractor Caused Fish Kill In Letort Spring Run, DEP Says John Buffone: Game Commission, Penn Veterinary Launch $10 Million Plan To Fight Wildlife Disease Game Commission, Penn Veterinary Team Up To Target Wildlife Disease Bob Frye: Disease Management Focus Of New Wildlife Partnership AP: Game Commission Recommends Deer Feeding Ban Editorial: Uptick In Rabies Offers Opportunity For Preparation Bear Steals Delivery Package Of Dog Food Off Porch Philadelphia Family Fishing Fest Sept. 7 Marcus Schneck: Why Women Hunt, New Book Features PA Woman, PA Program Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Holds Aug. 28 Hearing On Striped Bass In Bucks County John Hayes: Sightings Of Sickly Animal Near Pittsburgh A Red Fox Infected With Mange Chipmunks Looks Cute But Can Be Destructive Inside And Out Meet The Volunteers Tracking Philadelphia's Purseweb Spider Found Nowhere Else Smitten By Monarch Butterflies, Bucks County Woman Uses Here House To Save Them
Click Here for all PA Environment & Energy NewsClips from last week
Related Articles This Week:
Game Commission, Penn School Of Veterinary Medicine Partner To Help Address Chronic Wasting Disease, West Nile Virus, White-Nose Syndrome In Wildlife
Game, Fish & Boat Commissions Announce New Web-Based Guide To Wildlife Conservation Fish & Boat Commission: Grants Now Available To Improve Watersheds In Berks, Lebanon Counties DEP Our Common Wealth Blog: Surveying Mussels In French Creek, Crawford County State Historical Marker To Be Dedicated At Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Sept. 14
[Posted: August 23, 2019]

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On August 19, the Department of Environmental Protection issued a notice of violation to the Borough of Carlisle in Cumberland County saying contractors working on sewer pipe near Letort Spring Run likely resulted in a discharge of heated water mixed with a Styrene-based resin that discharged upstream from the site of the July 31 fish kill.

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Amanda Schulte
In May 2014 a CSX train carrying crude oil from Chicago to Virginia derailed in Lynchburg.  The train derailment led to a tanker car falling into the James River, catching fire, and then leaking over 29,000 gallons of crude oil into the river.  CSX’s environmental contractor conducted the clean-up of the effected waterways. Follow-up testing by the EPA showed no traces of fuel oil contaminants in the downstream water.
Sources:
https://response.epa.gov/site/sitrep_profile.aspx?site_id=9234

https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAB1601.pdf

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Polluted waterways into Lake Linganore, MD

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Polluted waterways into Lake Linganore, MD

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Lake Linganore is the primary drinking reservoir for Frederick County and is situated near the heart of New Market, MD where our school is located. Although there are many regulations on farming practices in New Market and Frederick, there are ongoing problems effecting the health of Lake Linganore. While the water is still considered safe to drink after treatment, many ecosystems are being destroyed because of Eutrophication in the lake. There are excess nutrients flooding into the lake from several nearby waterways and rivers. Recent findings have reported phosphorus levels that exceed the standard, known as total maximum daily loads. City officials are downplaying these findings, saying the water is fine to drink, but the concern is for the underwater ecosystem and impact on the Chesapeake Bay. The excessive phosphorous levels are primarily from improper farming practices, storm water management and heavy pollution in the Bush Creek area that runs into the Monocacy River.
Sources:
https://www.fredericknewspost.com/archives/study-lake-linganore-area-creeks-polluted/article_c46944df-c509-58e5-81df-29d96c126246.html
https://www.lakelinganore.org/test-results/
https://www.lakelinganore.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Lake-Linganore-Stormwater-Workshop-June-2017-Final.pdf

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Decreased SAVs in the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay

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Decreased SAVs in the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay

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Jennifer Wyrick
The presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAVs)  decreased in 2020. Although the exact cause is unknown, it is thought to be related to higher levels of rainfall and runoff, including higher tributary river levels. This impacts water quality and salinity levels. These underwater grass beds are critical to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. They are also a fast and obvious signal of the current health of the bay. Groups, such as the Severn River Association, are involved with reseeding grasses and promoting larger acreage of SAVs.

Sources:
https://severnriver.org/programs/the-sav-navy/
https://www.chesapeakeprogress.com/abundant-life/sav
https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/underwater_bay_grass_acreage_decreases_21_percent_in_2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9NyfPLINtk

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There are more than a dozen varieties of underwater grasses, also called submerged aquatic vegetation or SAV, that grow in shallow water regions of the Bay and its rivers.

