UPDATED July 19, 1:30 p.m.
information from the office of Interim Warren County Manager Crystal Smith
The Virginia Department of Health is lifting portions of the recreational water and fish consumption advisories issued in response to the July 6 chemical storage facility fire in South Hill. The portion of the advisory being lifted is for a section of the Meherrin River that starts at Route 138 (Union Mill Road) flowing Southeast through the Town of Lawrenceville and the City of Emporia to the North Carolina state line.
The advisory is being lifted for this section of river because the presence of chemicals is no longer at levels that pose a health risk, according to information from the office of Interim Warren County Manager Crystal Smith. The concentrations of chemicals in the waterways have diluted due to recent rainfall as it has traveled downstream. Advisories still remain in place for Mountain Creek, Dockery Creek, Roanoke River to Lake Gaston.
For additional updates visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/news/2024-regional-news-releases/vdh-lifts-portion-of-recreational-water-fish-consumption-advisories-for-meherrin-river/
Warren County Health Department and Emergency Management are participating in daily briefings with state and local officials from Virginia and North Carolina and will continue to monitor this incident and provide relevant updates as they become available.
information courtesy of Warren County and N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality
The Warren County Health Department continues to monitor the possible downstream effects of the July 6 fire at a chemical storage facility in South Hill, VA.
The warehouse held a large quantity of agricultural chemicals, and runoff from the firefighting efforts has entered several water systems in southern Virginia, including the Meherrin River from its confluence with Mountain Creek, and the Miles and Dockery Creeks, upstream of the Roanoke River.
At this time, there is no immediate danger to the North Carolina public or to those near Lake Gaston. There is no timeline, however, on when – or if – contaminants will reach Lake Gaston or North Carolina in measurable concentrations.
The Virginia Department of Health has issued a recreational swimming and fish consumption advisory until further notice for surface waters, including the Meherrin and Roanoke rivers, that extend to the North Carolina-Virginia border and local health officials have been in contact with the appropriate local, North Carolina and Virginia authorities monitoring the progress of this event for any potential impact to Warren County, according to information from the office of Interim County Manager Crystal Smith.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality are testing the affected waterways routinely and reporting those results to WCHD and partner agencies, Smith said in a press release.
Virginia DEQ reports that the chemical plume is moving slowly, and that as of July 15, 2024, there is no indication that the chemical plume has made its way to Lake Gaston or any other waterway in Warren County.
The N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services has recommended that local health departments in the impacted areas issue recreational water advisories mirroring those in Virginia. The need for and timing of those advisories will depend on available data. NCDEQ is monitoring for potential impacts, staff plan to conduct additional water sampling once the wastewaters are believed to reach North Carolina waterbodies. If you discover any water sheens, odors, discolored vegetation or dead wildlife in the potentially impacted areas, please contact your NCDEQ regional office, or call 1.877.623.6748. Fish kill activity can also be reported on the NCDEQ website.
NCDHHS is working with officials in Virginia to determine what the potential health impacts could be from this incident. This information will inform any future protective actions that may be needed in North Carolina.
The NC DHHS Communicable Disease Branch has begun syndromic surveillance of Warren, Halifax, and Northampton County hospitals. This effort, mirroring Virginia’s Department of Health, is focusing on tracking symptoms including eye and skin irritation, allergic skin reactions, drowsiness or dizziness, respiratory irritation, nausea, and loss of consciousness reported in emergency departments.
Anyone who has been in the affected waterways and is experiencing these symptoms is asked to seek medical care and notify their practitioners of the waterbody exposure.
If you notice any plumes, sheens or fish kills in these waterways avoid contact with these waters and report these conditions to 1.877.623.6748.
Warren County Health Department will continue to update citizens as the incident progresses.
For more information related to the incident, please visit www.deq.virginia.gov.
Fish consumption and recreation advisories have been issued for Dockery Creek and Miles Creek to its confluence with the Roanoke River and Lake Gaston, as well as the Meherrin River to the North Carolina state line.
North Carolina updates will be posted to a NCDEQ website located here.
VADEQ has established a website with information on their response located on their website here.