Working for a Trash-Free Potomac by 2013
ACCOKEEK, MD - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) joined thousands of volunteers from throughout Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to participate in the 17th Annual Potomac Watershed Clean-Up sponsored by the Alice Ferguson Foundation which is located in Congressman Hoyer’s district. Rep. Hoyer joined Tracy Bowen, Executive Director of the Foundation, on the banks of the Potomac in Accokeek to talk to volunteers and help cleanup debris along the river.
“The volunteers who come out to the Clean Up every year are people who want to make a positive contribution to their communities,” said Congressman Hoyer. “I am particularly grateful to the Alice Ferguson Foundation for remaining committed to the Potomac and for sponsoring this growing event for the past 17 years. This event helps raise awareness in our region to the importance of taking responsibility for our community and the ways we can preserve and protect this River, its tributaries and our environment.”
As a senior member on the Appropriations Committee, and the only Representative from Maryland on the committee, Congressman Hoyer has worked to secure millions in federal funds to help restore the ecological and economic health of the Potomac River.
Each day the Potomac River and its tributaries supply about 500 million gallons of fresh water to more than five million people in four states and the District of Columbia. Since 1989, more than 30,000 volunteers working with over 220 partner organizations, businesses, and government agencies have removed more than 2 million pounds of trash from the Potomac River Watershed. Today’s Clean Up is happening simultaneously at over 215 Clean Up sites throughout the Potomac River watershed.
“This watershed is an invaluable resource and I will continue to fight at the federal level for funding which supports the wildlife habitats, the world-class recreational opportunities available on this waterway, and the enormous economic value the Potomac provides to the region,” added Rep. Hoyer.