To the Editor:
As a proud member of the Northern Virginia community who spent my high school years rowing on the Potomac River, I am very concerned about the condition of this beloved waterway. The state legislature’s decision to maintain Virginia’s membership in the Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) is a huge victory for both the health of the Potomac and Virginia’s drinking water supply. The Potomac provides clean drinking water for at least 3 million Virginians and it is crucial for Virginia to continue paying its dues to the commission; every dollar helps support the commission’s vital water research and cleaning efforts. Without Virginia’s dues the commission may not be able to properly fulfill its purpose and then we’ll put the Potomac River, as well as Virginia’s drinking water, at risk. Just as the Governor’s own commission appointee, Rob Hartwell, said, Virginia is more than adequately rewarded for the money it pays to the commission through returns.
As both a member of Environment Virginia and an active Northern Virginian citizen, I would like to encourage members of the Virginia State Senate to vote to pay the full membership dues to the Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin so that the Potomac River will remain a clean source of drinking water for Virginians.
Emily Jorgensen
Environment Virginia
Springfield