At its most pristine, the Bay may have supported several hundred thousand acres of underwater grasses. Since the 1950s, there has been a tremendous decline of grass beds due to degraded water quality and climate change. CBF is working to help meet the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement target of 185,000 acres of underwater grasses covering the bottom of the Bay and its tidal tributaries by 2025.

Importance of Underwater Grasses

Underwater grasses filter polluted runoff, provide food for waterfowl, and provide essential habitat for blue crabs, juvenile rockfish (striped bass), and other aquatic species.

Underwater grasses are one of the best barometers of the Bay's water quality because they are associated with clear water, and their presence helps improve water quality. Their leaves and stems baffle wave energy and help settle out sediments. Their roots and rhizomes bind the substrate.

Underwater grasses also take up nitrogen and phosphorus that, in overabundance, lead to algae blooms that can degrade water quality. Decomposing underwater grasses provide food for benthic (bottom-dwelling) aquatic life.

Migrating waterfowl, such as ducks and geese, rely on underwater grasses for food.

Threats

Like most grasses on land, underwater grasses require sunlight to grow and thrive. When the Bay's waters become clouded with sediment from stormwater runoff and algal blooms resulting from excess nutrients in the water, grasses find it harder to survive.

Restoration Status: Mixed

1972-Huge amounts of rainfall and runoff caused by Tropical Storm Agnes dealt a devasting blow to many grass beds. Underwater grasses continued to decline to a documented low of 38,000 acres in 1984.

1984 to 1993 -Underwater grasses increased to 73,000 acres.

Early 2000s-Underwater grasses were on the rise due to prolonged drought, which kept pollutants from the land locked in the soil. In 2001-2002, grasses increased to 90,000 acres in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Mid 2000s-Data collected in 2008 showed Bay grasses covering 73,063 acres, or 39.5 percent of the 2010 185,000-acre Bay restoration goal. The 2008 data show an 18 percent increase in underwater grasses from 2007.

2010 to 2012-Extreme heat in 2010 led to a significant decline in grasses in the lower Bay in 2011 and coverage dropped to an estimated 63,074 acres. High spring rains, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee all created poor conditions for growth in 2012 and coverage dropped again to an extimated 48,191 acres.

2013 to 2017-Acres of underwater grasses increased each year from 2013 to 2018. In 2017, there were more than 100,000 acres of underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay-the highest ever reported since monitoring began in the mid 1980s. Improvements in water clarity were also observed during this time. Researchers estimate they also surpassed 100,000 acres in 2018, though the survey was incomplete due to weather challenges. In 2018, frequent rain, cloudy water, and security restrictions prevented researchers from collecting data from more than 22 percent of the Bay and its tributaries. As a result, the 2018 Chesapeake Bay Program survey reported that it's likely that the actual expanse of underwater grasses ranged between 91,559 and 108,960 acres.

2019-Acreage declined by 38 percent. According to the annual Chesapeake Bay Program survey the precise reason for the decline is unknown. However grasses did undergo a massive assault from record-breaking river flows, which wash more pollution into the Bay. In fact, the 2019 Water Year (October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019 recorded the largest average annual flow of fresh water into the Bay since records began in 1937.

2030-2050-The Bay Program's goal is 130,000 acres by 2030 and 185,000 acres by 2050 (an approximation of what grew here in the early nineteenth century).

Click to view larger
Solutions

In Bay restoration we don't often see straight-line progress, and the recent decline in underwater grasses in the Bay is a sobering reminder that extreme weather can set back recovery. It also reminds us that we need to focus on the elements we can control, especially reducing pollution to the Bay and its rivers and streams.

Though we can't control Mother Nature, reducing pollution-including better managing stormwater runoff before it gets into rivers and streams-will help mitigate weather extremes, improve water quality, and contribute to Bay grass revival. The 2018 survey seems to support that theory. Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the other Bay states, and the District of Columbia all committed to reducing pollution from all sources as their part of their Clean Water Blueprint.

All of CBF's activities-from land-use planning and stormwater management to wetland protection and riparian buffer planting-contribute to Bay grass revival. Where water quality is good enough to support underwater grass survival, hands-on restoration efforts can help establish, expand, or diversify grass communities. For decades, CBF's Grasses for the Masses program engaged volunteers in Virginia in growing wild celery in homes, schools, and businesses to transplant at appropriate restoration sites.

Progress is being made, but many local waterways and the Chesapeake are still polluted. If we don't keep making progress, we will see more signs declining grasses numbers, and we will continue to have polluted water, human health hazards, and lost jobs-at a huge cost to society.

