Markell earns award for clean water initiative
The General Assembly may not be supportive of Gov. Jack Markell's proposal to raise funds for his Clean Water for Delaware's Future initiative, but the League of Women Voters of Sussex County and the Inland Bays Foundation recently commended him for his efforts.
The two nonpartisan organizations invited Markell to their Love Our Inland Bays dinner at Irish Eyes Restaurant in Lewes Oct. 16 to present him with an environmental advocacy award for his efforts.
But before receiving the award, the governor had a few words to say about his currently tabled proposal to clean up Delaware's waterways.
“We should be optimistic about the future, but only if this issue stays at the forefront of the state,” Markell said.
He cited current environmental projects at Mirror Lake in Dover, Pepper Creek wetlands and the redevelopment of brownfields across the state as a handful of examples of how investing in Delaware's waterways can pay off.
“It took us a long time to get into this current situation, and the work to repair the damage is going to long outlast my administration, which is all the more reason that it is important for us to start now,” Markell said.
Markell introduced the clean water initiative in March 2014, proposing an increase in property taxes to partially fund roughly $800 million worth of wastewater, stormwater and drinking water projects throughout the state. Markell traveled throughout the First State earlier this year to advocate for the Clean Water for Delaware's Future proposal, citing 377 bodies of water in Delaware that are impaired, leading to advisories that fish are unsafe to eat in more than 30 waterways statewide.
Inland Bays Foundation President Ron Wuslich said he was impressed by the governor's willingness to admit that Delaware must take action to protect its waters.
“In my 30 years of living here, I haven't seen someone make that kind of statement,” Wuslich said. “We're trying to show the support for his effort to clean up Delaware's water.”
“He was a crusader last year,” said David Small, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control secretary.
“We will continue to be very aggressive to try to meet these challenges,” he added.
