The Work Ahead

The goal is clear – clean water. To achieve it we need get our local communities, counties and states the power and enforcement tools they need to stop the pollution of their waters. Below you will find a list of the 2011 priorities of the Choose Clean Water Coalition.

Choose Clean Water Coalition’s 2011 Policy Priorities

The Choose Clean Water Coalition is excited to announce its 2011 policy priorities.  The priorities listed below will have the most significant and direct impacts on local streams throughout the region and provide the best chance of restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay.

Due to historic completion of a pollution limit for the Chesapeake Bay and opportunities in the coming year, the Coalition’s primary focus in 2011 will be:

•    Ensuring local implementation of state Watershed Implementation Plans– We will work to ensure the cleanup plan for each state is implemented, meets the requirements of the pollution limit for the Chesapeake Bay (TMDL) and protects streams throughout the 64,000-square-mile Chesapeake Bay region.  The Coalition will work in all six states and the District of Columbia to assist local governments in developing strong plans to meet the challenge of the Bay TMDL. 

•    Improving policies that stop polluted runoff in cities and towns – Polluted stormwater runoff is the only significant source of nutrient and sediment pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that is growing. A revised national stormwater rule will set one standard for the country.  The Chesapeake community has much to gain by advocating for better protections, and opportunities for linking smart growth to better stormwater management. 

•    Protecting communities from water pollution created by gas drilling – Rapid development of the industry in states across the region has overwhelmed communities with negative impacts of hydraulic fracturing (also known as hydrofracking): drinking water contamination, spills of chemical wastewater, industrialization of rural farm and forest lands and destruction of local streams and groundwater.  Working with Coalition members in the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, we will share critical information about where hydrofracking and legacy mining impacts are occurring and best practices to test water quality, and champion federal policies that increase transparency and accountability for polluters.   

•    Ensuring continued federal investment in Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration and protection– Since 1983 the Chesapeake Bay has been a priority of the White House and the U.S. Congress, yielding critical federal appropriations for protection and restoration of the rivers and streams that flow into its waters.  We will continue to advocate for these federal dollars that are matched with local and state dollars for on-the-ground work to protect water resources.  Specifically, we will demand that there are no rollbacks in funding and regulations at the time when they are needed most.   This includes critical transportation and farm bill funding. 

Coalition members voted to approve these priorities January 10th, 2011