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There are more than a dozen varieties of underwater grasses, also called submerged aquatic vegetation or SAV, that grow in shallow water regions of the Bay and its rivers. At its most pristine, the Bay may have supported several hundred thousand acres of underwater grasses.

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Plastic pollution is a big problem worldwide.  We are learning a lot about single use plastics and how those plastics are not easily recycled and how those plastics can entrap wildlife.
There is another problem with plastics- and this one is hard to see- microplastics!
Microplastics are a big problem that is just beginning to be understood.  Basically, plastic does not biodegrade, it just breaks into smaller and smaller bits.  These bits are "sticky" and can carry harmful stuff.  These bits are small enough to pass across a cell membrane!
Tiny bits of plastics come from fabrics and microplastics that are part of abrasive scrubs.  Large plastics break down into microplastics that become part of the cell, part of our food webs.  That means that plastics enter our bodies and we are not entirely sure of what will happen.  We do know that as plastics degrade, they can leach (leak out) some chemicals that are not good for us.
Plastics are a big problem and getting some control over the amount of plastic used has to be solved.  It is not an easy problem to solve.  Plastic is hard to actually recycle.  Plastic packaging drives the sale of many products.  For example, we need to learn to take bottles to the store and to add our shampoo, cooking oil, ketchup- anything- to the bottle we bring.  It will take a huge culture change for this to happen.  The company that makes it easy for the consumer to make a purchase will make the most money.  It will be hard for companies to try to sell from a bulk type container- they will be reducing plastic pollution, but will they be able to stay in business?
resource for this info can be found at- https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/small_plastics_are_a_big_problemhttps://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/small_plastics_are_a_big_problem

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by Caitlyn Johnstone

December 12, 2019

Plastic in the environment is a clear and known problem. We've all seen photos of the plastic bags suffocating birds and the plastic rings disfiguring turtle shells. Fast forward a few decades, and those bags and bottles in our waters have had time to start breaking down. Large becomes small, macro becomes micro, and the plastic acts like a tissue left in a pocket that goes through the wash. It disintegrates, floats, enters the cells of living creatures, gathers up chemicals and releases its own. We call this new pollutant microplastic, and the effects are catastrophic.

What threats do microplastics pose?

Microplastics are defined as plastic pieces under five millimeters in size. Primary microbeads-little bits of exfoliating plastic deliberately added to products like toothpastes and soap-were banned in 2015, but secondary microplastics continue to enter the environment as larger pieces of plastic break down.

Microplastics come from obvious sources like plastic soda bottles or packaging, but also from lesser-known plastic products. Our take-away coffee cups are coated in plastic; our polyester and other synthetic clothing is made with plastic. We create microfibers (microplastic from fabric) every time we wash these clothes, adding more and more pollution to our waters. These sharp-edged and variously-shaped fibers can cause even more damage in the environment than the smoothly rounded primary microbeads.

Size-wise, smaller and smaller does not mean safer. Very tiny microplastics called nanoplastics measure in at smaller than one micrometer. For reference, it takes one thousand micrometers to measure up to a single millimeter, and a single millimeter is about the size of a pin head. At this size, nanoplastics are small enough to cross the cellular membrane. Do they affect respiration? Gene expression? It is hard to say. Research into nanoplastics and their effects have only just begun. But take a deep breath-you probably just breathed in plastic.

Plastic production and disposal globally has increased 200-fold over the last 60 years. There is plastic on our land, in our waters and inside wildlife.

In the North Pacific, fish that live in the twilight zone (200 to 800 meters or approximately 650 to 2,600 feet down) consume between 12 thousand and 24 thousand tons of plastic each year. And plastics are not clean-thanks to the breakdown of all that trash, an estimated 190 tons of chemical additives released from the plastics mix annually into the ocean.

Up on land, more than 60% of all seabirds have ingested plastic, with that number expected to rise to 99% by the year 2050.

Concerned that a plastic soup in our waters could mean problems for the Chesapeake, the Chesapeake Bay Program Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) reviewed studies and gathered experts for a 2019 workshop on microplastics. The resulting report was alarming.

To date, the U.S. Geological Survey has found microplastics in all samples taken at nontidal stations in the Chesapeake watershed. This means that microplastics are not only in our bay, they are all throughout our rivers and streams.

Disease and other contaminants

Plastic itself is a problem, but there is the additional danger of what it carries. Microplastics are "sticky"; they leach the chemicals they carry like slow-release capsules and pick up other chemicals along the way.

At the workshop, Dr. Susanne Brander of Oregon State University gave a talk on microplastics in fish. Her work focused on black seabass, an ocean fish that frequents the southern portion of the Bay. Like many other Chesapeake Bay fish, seabass eat a wide variety of prey and are themselves eaten by humans. Brander's study found microplastics, and the chemicals that leach out of the plastic, present in the wild seabass. As we head up the food chain, humans eat these microplastics and chemicals, too.

