Today, on World Water Day, we are launching the Clean Water Act 50th Anniversary campaign to celebrate the power and promise of this revolutionary law to protect communities and demand equal justice and access to clean water. 50 years ago, the United States government recognized that access to clean, safe water is a critical human right and passed the Clean Water Act. This powerful law ended the culture of dumping raw sewage and untreated industrial waste into our waters and led to a dramatic improvement in the health and safety of waterways across the country.
But we still have work to do. Now, some 50 years after the powerful law took effect, we’re at an environmental tipping point. In the Chesapeake Bay region, more than half of our local rivers and streams don’t meet basic state water quality standards. Too many of our communities are still overburdened by pollution.
We must demand corporate accountability and better enforcement, plan for climate change impacts, ensure environmental justice, enhance access to nature for all, and invest in our communities. The 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act is an opportunity to catalyze our past successes into a cleaner, more just future. Together, we can harness the energy, success, and momentum of the past five decades to face today’s challenges and obtain clean water justice for everyone.
The CWA50 campaign is gathering momentum with a wide range of partners such as the Hip Hop Caucus, Busboys & Poets, MOM’s Organic Market, and dozens of national, regional, and local nonprofits and community groups. Beginning today and running through the anniversary on October 18 (and beyond), we are partnering with these local groups and communities to host events, share success stories, and organize and advocate for clean water.
Visit www.CleanWaterAct50.org to learn more and join us to help shape the next 50 years of clean water in your local communities!
Reclaiming Our Right to Clean Water
Betsy Nicholas shares how through the Clean Water Act 50th Anniversary campaign we are connecting the inextricably intertwined challenges of clean water, climate change, and economic, environmental, and social injustice. The campaign is lifting up the stories of environmental justice warriors and the barriers they face, and designing Clean Water Act enforcement resources for community members. By listening to communities, we are learning how they’ve been harmed by pollution and collaboratively designing strategies—including and beyond the Clean Water Act—to reduce all sources of pollution. Together, we will develop Clean Water Platforms for community leaders to protect and bolster local, state, and federal laws implementing the Clean Water Act with a groundswell of constituent engagement. The result will be new pathways to address the 21st century problems such as climate change, emerging contaminants, extreme storms, pandemics, and environmental injustice.
MOM’s Organic Market 5% Day – April 6
MOM’s Organic Market is supporting local Waterkeepers and the Clean Water Act 50th Anniversary with a 5% Day on Wednesday, April 6th at all 16 of their stores in the Chesapeake Bay region! Come out on April 6th to shop at any of the stores and your shopping dollars will support local Waterkeepers and their Clean Water Act 50th Anniversary events and activities! Waterkeepers and MOM’s Organic Market share the same purpose of protecting and restoring the environment. We invite you to join us and shop at MOM’s and get involved with your local Waterkeeper!
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Waterkeepers Chesapeake fights for clean water and a healthy environment by supporting Waterkeepers throughout the Chesapeake and coastal regions as they protect their communities, rivers, and streams from pollution.
For info: www.WaterkeepersChesapeake.org or email info@waterkeeperschesapeake.org.
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