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VA farmers, regulators critical of environmental group’s report

May 15, 2017, Waynesboro, VA – A recently released report from an environmental group concludes that the manure runoff from farms in Augusta County and three other Shenandoah Valley counties continues to contribute to unhealthy levels of bacteria, and high levels of phosphorous and algae that chokes off oxygen in the Shenandoah River and its tributaries.

But state regulators and a Shenandoah Valley legislator say the report fails to address the substantial progress that has been made in reducing nutrient pollution in the Shenandoah River. They also say it all but ignores the efforts of farmers in the region who have made marked changes in everything from livestock fencing to crop management procedures to ensure fewer nutrients pollute the area’s rivers and streams. READ MORE