To date, the U.S. Geological Survey has found microplastics in all samples taken at nontidal stations in the Chesapeake watershed.

This stickiness also spells trouble for our most celebrated habitats: shorelines and underwater grass beds. Microplastics will concentrate where they can settle, which means that these habitats are becoming microplastic hotspots.

Like a piece of tape is a magnet for dust in a room, microplastics pick up chemicals-and diseases. A recent study found that microplastics serve as foundations for all three species of Vibrio that cause disease in humans. If plastics are serving as carriers for Vibrio, they can help facilitate the movement of the disease from the open ocean to the Bay.

Oysters

The Bay's favorite bivalve is also struggling with the tiny pollutants, as seen in the studies conducted by Christine Knauss of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

Microplastics in the water column float along in much the same way as algae, the oyster's preferred food source. Knauss exposed oysters to water containing concentrations of microplastics that match the current pollution levels found in the wild. Over six days, the oysters that ate plastic significantly increased their algal clearance rates. Algal clearance rates relate to how much water the oysters are filtering, so at first glance this would sound like good news.

What it really means is stress. The oysters eating microplastics must clear more algae in order to get the same amount of nutrition as their clean-water brethren. Think of it like hyperventilating-you aren't better at breathing by doing it faster; your system is stressed, and something is wrong.

Wastewater

Wastewater treatment plant upgrades are one of the great environmental success stories of the last decade. In 2016, plants met their goals for reducing nutrient pollution and doing their part to help clean up the Bay-but that doesn't account for microplastics.

Treatment plants just weren't designed to target microplastics. There are 516 major wastewater treatment plants in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Studies noted in the report found that wastewater effluent (the treated water released from the plant) spits out four million microparticles per facility per day. That is a considerable amount of microplastic, but this still only considers the water that goes through a wastewater treatment plant. All throughout the watershed, there are urban and suburban storm drains funneling untreated, plastic-filled stormwater directly into the Bay and its rivers.

What can we do?

Thankfully, there are alternatives to plastics in the works. Bacteria already present in water naturally produce a biopolymer known as Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). The bacteria use this biopolymer to store energy in much the same way that humans produce fat for energy storage, but humans can use this natural biopolymer as an alternative to plastic. Researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science are experimenting with the biopolymer to try and discover some of these novel uses. Where microplastics are the dark harbingers of disease, there is some promising evidence that PHA can provide a level of immunity to pathogens.

At the close of the workshop that generated the microplastics report, STAC concluded that microplastics pose a serious threat and recommended forming a Plastic Pollution Action Team for further research and monitoring.

Above all, remember that large plastics become microplastics.

Take control of your trash, and don't let it become part of the environment. When fishing or enjoying time on the water, take your trash with you. On land, use trash cans and cut down on plastic containers.

Plastic packaging from shipments and deliveries is a large contributor to plastic pollution. Where you can, skip the online order and shop local in-store.

On a local scale, consider implementing trash traps and cutting down on single-use plastics.

On a personal level, be aware of your plastic and refuse to add more. Refuse plastic bags at the grocery store and bring your own. Cut down on other throwaway plastic by carrying reusable water bottles and utensils.

Reduce where you can and reuse where you can. When it is finally time to throw it out, try to repurpose first and eventually recycle.

Read the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee's report, " Microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed: State of the Knowledge, Data Gaps, and Relationship to Management Goals."

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scientific and technical advisory committee (stac)

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Small plastics are a big problem | Chesapeake Bay Program

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by Caitlyn Johnstone December 12, 2019 Plastic in the environment is a clear and known problem. We've all seen photos of the plastic bags suffocating birds and the plastic rings disfiguring turtle shells. Fast forward a few decades, and those bags and bottles in our waters have had time to start breaking down.

