Winter 2018 ENews

Letter from Executive Director

Recent years at Waterkeepers Chesapeake have been marked by pronounced growth in our organization and our capacity to protect clean water in the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays regions. Waterkeepers Chesapeake has been working hard to magnify the impact of each member organization to reduce pollution by focusing on long-term systemic change, organizing collective legal and advocacy campaigns, coordinating information and resources, and amplifying the voices of our Waterkeepers. Now Waterkeepers have more influence in the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays restoration efforts than ever.

Please explore some of what you have helped us achieve with your support and participation!

Passage of Groundbreaking Laws & Policies in Maryland that Protect Water –

• Commented on key state and federal policies that affect local water quality
• Watchdogged polluter-facilities that fall under state permits
• Submitted Public Information Act requests based on water quality enforcement concerns

Built Powerful Movements –

• Through our Fair Farms work, we have been able to utilize our relationship with farmers and our consumer base to garnish public support for food systems policies that also improve the health of our waterways. The Fair Farms campaign now has over 37,000 activated consumers and 178 partners!
• Waterkeepers Chesapeake helped launch the Don’t Frack Maryland Coalition in 2015 to push for a long-term moratorium on fracking in Maryland. A two-year moratorium on fracking passed in 2015, and Don’t Frack Maryland continued on and called for a statewide ban. In March 2017, a statewide fracking ban passed, the result of a massive grassroots movement across Maryland, especially in Western Maryland, that demanded the legislature protect their families, livelihoods, and clean water and air from the irreversible damage caused by fracking.

Support to Member Waterkeepers –

• Provided legal and communications support in our fight against the fracked gas Potomac Pipeline
• Intervened in federal action to ensure that Conowingo Dam owner pays fair share of Susquehanna River cleanup efforts
• Held various trainings and presentations on legal and policy advocacy

CLICK HERE to read more on our Waterkeepers Chesapeake work and impact.

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Waterkeeper Groups File Intent to Sue the EPA Under the Safe Drinking Water Act

Waterkeepers Chesapeake joined Waterkeeper Alliance and the California Coastkeeper Alliance in filing an intent to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because it has missed deadlines under the Safe Drinking Water Act for reviewing and regulating contaminants in our drinking water, including tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, hexavalent chromium, and others. This is yet another example of how the current administration is failing to protect our right to clean water. We, the public, put our trust in government to ensure our drinking water is safe. Right now, that trust is broken because EPA is not fulfilling its obligation to monitor dangerous drinking water contaminants. It’s a sad necessity that we must force the agency’s hand to fulfill its most basic obligation to the people.

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Coming Soon: Clear Choices Clean Water Campaign

Waterkeepers Chesapeake is excited to announce the rollout of the Clear Choices Clean Water campaign in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. With stormwater being the fastest growing sector of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay region, Clear Choices serves as a way to motivate individuals to take small pledges (i.e. install a rain garden, pick up pet waste, refrain from using harmful pesticides, etc.) that demonstrate the collective amount of pollution prevented to the Chesapeake Bay in pounds. With each person doing his/her part, this program has the potential to prevent millions of pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus in the area’s watershed.

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Conowingo Dam: Seeking a Fair Solution

The aftermath of this year’s excessive rains resulted in several dam releases, underscoring why it is so important to address the sediment pollution stored behind Conowingo Dam. By suing the State, the dam’s owner Exelon is seeking to disarm Maryland of one of its key tools to protect water quality in the relicensing process. While we feel that Maryland’s certification is missing some key elements, we absolutely support states’ authority to protect water quality and require power companies to reduce pollution from the operation of their dams. Given this, WKC is partnering with Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper and EarthJustice in filing an administrative appeal and intervening in the federal court action on this Certification.

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Waterkeeper Mergers, New Member

 

Several of our member Waterkeepers have been busy joining forces and growing strength! Late last year, Chester River Association, Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy, and Sassafras River Association merged to form ShoreRivers, a new nonprofit dedicated to healthy waterways across the upper and middle Eastern Shore. The new organization includes four Waterkeepers: Chester Riverkeeper, Choptank Riverkeeper, Miles-Wye Riverkeeper and Sassafras Riverkeeper. Effective January 1, 2019 South River Federation, which houses the South Riverkeeper, is uniting with West Rhode Riverkeeper. The new organization will be known as Arundel Rivers Federation. In Virginia, the James River Association strategically consolidated its Lower and Upper James Riverkeeper positions into one James Riverkeeper. Last, but certainly not least,, we’re excited to welcome Patuxent Riverkeeper Fred Tutman as our newest member program!

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In Defense of Water a Great Success!

 

With the support of our generous sponsors, donors, and guests, we raised over $30,000 at this year’s In Defense of Water. Our guests enjoyed fresh, local food from La Prima Catering and beer from Sweetwater Brewing, mingled with Waterkeepers, grooved to the Wendy Steve Jazz Band and won exciting silent auction items. This year, we honored Nick DiPasquale, former Director of the Chesapeake Bay Program, for his dedication to restoring the Chesapeake Bay and all of its tributaries. Funds raised this year benefited our Conowingo Dam campaign. We thank our all of our sponsors, especially Colonial Pipeline and Nina Houghton, for supporting our work and making this event possible

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Welcome Lacey Gaechter!

We welcome Lacey Gaechter as our new Development & Communications Manager to oversee our fundraising and communications efforts. She most recently worked on renewable energy projects on Native American reservations, especially in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Public Health degree in Environmental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she is a Center for A Livable Future-Lerner Fellow. Her studies focus on the human, environmental, and farmed animal health impacts of industrial food animal production. The thing this western woman loves most about the east? You guessed it – the water!

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Give A Gift In Defense of Water

 

 

This holiday season, give a special gift – supporting Waterkeepers Chesapeake in protecting the local waters of the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays regions. Donations received in December come with a beautiful, printable gift card for your loved ones.

Thank you!!!

Betsy Nicholas
Executive Director
WATERKEEPERS® Chesapeake

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10% of sales of each glassbaby “chesapeake” hand-blown candle holder is donated to Waterkeepers Chesapeake! Buy one today!

We have made it easier to find and report pollution — and to report the fun things you see and do on the river. Working with Chesapeake Commons, we developed the free Water Reporter App so you can send reports directly to your local Waterkeeper! Download it today!

Take Swim Guide with you – wherever you go! The free Swim Guide app makes it easy to know the water quality at your beach. The 7,000 freshwater and marine beaches and swimming sites on the Swim Guide app and website make finding clean, swimmable water simple.

 

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