Two environmental groups are suing the Navy and alleging it failed to abide by the Clean Water Act, which requires anyone discharging pollutants into a river to get a permit, and to regularly test the water to ensure it is safe for humans and wildlife.
By the Navy’s own count, it fired about 33 million pounds of ordnance into the river in the first 90 years of operation, including 225 tons of the toxic heavy metal manganese and 15,000 tons of iron. It is still testing today. Vast, thunderous explosions in the water are commonplace to residents, boaters and watermen who make their living in or near the more than 50-mile stretch of the Potomac River Test Range.
The Navy did a large environmental impact study in 2013 that considered, among other things, whether substances contained in the munitions posed a risk. The Navy said it performed “modeled concentrations,” or estimates, on the water and fish, and “concentrations are considered to be at acceptable levels and no further evaluation is required.”
In the study, it became clear the Navy has closely charted every round it has fired into the Potomac since 1918, when it launched its first test: a 153-pound projectile that was fired from a big gun and traveled 11 miles. Up through 2007, the Navy had tested nearly 292,000 inert rounds and 52,000 live, large-caliber rounds, according to the impact study.
“What are they going to put in the water?” Hudgins said he asked of the Navy. “They won’t tell us exactly what they’re going to do.”Naujoks said environmental testing is expensive, particularly searching for elements such as selenium, arsenic and mercury often associated with metals or using sonar to examine the river bottom. “Why should the Potomac Riverkeepers have to pay for that?” he asked.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Uruguay declares water emergency, sets tax exemption for bottled waterUruguay President Luis Lacalle Pou declared a state of emergency in the capital Montevideo because of a water shortage, enacting measures such as tax exemptions for bottled water and the construction of a reservoir.
Read more »
How you water the garden can save you money, gallons and your plants, tooIf you water your garden right, you can save water and money and make plants healthier. Watering with a hose allows you to direct water precisely where you need it, above the roots. That eliminates waste and reduces the chance of some diseases. Placing rubber soaker or drip irrigation hoses around the plants is a similarly efficient method. Other tips include watering in the morning, so the surface water doesn't evaporate in the sun. And water deeply, if perhaps less often, so the soil can really soak it up. You can recycle cooking water for use in the garden so long as it's not salted. And choose plants native to your area since they won't require as much water to thrive.
Read more »
2 men rescued in unrelated water incidents at Sand Hollow; 1 taken to hospital after nearly drowningSand Hollow Reservoir was the scene of two separate water rescues on Monday evening.
Read more »
Condos in Jacob & Co.’s Bonkers 100-Story Crystal Skyscraper in Dubai Are Now for SaleThe units include two and three-bedroom villas and one and two-floor penthouses.
Read more »
'Gallows humor' and 'mood swings': Ex-Navy psychologist describes likely experience on missing Titanic subEx-Navy psychologist Dr. Justin D'Arienzo outlines what the five members on the missing Titanic sub are going through in a tight space with limited oxygen.
Read more »