Danville, Virg., fisherman Morris Lawson took photos of dead turtles on the banks of the Dan River, and shared them online. They've raised a lot of attention to the possible impact of the coal ash spill on wildlife in the area.

From WGHP Fox 8:

“One turtle was at the dam up on the bank about two feet out of the water. And the other turtle was located about where that tree is [by the boat ramp] about two feet up out of the water on the bank. And he was on his back. The other one was on his belly,” explained Lawson.

Jenny Edwards is a program manager with the Dan River Basin Association.

“We have heard some reports that turtles appear to be crawling up on the banks and dying,” she told FOX8.

Edwards added, “Turtles should be hibernating this time of year. It’s cold. They hibernate down in the mud. The fact that they’re crawling up on the bank and dying, even if it’s not in mass numbers… It’s highly unusual.”

She emphasized, “Even though we can’t directly link it to coal ash, this is exactly the sort of thing we expected to start seeing.”

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Residents can report dead wildlife in and near the river at this link; more information here.

Photo: Morris Lawson