Members of the Inland Bay Foundation(IBF) Board of Directors received a warm reception during their January 13 meeting with Governor Markell and DNREC Secretary, David Small.
President Nancy Cabrera-Santos laid out IBF’s 2016 agenda stressing the importance of Governor Markell and Secretary Small’s support of the clean water legislation currently being crafted within the Clean Water Task Force led by State Senator Bryan Townsend. Individual board members adding historical detail to the conversation included: Chuck Schonder, Dotty LeCates, Frances Hart, Carl Mantegna, Tony Caputo, Lew Podolske, and Bob Chin. Also in attendance were IBF Board members Helen Truitt and former State Senator George Bunting.
A lively discussion ensued over such topics as: Questions surrounding Allen Harim’s Wastewater Permit, contamination in the Anchorage Canal, lack of MS4 Operators in the entire Inland Bays, and the need for more funding for DNREC’s Cover Crop program. Finally, IBF asked for the Inland Bays to be designated as “Waters of Critical Environmental Significance”.
Cabrera-Santos highlighted the need for designating the bays as environmentally critical: “The public needs to know that the EPA rates the majority of our state’s waterways as impaired. Not only does this impact fish, bay grasses, and recreational activities, but the health of our citizens as well, since toxins are incorporated into our food chain. The Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972—isn’t it about time we cleaned up Delaware’s waters?”
The Inland Bays Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization composed entirely of volunteers passionate about cleaning up the bays and retuning them to their original fishable and swimmable state. If you would like to participate in our clean water efforts, visit our website at: www.inlandbaysfoundation.org.