The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA Tuesday applauded the Venango County Commissioners for adopting a Clean Water Counts! resolution, calling on state officials to make clean water a top priority for the Keystone State.  

Since launching this initiative, Berks, Luzerne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Fayette, Cumberland, Washington, Erie, Greene, Jefferson, and now Venango counties have all joined the effort and have passed resolutions.

“Healthy families, strong communities, and a thriving Pennsylvania economy depend on clean water,” said Harry Campbell, CBF’s Pennsylvania Executive Director. “We applaud and thank the Venango County Commissioners for publicly voicing their support for clean water in the Keystone State.”

CBF embarked on the Clean Water Counts campaign in response to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s most recent statewide surface waters assessment. The results show that of the 86,000 miles of waterways flowing through the Commonwealth, nearly 20,000 miles are polluted. DEP also reported that the top pollution sources are agricultural and urban/suburban runoff, and abandoned mine drainage.

According to DEP, 1,233 miles of waterways flow through Venango County, but unfortunately more than 250 of those miles are polluted. The leading cause of pollution is abandoned mine drainage, polluting 119 miles of rivers and streams.

Through public education and engagement, CBF is hoping to increase awareness of water pollution issues, like those in Venango County and elsewhere in the Keystone State. The goal is to urge state officials to make clean water a priority and commit the needed funding and programs to ensure that the waters that we rely on—for drinking and household uses, recreation, and to grow our food—all meet clean water standards.

In addition to calling on local officials to pass resolutions, CBF is asking residents to show their support by signing the Clean Water Counts online petition. It takes only a few minutes, but signatures will go a long way toward demonstrating the importance of clean water to our elected officials.

To learn more about the campaign, visit the Clean Water Counts! webpage.

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2/16/2015