California Coastkeeper Alliance Releases Maps of Severely Polluted Waterways on World Environment Day
Water Pollution Information Will Inform Actions to Address California’s Drought
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 4, 2008
CONTACT:
Linda Sheehan, Executive Director, CCKA 510-770-9764 (v), 510-219-7730 (cell), lsheehan@cacoastkeeper.org
San Francisco, CA. The California Coastkeeper Alliance (CCKA), a coalition of 12 Waterkeeper groups spanning the coast from the Oregon border to San Diego, commemorated World Environment Day by officially launching interactive maps of seriously polluted waters throughout California. The United Nations sponsors the 26th annual World Environment Day on June 5th to stimulate worldwide awareness of environmental issues and encourage political action to protect and restore the environment. This Sunday, June 8th will mark the 16th annual World Ocean Day. CCKA’s launch of new pollution maps and these world environment events coincide with Governor Schwarzenegger’s announcement and Executive Order today on the serious drought facing California (attached). As articulated in the Governor’s remarks and Executive Order, the health of California’s waterways are directly related to adequate flows, and the state needs to address pollution to fully address the water shortages arising from drought conditions.
In recognition of the links between water quality and water supply, the California Coastkeeper Alliance created interactive maps of the state’s most polluted water bodies. In California, the State Water Board is responsible for maintaining and updating a list of seriously polluted water bodies and the contaminants fouling those waters. More than 35 years after the creation of the Clean Water Act the number of water bodies on this list grows every year. However, the state of California has yet to provide clear maps of this information that the public can access to learn more about local pollution. CCKA’s maps aim to educate the public about water pollution in the state and to inform decisionmakers on how to improve the health of California’s polluted waterways. The maps illustrate the extent of pollution of California’s waters, the contaminants and where they are coming from, how the contamination might affect public health or the health of aquatic ecosystems, and where the public can go to learn more and take action.
“Governor Schwarzenegger articulated today that the state’s growing water supply crisis worsens the state’s water pollution problems,” said Linda Sheehan, Executive Director of the California Coastkeeper Alliance. “We don’t know how much more stress the state’s rivers, lakes, and streams can take from pollution and lack of water. CCKA intends for its new interactive information on the state’s most serious pollution problems to help decisionmakers and the public take action to protect California’s waterways. We are pleased to release this information in conjunction with World Environment Day, and to call on Californians to work together for clean, abundant water in their communities.”
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The California Coastkeeper Alliance provides a statewide voice for safeguarding California’s waters, and its worldrenowned coast and ocean, for the benefit of all Californians. Member organizations are Klamath Riverkeeper, Humboldt Baykeeper, Russian Riverkeeper, San Francisco Baykeeper, Monterey Coastkeeper, San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Ventura County Coastkeeper, Santa Monica Baykeeper, Orange County Coastkeeper and its Inland Empire Waterkeeper chapter, and San Diego Coastkeeper.
