CBF-PA: Lawrence County Joins Clean Water Counts Campaign

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA Wednesday announced Lawrence County has joined the growing list of Pennsylvania counties that have adopted a Clean Water Counts resolution, calling on state officials to make clean water a top priority for the Commonwealth.

Lawrence is the 27th county to adopt a Clean Water Counts resolution. The other 26 counties to sign on are Berks, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Luzerne, McKean, Montgomery, Montour, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Somerset, Venango, Washington, Westmoreland, Wyoming, and York.

"Our communities, our economy, and our health depend on clean water," said Harry Campbell, Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Pennsylvania executive director. "We are excited about Lawrence County adopting the resolution. Support for Clean Water Counts now represents nearly half of Pennsylvania's population."

CBF-PA and the PA Growing Greener Coalition launched the Clean Water Counts campaign in 2014, urging local governments across the Commonwealth to pass resolutions and join in calling on legislators to invest in local clean water programs and practices.

About 19,000 miles of Pennsylvania rivers and streams are polluted, and the Commonwealth has a Clean Water Blueprint to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment runoff that is damaging its waters.

In Lawrence County, about 70 miles of waters are damaged by agricultural and urban/suburban runoff, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.

Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that Pennsylvania is significantly behind in meeting its Blueprint goals of having 60 percent of the pollution reduction practices necessary to restore water quality in place by 2017 and 100 percent in place by 2025.

The Commonwealth's commitment of resources, such as a Growing Greener initiative, is critical to the Blueprint's success.

"Never before has the Commonwealth faced an environment in which a Growing Greener III program was needed more," Growing Greener Coalition Executive Director Andrew Heath added. "Our water, our land, and our precious resources must be protected and restored. Now is the time to address these issues; pushing the can down the road is no longer an option."

By supporting the Clean Water Counts campaign, Lawrence and other counties are telling lawmakers in Harrisburg that the Commonwealth must get back on track toward meeting its clean water commitments. It's a legacy worth leaving future generations.

How Clean Is My Stream?

For more information and find out how clean streams are in your county, visit CBF-PA’s Clean Water Counts In Pennsylvania webpage.

For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the CBF-PA webpage.  Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column).  Click Here for a copy of CBF-PA’s most recent newsletter.