Lawn chemicals improperly applied to the field at the University of Virginia's Scott Stadium caused a major die off of invertebrates and fish in an unnamed urban tributary of Moore's Creek during the first week of May 2001.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality sent Larry Carpenter to investigate the stream after receiving a complaint from a Highland Ave. resident who observed dead fish and insects and muddy water in the creek on May 3. Carpenter observed hundreds of dead fish, insects, worms, and other aquatic invertebrates and determined that the spill entered the stream at a storm drain below Scott Stadium; Carpenter concluded that the die off extended at least one mile down the tributary to an area about two and a half miles upstream from Moore's Creek's confluence with the Rivanna.
The University of Virginia Department of Environmental Health and Safety determined that the stream kill was caused by an improper application of Basamid® soil sterilant to the stadium field and sidelines. The pesticide was applied to the field by the Carolina Green corporation of Indian Trail, NC under the direction of UVA Athletics in preparation for the installation of new sod on the field.
Basamid®, manufactured by BASF Corporation, comes in a dry granular form designed to be tilled into soils and then activated with carefully controlled irrigation over a seven day period. When wetted, Basamid® pellets release a variety of poisons, including methylisothiocyanate, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanate, methylamine, carbon disulfide and other gasses which kill a wide variety of plants, fungi, insects, and nematodes present in the soil. BASF instructions stress the importance of maintaining a "water cap" over treated soils to prevent these gasses from dispersing into the atmosphere before they have had time to take full effect.
In the case of the Scott Stadium treatment, irrigation water flushed the chemicals through a layer of sand to a plastic liner below the stadium, which then drained to a holding tank, which overflows into the storm culverts, which fully contain the upper sections of a small perennial stream. Chemicals applied to the sidelines bypassed the holding basin and entered storm drains directly in a muddy runoff, which alerted neighbors to the spill. In short, Carolina Green and UVA Athletics either ignored BASF's clear product warnings to keep Basamid® away from "areas where surface water is present" or "where runoff is likely to occur", or else grossly misjudged the permeability of the sand, soil, and drainage structures below the stadium field and sidelines.
DEQ staff expressed surprise and concern that the "field underdrain system empties directly into the storm drain system (where)...water flows year round whatever leaves the field drain system is immediately captured by the tributary flow." It appears that the Scott Stadium drains are a point source of pollution, which requires state approval of a point source pollution discharge permit, which the University does not presently possess.
On May 15, DEQ issued UVA a notice of violation of Virginia Code §62.1-44.5.A which prohibits unpermitted discharges to state waters of "noxious or deleterious substances...(which) alter the physical, chemical, or biological properties...detrimental...to the animal or aquatic life...for recreation, or for other uses." The Department also cited the University for violation of Va. Code §62.1-44, which requires violators to report spills to DEQ within twenty-four hours. Violation of these statues would normally carry a civil fine of $25,000 per day of violation, however, as the Daily Progress quotes DEQ enforcement specialist Ed Liggett, "Since the University of Virginia is a sister state agency, we are prohibited by law from seeking civil penalties." Thus far, DEQ has fined the university $64.84 to cover the assessed cash value of 629 dead fish, and $365.60 to cover the Department's staff and travel costs incurred during the investigation.
RCS intends to monitor UVA's progress toward obtaining proper permits and pollution control systems for Scott Stadium and other University facilities. We are presently reviewing DEQ documents to determine to what extent the Scott Stadium spill is an isolated incident or part of a pattern of ongoing water quality violations. Also, some of our members have expressed a belief that DEQ has collected civil fines against other UVA departments in the past. We'll let you know what we find out.
In any event we urge the university to eliminate the use of acutely toxic agents from its lawn care programs and to pay better attention to the potential impacts of point source and non-point-source fertilizer and chemical pollutants throughout its facilities. We hope that all who own or manage land in the Rivanna Basin will take UVA's present embarrassment as a wake up, and strive to keep their use of lawn fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to a minimum, particularly in sensitive areas near streams and storm drains. Our river and stream environments no doubt suffer chronic daily stress as a result of less dramatic institutional and backyard indifference.
