9,000 miles of Virginia Waterways polluted

A new DEQ report says that 63% of Virginia’s rivers, lakes and streams are polluted according to this morning’s Richmond-Times Dispatch. The polluted area has grown by over 2000 miles since the last report in 2004, just two years ago!

Not to mention the tidewaters…

The river numbers don’t include tidal waters, which are considered estuaries. The report found 2,216 square miles of estuaries were polluted, or 93 percent of the waters checked.

That’s up from 1,907 square miles, or 76 percent, found dirty in the 2004 report.

About JW Randolph

Raised on the banks of the Tennessee River, JW's work to create progress in his home state and throughout Appalachia has been featured on the Rachel Maddow Show, The Daily Kos and Grist. He served first as Appalachian Voices’ Legislative Associate and then Tennessee director until leaving to pursue a career in medicine in 2012.