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(Paty Serrano)  Sediment, erosion and construction in Montgomery County, MD

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(Paty Serrano)  Sediment, erosion and construction in Montgomery County, MD

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Sediment pollution is a continual problem throughout Montgomery County, MD.  It can be caused by a variety of factors but one that is recurring in Montgomery county is construction.  Construction sites that are grater than 5,000 square feet require a permit.  One of the important reasons for these permits is to ensure that there are efficient sediment control plans in place.  Unfortunately there a many permit violations around that county that result in sediment problems especially during rainstorms.  When this happens, many issues can arise such as:  loss of important topsoil, stream bank instability, smothering the spaces where fish lay their eggs, cloudy water that affects fish, abrasion of fish and other stream dwelling organisms and a decrease in water quality.  The county recommends that residents calll 311 to report any sediment/erosion problems.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DEP/contact/sediment-erosion.html

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2014/04/30/train-derails-in-downtown-lynchburg-shutting-down-streets-bridges/

In 2014, a train carrying crude oil derailed into a section of the James River, literally lighting the river itself on fire. I actually was living in Lynchburg when this happened and recalled seeing smoke miles away and city warnings against accessing public water for days afterward. There are a variety of health risks, obviously not only limited to the wildlife in the river, but also for public utility due to the contaminated water. According to this article, the oil components may have vaporized, causing harm to first responders. It might have also affected the water quality downstream. Legislators warned about the environmental hazards of carrying crude by train and called for stricter regulations to prevent this kind of disaster. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. More safety measures absolutely need to be put into place to protect our water sources.

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Authorities are investigating a train derailment and fire near downtown Lynchburg, Va. (Instagram/sherifelipe)

(This post has been updated.)

A CSX freight train derailed Wednesday afternoon in downtown Lynchburg, spilling rail cars and burning crude into the James River and causing major environmental damage, a city official said.

"The river was on fire," said deputy city manager Bonnie Svrcek.

Despite the fouled waterway spewing black smoke, evacuations of several businesses and apartments, and the shut down of nearby roads and a bridge, Lynchburg officials considered the city lucky.

"We are very fortunate that the cars that derailed derailed toward the river, instead of toward the city," said Svrcek, adding that three rail cars fell into the river but no buildings caught fire and no injuries were reported. Virginia environmental and emergency officials were on site, and federal safety officials were en route, she said.

CSX said the train was traveling from Chicago to a destination in Virginia, and that roughly 15 cars derailed, about three of which were engulfed in the blaze.

Svrcek said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/local/virginia-news/train-tankers-catch-fire-after-lynchburg-va-derailment/2014/05/01/61d9ba84-72da-440d-b6fa-42a1c75c5b50_video.html

Several recent accidents in North America have raised concerns about the safety of oil being shipped by rail. A train carrying crude derailed and exploded in a small town in Quebec last summer, killing 47 people. In December, hundreds of people were evacuated after a mile-long train, also carrying crude oil, derailed and exploded in Casselton, N.D.

On Wednesday, ahead of the Lynchburg derailment, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo sent President Obama a letter appealing for stronger regulations and safety measures covering trains carrying growing amounts of crude.

"New York and all the states subject to this crude oil boom are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of derailment, spill, fire, or explosion, as demonstrated by" recent catastrophic incidents, Cuomo wrote.

Charles N. Haas, an environmental engineering professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, said some of the crude oil from the train will sink to the river bottom, where it could harm organisms in the sediment within a couple miles.

Some of the the oil components in the water could vaporize, which could be hazardous to first responders and neighboring communities, Haas said. And downstream, water quality should be monitored.

"It could cause taste and odor problems for some of the utilities," Haas said, adding that checks should be performed for benzene and other chemicals and compounds that are toxic to humans at certain concentrations.

The Lynchburg tracks skirt the James River on the edge of downtown, near several businesses and an old shoe manufacturing company that has been converted into apartments. Officer Paul Cole of the Lynchburg Police Department said those shops and the apartment complex were evacuated as a precaution. The courthouse also was closed, though Cole said it is four blocks from the accident scene at 10th and Commerce streets.

Fire crews responded to the derailment, which occurred about 2 p.m., Svrcek said. The fire was out by nightfall.

The residential evacuation order was rescinded late Wednesday, although some businesses close to the crash site expected to remain closed on Thursday.

Lynchburg is a city of about 75,000 people, more than 100 miles west of Richmond. It's also where Liberty University is located.

Staff Writer Luz Lazo contributed to this report

Today's Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.

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Train derails in downtown Lynchburg, leaving crude burning on James River

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(This post has been updated.) A CSX freight train derailed Wednesday afternoon in downtown Lynchburg, spilling rail cars and burning crude into the James River and causing major environmental damage, a city official said. "The river was on fire," said deputy city manager Bonnie Svrcek.

