Commentary: Report shares grim news about impaired Delaware waters

In mid-March, the Environmental Integrity Project issued its report, “The Clean Water Act at 50: Promises Half Kept at the Half Century Mark.” It said: “A half century after the passage of the landmark federal Clean Water Act, and almost four decades after the law’s deadline for all waters across the U.S. to be fishable and swimmable … Delaware has the highest percentage of its rivers and streams classified as impaired in the U.S.” 

This is not the kind of national distinction that our citizens or elected leaders can be proud of. Long-term consequences of this level of impairment of our water include human disease, increased health care costs, disappearance of tourists and vanishing of out-of-state homebuyers. As a result, all of us, including the business community, developers, landowners and the real estate agents, will be severely impacted.

Then, why did this happen? Is it lack of funding, appropriate laws or enforcement of existing laws? Maybe it is government structure or simply failure of leadership at the state and local level?

I believe it is a combination of all these factors.

The fact is that clean water is essential to Delaware’s future, its economy, its environment and the health of its citizens. As a coastal and agricultural state, Delaware cannot afford politics as usual when it comes to clean water and water infrastructure. It will threaten key segments of Delaware’s economy that:

(1) Comprise $6 billion-$7 billion in annual economic activity in tourism/recreation, fish/wildlife activities, agriculture, ports, water supplies and ecosystems.

(2) Support over 70,000 jobs with $2 billion in wages.

(3) Account for over $200 million in annual revenues to the state.

So where do we go from here?

Here are some of my recommendations for the governor and the legislators:

• Declare a public health emergency and appoint a water czar to take charge of water issues in our state, coordinate between agencies of state government, between state and local governments, and with industry and local communities to assure improvement in water quality.
• Appoint a commission of qualified volunteers from the state to make recommendations within six months to the governor and legislators of the actions that need to be taken immediately.
• Strengthen and reorganize the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, using federal infrastructure funds. Consider transferring enforcement functions to the county governments, along with staff and resources. The strong monitoring and enforcement will help deter polluters and make prompt action possible in case of violations of state laws, rules and regulations.
• Institute a sustained public education and information campaign on water-quality issues, including proper use of pesticides and fertilizers.

Whatever we have been doing is not working. If nothing is done, with climate change and sea level rise exacerbating the situation, it is a matter of time before people stop coming to vacation here and stop buying houses here.

It is an election year, and we should demand better performance from our legislators and other elected leaders and not elect those who want to maintain status quo.

We, the citizens of Delaware, deserve better.

Dr. Mohammad N. Akhter of Selbyville is the former director of DC Health and the former executive director of the American Public Health Association.