For three thousand years, Indigenous people lived along the James River, the Powhatan tribe among them. As history tells it, “The native people were intimately connected to the river as the source of food, travel and defense from enemies. With fish, game, migratory birds and fertile ground, the river was life to them.”
Only one thing was missing from those bucolic times: pollution. That came later. As the march of technology advanced, industrial contamination and toxic spills wreaked havoc on the James River for decades, if not longer.
Who are the offenders who poisoned Virginia’s most prominent landmark? Why hasn’t this pollution abuse been stopped once and for all? Most importantly, how can we prevent this river of life from becoming a river of death?
History of James River pollution
Despite being a significant source of drinking water, recreation, jobs, and wildlife, the James River became a target for multiple kinds of pollution. It began with the “antiquated wastewater treatment facility” that had been built in the 1800s. The facility treated both sewage waste and storm water, which worked fine until heavy storms overloaded the system, causing untreated sewage to spill into the river.
Pollution continued with regular infusions of sediment runoff, trash, fecal matter, as well as excess nitrogen and phosphorous from residential areas and farms.
The Kepone Disaster of 1975 sent the level of pollution into overdrive. The insecticide dumping by Allied Signal Company and Life Sciences Products caused so much pollution and health problems in Hopewell, VA that the state imposed a commercial fishing ban for thirteen years. Subsequently, folks who relied on the James River for their livelihood were put out of business.
Present-day causes of pollution
More recently, dozens of commercial businesses, such as Honeywell, Inc. and AdvanSix, have legal permits to dump waste into the James River. The James River is still subject to contamination by crude oil, coal ash, and the “storage and transport of hazardous materials.” The river is also plagued by concerning levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a.k.a. “forever chemicals.” PCBs are harmful to humans and wildlife.
Climate breakdown has also exacerbated pollution levels. For example, heavier rainfall increases the risk of sewage leaking into the river. During heavy rainfall in 2025, “the Hopewell Wastewater Plant lost power and deposited about a million gallons of raw sewage into the James River.”
In August, sewage leaked onto the Virginia Capital Trail, forcing a closure. According to CBS 6 News Richmond, trail users expressed concern about the impact of such leaks on the environment as well as the James River.
The surge of data centers in Virginia has sparked concerns about increased pollution in our air and water. More data centers mean more energy plants, which in turn could lead to more pollution. Can Virginia weather that much more toxic waste?
James River pollution has harmed the health of Virginians
Pollution causes health problems and can even impact life spans. The Southern Environmental Law Center reported that, “The average life expectancy in Hopewell is 73 years, compared to the national average of 76 years.”
Chesterfield community members showed up at an informational meeting in August 2025 to oppose Dominion Energy’s proposed gas plant. Dominion insists the plant is necessary to meet Virginia’s “soaring energy demands.” But residents are worried about “the cumulative health impacts on the largely low-income and communities of color that surround the plant, which they say have already been breathing in coal dust for decades.”
In addition to health problems, environmental pollutants such as Kepone and lead have been linked to increased aggression in people. Murderland by Caroline Fraser explores how environmental toxins may have contributed to the rise of serial killers and other types of violence during the 1970s in the Pacific Northwest. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched The Clean Air Act of 1972 to address smelter-generated pollution, and it also addressed pollution problems in the James River.
Anti-pollution efforts for the James River
Over the past fifty years, major inroads have been made to clean up the James River, foremost among them being The Clean Water Act of 1972. The EPA banned PCBs in 1976, although traces of them still linger in the watershed.
In 2010, the EPA limited the amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen allowed to flow into the river. The Dominion Coal Ash Pond Dewatering at the Chesterfield Power Station is an ongoing project.
The Chesapeake Bay Agreement launched a decades-long restoration effort. The Clean Water Rule went into effect in 2024, but polluters have stalled it in the courts. In 2025, Richmond unveiled a $140M sewer project to protect James River, cut pollution. And “Environmental groups oppose Dominion’s Chesterfield gas plant plans.”
Yet the James River still needs protection, a need that will likely endure for as long as Virginians rely on modern technology. Currently, such protection is in jeopardy because of the EPA’s budget cuts, deregulation efforts, and its goal to roll back The Clean Water Act. The severing of the federal commitment to efforts such as restoring the Chesapeake Bay means that the state and local governments will have to assume the watchdog mantle.
Government oversight, enforcement of environmental laws, and industrial regulation is key to protecting the James River, but ongoing tensions between businesses, residents, environmental groups, and the Trump Administration are muddying the waters of finding solutions that balance everyone’s needs.
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