Dear Friends,
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act! It’s almost unbelievable, but 40 years ago, a bi-partisan congress wrote and enacted the Clean Water Act – over then President Nixon’s veto. However, today it appears that environmental protection is a partisan issue and many in congress seem to believe we have to choose between clean water and jobs.
There is no choice between clean water and jobs. There can’t be; we need both. We can’t live without clean water and most of us need a job to feed our families and pay the bills. But what some “leaders” don’t seem to understand is that they need to help us make sure we don’t sacrifice the future of our clean water for a short-term job.
This will be an important year for clean water in our state. Will we move forward, securing and protecting our most valuable natural resource, or will we backslide and allow our waters to be dumping grounds for industry and others?
The EPA and our state agency, the Kentucky Division of Water, will make decisions about coal mining discharges that could impact aquatic life in many eastern Kentucky streams for a very long time. Likewise, the EPA and our state will likely make critical decisions about the handling and storage of coal ash waste – again impacting our rivers and the people who live near these ash storage sites for generations. And there will be decisions about the discharging of mercury into the Ohio River and recreation on the Ohio River that will affect Louisville and other river communities for a very long time.
KWA will be at the table as your voice, advocating for protecting and restoring our waterways. We will be supporting the federal and state agencies who are entrusted with protecting our water – or if necessary we will be pushing hard to make sure they do the right thing for us all – and for generations to come. Will you add your voice to the fray?
Your continued support would certainly help. But there are also many other ways in which you can help:
• Taking action in writing EPA, the state or others or in speaking out;
• Informing others and getting them involved;
• Becoming more involved and taking a leadership role within KWA.
In October, KWA will hold our Annual Meeting at General Butler State Park. Our board of directors (Governing Council) is elected at the Annual Meeting each year. In addition, we have several openings for Delegates at Large and for representatives of other groups concerned about water to serve on our board. We need you! We need your energy, your expertise, your contacts, and your assistance in making sure that KWA thrives and that we continue to advocate effectively for clean water in Kentucky. If you are interested in more information about serving on our board, please call me (502-589-8008).
Because we all need clean water,
Judy Petersen
Executive Director