Waterkeeper Chesapeake ENews

Clean Water Bills Pass in Maryland, Backtrack in Virginia In a victory for protecting clean water and preventing environmental injustices, the Maryland legislature passed several bills championed by Waterkeepers Chesapeake that significantly improve the monitoring and enforcement of pollution permits, require an evaluation of environmental justice impacts for new permits, ensure public participation, and limit toxic pollutants. … Read more

Our Clean Water Legislative Priorities for the Region Waterkeepers Chesapeake’s policy priorities for the 2022 Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania legislative sessions will focus on enforcement, climate, equity and justice, public access, participation and notification, and sustainable local agriculture. Our overarching priority is strengthening states’ implementation of the federal Clean Water Act, which celebrates its 50th … Read more

Challenge to Conowingo Dam Federal License Filed Waterkeepers Chesapeake, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper, and Sassafras Riverkeeper, represented by Earthjustice and joined by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, filed a legal challenge to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) relicensing of the Conowingo Dam. The filing seeks to reverse FERC’s decision to grant a license to Exelon Generation, … Read more

You and I and our Earth are mostly water. 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. Only 3% is fresh water. And only 0.5% is available to us. Please consider a special Earth Day donation. For our Waterkeepers, every day is Earth Day — a day to protect our precious water resources for … Read more

Have you heard of Chesapeake Bay Week with Maryland Public Television? On the week of April 18th through April 24th, Maryland Public TV will be showing several films that showcase our Chesapeake Bay watershed, including some of our Waterkeepers. We’re excited to be a sponsor this year. Keep an eye out for the Waterkeepers Chesapeake … Read more

  Protecting the Giant Hellbender Salamander     Hellbenders are like the canary in the coal mine. This ancient species is now almost gone from Appalachian streams because they are incredibly sensitive to pollutants and the destruction of their habitats when smothered by sediment.  We joined a lawsuit to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife … Read more

Attacks on Our Democracy We were appalled and outraged by the deadly January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the physical and psychological harm experienced by so many people at the capitol and throughout our nation. This attack was the culmination of several years of language and actions predicated on White Supremacy. We demand … Read more

Vote for Clean Water! It’s the final countdown to the national election on Tuesday, Nov. 3. We urge you to get out to vote! One of the most important battlegrounds in the fight for clean water is in the halls of local, state, and federal government. Make a list of five friends, family and neighbors … Read more

Stronger Together: Dismantling Racism Takes Action, Not Just Words Waterkeepers Chesapeake would like to address the latest events surrounding the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and many other unarmed black people. We stand in solidarity with black, indigenous, and people of color who are routinely and disproportionately impacted every day by social, … Read more

Take Action on Maryland Clean Water Legislation! 401 Water Quality Certification Improvement Act (HB1128): This bill would guarantee that Maryland retains – and uses — the authority it is entitled to under the Clean Water Act to protect local communities and waterways from federally permitted projects like dams and pipelines. The House committee is holding … Read more