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I did not realize someone else chose this same location and topic, until I came here to share my findings. (I should have looked first:)

I grew up in the Lake Linganore community, and my parents still live in the group of neighborhoods today. I am just a few miles away! I can always remember thinking that the Lake looked so green. Now, I realize that is a result of excess algae. Algae is a normal, and healthy, part of any lake. Algae often sinks to the bottom of the lake, and I can feel the squishy bottom floor of the lake from my childhood memories.
I am aware of the Water Treatment facility, and their frequent visits to the lake, but I never gave much thought to the process of turning that water into safe water for the community to use and consume. The lake water is quite polluted with goose poop, and pretty yucky to the naked eye. I am pleased to see how much testing and prevention goes into saving this large body of water.

https://www.lakelinganore.org/lake-water-quality/

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Water Quality

Chair:

Eric Roberts
ericroberts.excalibur@comcast.net

Lake Linganore Water Background

Lake Linganore water is used as the primary source of drinking water for the City of Frederick and is the emergency back-up water supply for Frederick County. It currently holds over 500-million gallons of water, nearly a 4-month drinking water supply for the City of Frederick. The lake water comes from a ~80-square mile watershed roughly bounded by Mount Airy to the southeast, Taylorsville to the northeast, Libertytown to the northwest and New Market to the southwest. Water enters the lake through the two primary tributaries, Linganore Creek and Ben's Branch, and leaves via the dam's spillway at an average rate of more than 600 gallons per second, a flow that would fill an Olympic swimming pool in less than 20 minutes. While the Lake Linganore private community holds title to the land beneath and around the water, the water itself is public property. Members of the Lake Linganore community have been enjoying the waters of Lake Linganore for swimming, boating, fishing and other recreational purposes for half a century.

Since Linganore Creek was dammed to create the lake in 1972, agricultural management practices in the Lake Linganore watershed have improved to help reduce harmful chemical applications to crops / fields and minimize livestock encroachment in tributaries and control run-off. Despite these better agriculture management practices, population growth & deforestation / development has added new stresses to the environment and there continues to be room for further improvement of Lake Linganore water quality much like many freshwater lakes.

What Quality Focus

There are four lakes in the Lake Linganore community. By far, the largest is the community's namesake. The smaller lakes are Lake Merle, Lake Anita Louise and Lake Marion. Our lakes are in an agricultural county with a substantial dairy industry in a state where agriculture is the largest commercial industry and the largest single land use. The United State Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) found in a 2000 study of the nation's lakes that agriculture is the most wide-spread source of damage to lake quality. Algae nutrients and sedimentation were listed in the USEPA study as the top identified pollutants and stressors to U.S. freshwater lakes. Because of the agricultural land use of the Lake Linganore watershed and lake water quality observations, Friends of the Lake, Water Quality (WQ) has been focused on three main water quality concerns on LLA's behalf: algae & nutrients; sedimentation; and bacteria.

Algae, Blue-Green Algae & Algae Nutrients

Algae is a normal and healthy component of fresh lake water. However, excessive algae growth can be unhealthy for the lake. Excessive algae can sink to the lake bottom, where the algae is subject to bacterial decomposition. In the process, the bacteria consume the lake's dissolved oxygen depleting the lower depths of oxygen needed to support aquatic life. Fish kills and foul odors may result. The low oxygen conditions at the bottom also liberates phosphorus bound to the bottom sediments which can fuel further algae growth. Additionally, under certain conditions blue-green algae (a cyanobacteria) may proliferate. This can be problematic because certain forms of cyanobacteria may produce toxins (like red tides).

The relative abundance of cyanobacteria in our lakes typically increases through the warmer months into the late fall. Although the lake bottom sediments are an ample reservoir of algae-fueling phosphorus, additional nitrogen and phosphorus compounds (originating from fertilizers, manure, etc.) are washed into the lakes with sediments during storm water events.

Because excess algae build up can also cause problems in treating water for drinking water distribution in the City of Frederick, the Department of Public Works (DPW) normally treats Lake Linganore once per year during the summer with copper sulfate. Copper algaecides have generally been used in reservoirs for more than a century when harmful algae and cyanobacteria achieve high densities, produce toxins, or produce taste and odor compounds that pose risks or interfere with the uses of water resources. Copper algaecides interfere with the ability of algal cells to respire, photosynthesize, and, at some concentrations, maintain cell integrity. LLA normally announces when the treatment is to occur well ahead of time. More information about this annual treatment can be found through inquires to DPW.

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, daily sampling of Lake Linganore beach water. This includes screening the samples for indications of excessive cyanobacteria. The samples are field screened with an instrument designed to detect relative levels of phycocyanin (PC), a surrogate for cyanobacteria. If the PC reading is elevated, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has helped collect and analyze samples for cyanobacteria toxins upon request.

Additional monthly monitoring of algae and other parameters at Farm Pond, Lake Anita Louise, Lake Merle and Lake Linganore is completed for LLA by Hood College students and staff. Lake water samples are screened for chlorophyl and PC and they are examined to identify the main species & abundance of algae and cyanobacteria in the waters. If certain criteria signal abundance of cyanobacteria, Hood will run a preliminary toxin screening test. Depending on the results of this screening test, MDE may be requested to perform more quantitative analyses of lake water samples.

