Clean Streams Rally Monday

The Loudoun Clean Streams Coalition is a local organization dedicated to the preservation of our local water quality. It has been instrumental in raising awareness about our stressed streams, and advocating for rational, reasonable solutions like the Chesapeake Bay Protection Ordinance (CBPO). The Clean Streams Coalition will be holding a rally in front of the Loudoun County Government Center (1 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg VA) on Monday, May 2nd at 6pm to advocate for the Ordinance.

The Loudoun Clean Streams Coalition will hold a rally at the Loudoun County Government Center on Monday, May 2nd, 2011 from 6:00 to 7:00 PM and we invite you to add your voice and show your support for implementing the Chesapeake Bay Protection Ordinance (CBPO) as a critical way to protect our streams.

As discussed in detail on this website, we believe that implementing the CBPO is an important step toward protecting water quality in county streams – water that ultimately is withdrawn from the Potomac River and Goose Creek to be used for drinking water in most homes in the eastern half of Loudoun County. While we freely admit that the Riparian Buffers (streamside vegetated filter strips) protected by the CBPO will not solve all of the chemical and sediment pollution problems noted in county streams, they are already in place in many areas of the county, require little maintenance, work 24/7 to filter water BEFORE it enters the streams they abut, and are scientifically endorsed as very effective natural filters. Given the seriously compromised state of county streams and the already high levels of sediment and chemical pollutants in the Potomac, the CBPO makes not only good ecological sense but it will save many cents as well by saving the amount of time, money and effort needed by water treatment plants to bring river water to drinking water standards. - Loudoun Clean Streams

The CBPO is more than just smart policy, it's an important line in the fight over land use. The CBPO is really nothing more than a zoning regulation. Just like Leesburg can regulate the height of buildings downtown in the interests of community preservation, Loudoun can - and should - manage the use of land that directly impacts our water quality. Those opposed to the CBPO are fighting the very idea that the public has an interest in managing the impact that private land use has on neighbors, communities and future generations.

And streams like Catoctin, Goose Creek and Broad Run do have a direct and significant impact on our water quality. The Town of Leesburg gets all of its water from the Potomac River. The more work our local water authorities need to do to clean and filter the water we get from our rivers and streams, the higher our water rates will wind up being. It is entirely appropriate for our elected government to protect our collective, public interests. That is what the CBPO does. That is why I support it. And that's why I'm asking you to join us on Monday evening at the Loudoun Government Center.