An Introduction to “Our River at Risk”

The James River on fire after the
April 30th train derailment.

In the fall of 2014, the James River Association launched a new campaign entitled “Our River at Risk.” This is the first in a series of blogs that will help educate our readers on the various aspects of the campaign and its goals.

On April 30, 2014, a train carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire in Lynchburg, Virginia. Three rail cars fell in to the James River. One caught fire and completely lost its contents, either by burning up or spilling into the river. 

On February 2, 2014 a stormwater pipe burst sending 39,000 tons of coal ash and 24 million gallons of wastewater into the Dan River in Eden, North Carolina.

On January 9, 2014 a chemical storage tank in Charleston, West Virginia leaked 10,000 gallons of a chemical into the Elk River shutting down access to drinking water for the capital city and nine surrounding counties.

These incidents served as a wake-up call for the James River Association – they are emphatic illustrations of the risks associated with toxic chemicals being transported and stored in the James River watershed.

We have learned from these events and want to take immediate action to protect public safety, the environment, the economy that the river supports and its recreational value.  Our safety requirements and procedures need to be up to date to address current threats and to prevent a crippling event from happening in the future. Now is the time to begin the conversation on how to protect our waterways and our citizens from the threats posed by the storage and transport of hazardous materials. “Our River at Risk” campaign is designed to achieve all of these goals.

Stay tuned to learn more about the threats to the James River watershed and the specific goals of the “Our River at Risk” campaign. To take part in the campaign, please join our Action Network.