Riverkeeper Staff Attends Washington Conference

by Hugh Carola

Staff meets with lawmakers during Clean Water Week

Teaneck, NJ -- From February 9 thru the 13, the staff of Hackensack Riverkeeper visited our nation’s capital to take part in the biennial meeting of the Clean Water Network, a nationwide coalition of more than one thousand environmental advocacy groups. The staff also met with members of Congress about clean water issues facing the Hackensack River and the Meadowlands. Accompanying Captain Bill Sheehan were Program Director Hugh Carola, Administrator Kathy Urffer, and NJ DEP Watershed Ambassador (and AmeriCorps Member) Christine Hirt. Joining them later in the week to photograph the event was Haley Peele, daughter of Riverkeeper’s Development Director Mary Arnold (whose pictures accompany this article)

The Riverkeeper delegation was joined by over 190 activists from 40 states at the Doyle Washington Hotel to learn more about clean water issues and to urge Senators and Representatives to take action in the protection of wetlands and the clean‑up of our nation’s

rivers, lakes, and beaches. “For too long, polluters, developers and dumpers have been allowed to run roughshod over our wetlands and waters,” declared Captain Bill Sheehan, invoking the Public Trust Doctrine, “It’s time for us to take back what was wrongly taken from us.”

Clean Water Network is dedicated to enforcing and strengthening the federal Clean Water Act, our nation’s premier clean water law. That’s the reason why Hackensack Riverkeeper and many other Keeper programs from around the nation are members of the Network. NY/NJ Baykeeper Andy Willner, Santa Monica Baykeeper Steve Fleishli and his staff attorney, Maryland’s Anacostia Riverkeeper Damon Whitehead, and Mobile Baykeeper Casi Callaway from Alabama all joined Hackensack Riverkeeper At the conference. According to Kathy Urffer, “It was great meeting colleagues from all over the country and discussing our issues and strategies with them”.

In addition to learning and networking, the attendees also met with their legislators and urged them to enforce key provisions of the Clean Water Act. Captain Bill and his staff visited the offices of Representatives Steve Rothman (9th‑NJ), Marge Roukema (5th‑NJ) and Edolphus Towns (10th‑NY) and met personally with Senators Jon Corzine (NJ) and Hillary Clinton (NY). “One‑third of the Hackensack River lies in New York State and provides drinking water for over one million New Jerseyans,” said Captain Bill,” so it was important for us to meet with legislators from both states”.

The Meadowlands featured heavily in their discussions especially when one considers the fact that both Rep. Rothman and Rep. Roukema have been in the forefront of the opposition to the proposed “Meadowlands Mills” mega-mall . Congressman Rothman has also publicly endorsed the idea of a Hackensack Meadowlands National Wildlife Refuge. “And we were very happy to learn that Senators Corzine and Clinton have been conferring on ways to prevent further loss of wetlands in that unique ecosystem,” said Hugh Carola.

During the conference, attendees learned that according to a recent poll by the League of Conservation Voters, seventy‑one percent of Americans are extremely concerned about clean water (Kind of makes you wonder about the other 29%, doesn’t it?). “Congress and the administration must understand that the vast majority of Americans want the Clean Water Act funded and enforced,” said Eddie Scher, Director of the Clean Water Network in his opening remarks at the Conference. “In 1972 Congress promised to stop industries from polluting our rivers, lakes, and estuaries by 1985. Sixteen years later, Congress still hasn’t delivered on this promise. Today 218 million Americans live within 10 miles of a polluted river, lake or beach,” he said.

“That’s exactly why we do what we do,” said Capt. Bill in response, “Too many of those people are our neighbors who live in our watershed.”