Should the university feel a need to smooth the ruffled feathers of its downstream neighbors, RCS is happy to consider a variety of ways in which UVA's academic mission and material resources could be better integrated with the pursuit of our own local conservation and educational objectives.
Steve Pullinger gathered more than 17 eager participants at Scheier Natural Area Sunday afternoon, April 22, for a plant walk. Blue skies, high temperatures, and the heady scent of the autumn olives in full bloom set the stage as Rich, an amateur naturalist with wide experience identifying and using wild plants, walked through the lower meadow, around the ponds, and along the edge of the woods naming and explaining various plants and flowers.
The afternoon was informal, with participants asking many questions and offering their own ideas. The first plants identified, dandelion and violet, were common, but their healthful and culinary benefits were less well known. Rich suggested many more salad ingredients: broad-leaf plantain, wild onions, watercress, chickweed, daylily flowers, and wood sorrel. He was careful to emphasize caution when first eating a new plant, as each person could have a different reaction, and some plants contain dangerous components.
Rich noted the problem of obtaining fats when eating wild plants. He described how to make flour for baking from acorns, with the side benefit of obtaining an excellent wash to clear up poison ivy from the acorn processing water. Among other medicinal plants Rich identified were yellow dock, joe pye weed, elder, yarrow, jewelweed, and pussy toes. He suggested that the root of water lily as well as day lily could be cooked and eaten like potatoes.
The pleasant afternoon offered something for everyone: a walk in the shade of the still-tiny maple tree leaves, the opportunity to learn new information about the ecology of our area, and dreams of the blackberries and raspberries to come. Everyone was rewarded with a chance to see a stand of pink lady slippers in bud.
Thanks to Rich and others who helped with the program! Rich has graciously offered to offer this hike again in September, see the RCS Calendar.
Rivanna Conservation Society and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation united forces in early May to install 100 native hardwood tree saplings on three residential properties bordering the Rivanna. Forested riparian areas provide an extremely effective and long-lived natural filtration system that functions to stabilize riverbanks and abate sedimentation, reduce nutrient runoff from drainage field and yards, and provide valuable wildlife habitat - ingredients necessary towards sustaining a healthy Rivanna, an integral tributary of the Chesapeake Bay drainage system. Located behind the former Woolen Mills employee housing (present-day homes) at the end of East Market Street in Charlottesville, conspicuous and distinctive signs of the trees are evident to the casual observer. The young trees were installed surrounded by 4-foot tall, biodegradable tube shelters to help potentially damaging beaver browse and string trimmers/mowers, hopefully broadening the survival rate. Plans are ccurrently underway to expand on our ongoing tree plantings and streambank restoration/ stabilization projects beginning in the fall of 2001. We'll keep you informed in future newsletters about RCS conservation and restoration efforts. And we will hope to see your planting hands and anxious smiles on the river very soon!
| Jackie Brown
President Pat Calvert Vice President Andy Wilson Immediate Past President Tanya Denckla Treasurer Directors: Roger Black Pat Calvert David Carter Wanda Himes Kris Parker Angus Murdoch Glenn Metzler Wanda SanJule Administrator/ Newsletter Editor |
MISSION: The Rivanna Conservation Society is dedicated to safeguarding the ecological, scenic, recreational and historic resources of the Rivanna River and its watershed.
Your membership to the Rivanna Conservation Society is vital to the health of the Rivanna River. If you have ever wondered how, wonder no more. This newsletter if full of examples of how RCS is the grassroots organization advocating for the river. In addition to our usual articles this edition covers the pollution by UVA, our response and how RCS will monitor this for the community. There is also an enlightening article by Andy Wilson, immediate past president, who serves on the Water Resource Advisory Committee, that may help some begin to understand water politics for the Rivanna River and its watershed. This is all so timely as we completed our day long, 3-year strategic planning session on March 31st. It was an energizing and satisfying day in which we reflected on the past and made grand plans for the future. We are thankful to Karen Firehock from The Institute For Environmental Negotiation for donating her time and awesome energy to facilitate the meeting. The results from this day of reflection and planning are inside. Read on!! Join us in our upcoming events! Call to see how you can become more involved!
We love hearing from you.
- Jackie Brown