Frederick County (Department of Public Works) also conducts monthly e and tributary algae nutrient and E. coli bacteria data. Historical and current county data are published online at https://www.frederickcountymd.gov/1288/Regulatory-Compliance.

LLA is currently experimenting with a safer, lower energy, lower cost and more natural means of limiting cyanobacteria abundance in its lakes through the recreational season. In 2021, it deployed barley straw bales along the perimeter of Lake Anita Louise and upstream Farm Pond (feed waters to Lake Anita Louise). Barley straw decomposition in contact with lake water and sunlight is reported to produce certain phenolic compounds that naturally inhibit cyanobacteria growth. If the Lake Anita Louise barley straw pilot study proves successful in 2021 the results will likely be replicated in subsequent years before being tested in other community waters.

Sedimentation

Sedimentation and infilling of freshwater lakes is a normal occurrence. It stems from natural erosion processes, sediment transport in surface waters and lake deposition. Natural sedimentation rates are accelerated when land development occurs and when there are inadequate undisturbed vegetated corridors (riparian zones) along waterways. Deforestation and development results in more impervious surfaces (e.g., roads, roofs, lawns, etc.) which limits infiltration and causes increased run-off and leads to increased surface water flow rates and erosion. Reduced infiltration not only delivers more sediment (with phosphorus) to our lakes but other contaminants (e.g., salt, tire particles, asphalt compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides / herbicides, surfactants, etc.). More and more discoveries are emerging about contaminants entering waterways and their harmful effects. For example, in late 2020, Science, a reputable peer-reviewed scientific journal, published a study linking the chemical 6PPD, a common rubber antioxidant chemical found in tire preservatives, to Coho salmon mortality in the Pacific Northwest. Improper installation of or failures of erosion control measures during deforestation and development work has also impacted our lakes.

Man-made lakes such as Lake Linganore require periodic (e.g., 10-15 years) sediment removal in order to keep them viable for drinking water storage and recreational use. Until 2019, sediments had not yet been removed / dredged from Lake Linganore since it was formed more than 42 years ago. None of the other community lakes have ever been dredged.

Too much sediment coming into the lakes and building up not only results in loss of water storage and reduced recreational use (e.g., loss of navigable waters) but can also contribute to excessive algae production. Phosphorus binds to soil particles so the more sediment that moves into the lake the more phosphorus is delivered to the lake that can be used to fuel lake algae growth. The increased water temperature of infilled, shallower lakes also promotes algae.

The average sedimentation rate of Lake Linganore is equivalent to about 11 feet of soil stacked on top of a football field each year. Approximately 5 million gallons of water storage capacity are lost to sediment annually. Before the 2019-2021 dredging of Lake Linganore, the USGS had found that sedimentation caused the upper portion of Lake Linganore (above Boyers Mill Bridge) to have lost 65% of its water storage capacity and the lower portion lost 17% of its water storage capacity (only a portion of only the upper half of Lake Linganore has been dredged) . The sedimentation pattern in Lake Linganore indicates that that the bulk of the sediments entering and settling in the lake are coming from outside the community (upstream). To begin assessing whether the sediment might be coming from specific portions of the watershed, WQ volunteers in 2014 & 2015 sampled stream discharges from 17 sub-watersheds within the Lake Linganore watershed and samples were analyzed by Hood College for suspended solids. The study presented to the community revealed several localities of concern in the watershed, but further study (e.g., under storm conditions) is needed.

Bacteria and Other Microorganisms

E. coli
Bacteria and other microorganisms are ever-present in the environment and the lake waters in our community are no exception. A bacteria testing parameter that is used to evaluate the likely presence of potentially harmful bacteria in recreational and drinking waters is the E. coli test. E. coli or Escherichia coli is a type of bacteria commonly found in the intestines and wastes of healthy warm-blooded animals (humans included). There are more than 100 different strains of E. coli, and most are harmless. E. coli O157:H7 is one strain of E. coli (usually associated with cattle, but has found in the intestines of deer, goats and sheep) that can cause illness to humans. E. coli is an accepted indicator of the possible presence of bacteria or viruses in water which could cause illness. The test used for E. coli is far less expensive and more reliable than other tests.

Because E. coli is both naturally occurring within the wildlife, in domesticated animals and in humans, it is commonly present in tributary and lake waters. States like Maryland have devised E. coli standards for public beaches to minimize human health risks. Maryland's public beach Beach Action Value (BAV) is 235 MPN/100 milliliters.

