EPA Region 3 Administrator Adam Ortiz to speak at annual awards event on September 28
(Silver Spring, MD) Waterkeepers Chesapeake will host its annual In Defense of Water Awards & Reception on Thursday, September 28, 2023, at Patagonia Baltimore. Awards will be presented to stalwart clean water and environmental justice advocates for their efforts protecting local communities and water quality. EPA Region 3 Administrator Adam Ortiz will be a special guest speaker at the awards event.
“We are thrilled to award our 2023 Waterkeeper Outstanding Win (WOW) Award to Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Ted Evgeniadis. As a partner with Waterkeepers Chesapeake on joint litigation around the relicensing of Conowingo Dam, Ted has been a relentless force for cleaner water, pursuing a fair federal license that led to the historic appeals court decision in December 2022 vacating the federal dam license and remanding it back to FERC,” said Robin Broder, Acting Executive Director. “In addition, Ted has had a string of clean water victories on coal ash, sewage overflows, and PFAS contamination, while also serving as Executive Director of the growing Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and as a Board Member of Waterkeepers Chesapeake for the past 6 years.”
In addition, Richard Dolesh will be presented with the 2023 Water Warrior Award. Nominated by Patuxent Riverkeeper Fred Tutman, Richard Dolesh has made significant and long-lasting contributions to the protection and restoration of the Patuxent River watershed and its communities. Fred describes Richard as “a perennial volunteer, known by nearly everybody in the Patuxent conservation community, but so modest that recognition for his contributions is long overdue.” Read more about Ted and Richard here.
At this year’s In Defense of Water, Waterkeepers Chesapeake will be celebrating 10 years of harnessing the collective power of local Waterkeepers to protect clean water and our communities. Ten years ago, local Waterkeepers decided to establish a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to Waterkeepers, who are on the front lines defending precious resources, enforcing protective clean water laws, and demanding equal justice and access to clean water.
The awards event will be an opportunity for attendees to meet Waterkeepers Chesapeake’s new Executive Director, Leda Huta, who joins the organization on September 18, 2023. Huta comes to Waterkeepers Chesapeake from the Endangered Species Coalition where she led the national 400-group coalition since 2006. Read more here.
For more event information and tickets, please visit: https://waterkeeperschesapeake.org/indefenseofwater2023/
Media contact:
Robin Broder, robin@waterkeeperschesapeake.org, 703-786-8172
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Waterkeepers Chesapeake fights for clean water and a healthy environment by supporting 17 Waterkeepers throughout the Chesapeake and coastal regions as they protect their communities, rivers, and streams from pollution. https://waterkeeperschesapeake.org
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