From 2013 through at least 2021, LLA has been monitoring and communicating daily Lake Linganore beach bacteria conditions during the summer recreational season. All beach samples are analyzed by a Maryland laboratory and the analytical results are posted on the LLA web site (https://www.lakelinganore.org/test-results/) within 24 hours to allow LLA members to make informed decisions when using the lake for recreational purposes. The daily results can also be found on Facebook at "Friends of the Lake * Lake Linganore at Eaglehead". Daily posted information includes:

* Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) field screen
* Prior day lake bacteria concentrations
* FAQs about E. coli
* Maryland public beach standards
* Red / green flag

Over 5 consecutive years of monitoring (2013 - 2017) the geometric mean E. coli concentration of Lake Linganore during the summer season ranged from 26 MPN / 100 milliliters (2017) to 39 MPN / 100 milliliters (2013), a range that is well below Maryland's mean standard of 126 MPN / 100 milliliters. During these same five years, the number of days that E. Coli exceeded Maryland's BAV ranged from 7 days (2014) to 22 days (2013) with an average of 13 days / season.

Higher levels of E. coli are temporary and appear to be associated with heavy (more than 0.4-inches) precipitation events. Extended dry periods are associated with sustained and consistent low levels of E. coli.

Historical testing of Lake Linganore and its two main tributaries have found that bacteria levels in Linganore Creek have been on average 4 to 9 times higher than in Lake Linganore and the bacteria levels in Ben's Branch have been 2 to 3 times higher than in Lake Linganore. These data suggest that watershed source(s) of bacteria are brought into the lake by the tributaries and become diluted and die off.

Naegleria fowleri
National news media periodically reports on infection from amoeba Naegleria fowleri elsewhere in the U.S. (more commonly in the warm waters of the southern U.S.). There has been no documented case of an infection of the amoeba over the half-century history of Lake Linganore. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), "...there have been 34 reported infections in the U.S. in the 10 years from 2004 to 2013, despite millions of recreational water exposures each year. By comparison, in the ten years from 2001 to 2010, there were more than 34,000 drowning deaths in the U.S.". Based on this statistic, Naegleria fowleri infection appears to be a low-risk concern anywhere in the U.S. as there's a 1,000 times greater chance of drowning than of being infected by this amoeba. More information concerning this amoeba can be found at the CDC web site http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/general.html.

Spring Spawning Fish Kills
There are lots of things that can kill fish but the vast majority of spring fish-kills in our locale are related to a natural spawning cycle. Spawning is stressful to the fish and can lead to substantial fish mortality. Sunfish are particularly susceptible since they often nest in shallow water subject to daily and weekly fluctuations in oxygen and temperature. They do not eat during this period while, at the same time, they must defend the nests against other fish. The energy balance just does not work out in some cases, and some fish die. If we have extremely variable weather, the stress is often greater.

If a spring fish-kill consists of one species, all of similar size, most commonly 5-6 inch sunfish, the fish kill is almost certainly a spawning mortality. On the other hand, if the kill involves multiple species or a wide range of sizes (e.g., if 100 fish of multiple species are found in a short time span), that might suggest something more than typical die off which, therefore, might be worth investigating and reporting.

Lake Water Scums
A resurgence of flora and fauna occurs in our lakes during the warmer months. Lake water surface coatings are a manifestation of this resurgence as is a reduction in water clarity and a return of the characteristic olive-green hues. The coating become particularly evident when the air and water is still. Many of us not only find these naturally occurring scums uninviting but sometimes alarming. We often wonder what the scums are and what they might be signaling.

The surface scums you may soon be seeing in our lakes are most likely harmless evidence of a flourishing biota. Such harmless scums may include pollen, duckweed and various green algae. However, some lake water scums (e.g., cyanobacteria) can be harmful if they have produced toxins and, therefore, you should avoid contacting any lake water scums and your pets should be kept away. More specifically, LLA advises residence to follow the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations when it comes to any algae, scum or coating on the surfaces of our lakes:

Avoiding swimming or boating in areas where the water is discolored or where you see foam, scum, or mats of algae on the water; and

Don't let pets swim in or drink from areas where the water is discolored or where you see foam, scum, or mats of algae on the water. If pets (especially dogs) swim in scummy water, rinse them off immediately-do not let them lick the algae (and toxins) off their fur.

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Eric Roberts ericroberts.excalibur@comcast.net Lake Linganore water is used as the primary source of drinking water for the City of Frederick and is the emergency back-up water supply for Frederick County. It currently holds over 500-million gallons of water, nearly a 4-month drinking water supply for the City of Frederick.