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2017

ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER Protect. Swim. Fish. Drink. Heal. Clean. 2017 ANNUAL REPORT WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE Mexico withCosta Grande Waterkeeper. Photo by Alfredo Blasquez. tions fighting plastic pollution -like thisbeach cleanup inSouthwestern innovativehelp fund plastic recovery facilities for Waterkeeper Organiza- of ourcollaborative online ads generates $0.25for Waterkeeper to Alliance plastics from ourbeaches, waterways coastal areas. and Each click on one Waterkeeper haspartneredAlliance withGivewith Dell and toremove

BY THE NUMBERS. FLIP OPEN. 30 MILLION PEOPLE REACHED BY OUR EFFORTS AT STANDING ROCK 31 & AFFILIATES ORGANIZATIONS NEW WATERKEEPER

Waterkeeper Waterkeeper For every $1 donated to donated to Alliance

Square Miles ofRivers, Lakes Waterways andCoastal 2

Million Protecting more than $ 943 These numbersThese valid for fiscal year 2017 (July 1, 2016- 30,2017) June . 5 investment fossil fuel infrastructure divestment, prevented and costs, penalties, was secured incleanup

Protecting more than 2.5

SquareMillion Miles of Rivers, Lakes and Coastal Waterways

For every $1 was secured in cleanup $ costs, penalties, donated to divestment and prevented Waterkeeper fossil fuel infrastructure Alliance 943 investment These numbers valid for fiscal year 2017 (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017) MISSION ABOUT US

waterkeeper alliance holds polluters accountable. We’re the largest and fastest growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water. We preserve and protect water by connecting local Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates worldwide. Our goal is drinkable, fishable, swimmable water everywhere. FISCAL YEAR 2017 Every day around the world, polluters are poisoning Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates that are on our waterways, and people everywhere are suffering the the frontlines of the global water crisis, patrolling and consequences. When a coal company discharges millions protecting more than 2.5 million square miles of rivers, Waterkeeper Alliance of gallons of toxic coal ash into a river, families who lakes and coastal waterways on 6 continents. depend on that waterway as a drinking water source are From Alaska to the Himalayas, the Great Lakes strengthens and grows a global the innocent victims. When a developer demolishes a to Australia, the Waterkeeper movement defends the forest of mangroves, it destroys fisheries and devastates fundamental human right to drinkable, fishable and the local economy. When hog farms dump untreated swimmable waters, and combines firsthand knowledge of network of grassroots waste into a waterway, people and marine life get their local waterways with an unwavering commitment to sick. These are just a few examples of the battles that the rights of their communities.

leaders protecting everyone’s Waterkeeper Alliance fights every day around the world Whether they’re on the water tracking down polluters, ANNUAL REPORT on behalf of the common good and to protect everyone’s in courtrooms enforcing environmental laws, advocating right to clean water. in town meetings or teaching in classrooms, the right to clean water. The Waterkeeper movement was started by a band of Waterkeeper movement speaks for the waters it defends – blue-collar fishermen on New York’s Hudson River in with the collective strength of Waterkeeper Alliance and 1966 because industrial polluters were destroying their the backing of local communities. way of life. Their tough, grassroots brand of environmental Waterkeeper Alliance ensures that the world’s activism sparked the Hudson’s miraculous recovery Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates are as and inspired others to launch Waterkeeper groups around connected to each other as they are to their local waters, the world. organizing the fight for clean water into a coordinated Today, Waterkeeper Alliance unites more than 300 global movement.

WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 3 MISSION ABOUT US

waterkeeper alliance holds polluters accountable. We’re the largest and fastest growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water. We preserve and protect water by connecting local Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates worldwide. Our goal is drinkable, fishable, swimmable water everywhere. FISCAL YEAR 2017 Every day around the world, polluters are poisoning Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates that are on our waterways, and people everywhere are suffering the the frontlines of the global water crisis, patrolling and consequences. When a coal company discharges millions protecting more than 2.5 million square miles of rivers, Waterkeeper Alliance of gallons of toxic coal ash into a river, families who lakes and coastal waterways on 6 continents. depend on that waterway as a drinking water source are From Alaska to the Himalayas, the Great Lakes strengthens and grows a global the innocent victims. When a developer demolishes a to Australia, the Waterkeeper movement defends the forest of mangroves, it destroys fisheries and devastates fundamental human right to drinkable, fishable and the local economy. When hog farms dump untreated swimmable waters, and combines firsthand knowledge of network of grassroots waste into a waterway, people and marine life get their local waterways with an unwavering commitment to sick. These are just a few examples of the battles that the rights of their communities. leaders protecting everyone’s Waterkeeper Alliance fights every day around the world Whether they’re on the water tracking down polluters, ANNUAL REPORT on behalf of the common good and to protect everyone’s in courtrooms enforcing environmental laws, advocating right to clean water. in town meetings or teaching in classrooms, the right to clean water. The Waterkeeper movement was started by a band of Waterkeeper movement speaks for the waters it defends – blue-collar fishermen on New York’s Hudson River in with the collective strength of Waterkeeper Alliance and 1966 because industrial polluters were destroying their the backing of local communities. way of life. Their tough, grassroots brand of environmental Waterkeeper Alliance ensures that the world’s activism sparked the Hudson’s miraculous recovery Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates are as and inspired others to launch Waterkeeper groups around connected to each other as they are to their local waters, the world. organizing the fight for clean water into a coordinated Today, Waterkeeper Alliance unites more than 300 global movement.

WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 3 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Waterkeeper Alliance supporter,

model is now outpacing our capacity to serve aspiring a robust science and technology department; expand our an army of highly trained, committed, politically and

POLLUTION, FISCAL YEAR 2017 Waterkeeper groups across the planet. rapid response capability during man-made and natural technically skilled Waterkeepers, battle hardened and DIVERSION For the past year we have been planning intensively disasters; enhance our presence in Washington, D.C.; armed to fight for a world where clean water is the life to scale our successful model: we have critically assessed and dramatically increase our legal capacity to enforce, spring of global prosperity, dignity and human aspiration. AND DROUGHT our organization, analyzed our movement’s optimum defend, and strengthen laws. In addition to bolstering We are grateful to you for working with us to make this achievable pace for global growth, and developed a our movement, we have developed a strategic growth plan plan a reality. strategic business plan for positioning ourselves over the next to recruit the brightest and best trained advocates on all have triggered a global water crisis that will be the central 20 years. Executing this plan will allow Waterkeeper Alliance habitable watersheds in the world. To clean water, political, cultural and economic feature of our children’s lives. to meet our founding vision of having community-based We began our planning process by identifying the The World Bank predicts that the looming world water Waterkeepers safeguarding every waterway in the world. We world’s most iconic and endangered waters. We devised cataclysm — already affecting every continent — is the will improve each local Waterkeeper’s capacity to effectively a plan for our network to grow responsibly to cover more principal challenge to organized civilization in this century. pursue the goal of drinkable, fishable, swimmable waters than 7 million square miles of watersheds in the first 5 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The Waterkeeper model — first proven during the worldwide. We will elevate the Waterkeeper profile as years, protecting more than 1 billion people. By year 10, ANNUAL REPORT Hudson River’s near miraculous restoration — has the go-to advocate on every important water issue. We we plan to cover more than 12 million square miles of President now become the preeminent tool for both individuals have christened our plan “Project Osiris,” in reference to watersheds, protecting more than 3.75 billion people. By and grassroots groups fighting the global water crisis. ancient Egypt’s all-important Nile River deity. year 20, more than 20 million square miles of watersheds Waterkeeper Alliance is growing exponentially with Project Osiris begins with large investments in will have a Waterkeeper group, and our movement will more than 300 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates training and support services for our more than 300 protect more than 8 billion people. already patrolling and protecting waterways in 35 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates, to enhance Project Osiris is a bold plan. Thanks to your help countries, on 6 continents. Thanks to your support, the their work and bolster the skills needed to protect their over the years, Waterkeeper Alliance is now ready to Marc Yaggi Waterkeeper movement is the largest and fastest growing waterways and communities. To broaden our base, we will execute it. We know that true change will start from Executive Director nonprofit solely focused on water. Demand for our strengthen and deepen our communications work; create strong leadership at the local level. Our plan will unleash

4 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 5 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Waterkeeper Alliance supporter, model is now outpacing our capacity to serve aspiring a robust science and technology department; expand our an army of highly trained, committed, politically and

POLLUTION, FISCAL YEAR 2017 Waterkeeper groups across the planet. rapid response capability during man-made and natural technically skilled Waterkeepers, battle hardened and DIVERSION For the past year we have been planning intensively disasters; enhance our presence in Washington, D.C.; armed to fight for a world where clean water is the life to scale our successful model: we have critically assessed and dramatically increase our legal capacity to enforce, spring of global prosperity, dignity and human aspiration. AND DROUGHT our organization, analyzed our movement’s optimum defend, and strengthen laws. In addition to bolstering We are grateful to you for working with us to make this achievable pace for global growth, and developed a our movement, we have developed a strategic growth plan plan a reality. strategic business plan for positioning ourselves over the next to recruit the brightest and best trained advocates on all have triggered a global water crisis that will be the central 20 years. Executing this plan will allow Waterkeeper Alliance habitable watersheds in the world. To clean water, political, cultural and economic feature of our children’s lives. to meet our founding vision of having community-based We began our planning process by identifying the The World Bank predicts that the looming world water Waterkeepers safeguarding every waterway in the world. We world’s most iconic and endangered waters. We devised cataclysm — already affecting every continent — is the will improve each local Waterkeeper’s capacity to effectively a plan for our network to grow responsibly to cover more principal challenge to organized civilization in this century. pursue the goal of drinkable, fishable, swimmable waters than 7 million square miles of watersheds in the first 5 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The Waterkeeper model — first proven during the worldwide. We will elevate the Waterkeeper profile as years, protecting more than 1 billion people. By year 10, ANNUAL REPORT Hudson River’s near miraculous restoration — has the go-to advocate on every important water issue. We we plan to cover more than 12 million square miles of President now become the preeminent tool for both individuals have christened our plan “Project Osiris,” in reference to watersheds, protecting more than 3.75 billion people. By and grassroots groups fighting the global water crisis. ancient Egypt’s all-important Nile River deity. year 20, more than 20 million square miles of watersheds Waterkeeper Alliance is growing exponentially with Project Osiris begins with large investments in will have a Waterkeeper group, and our movement will more than 300 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates training and support services for our more than 300 protect more than 8 billion people. already patrolling and protecting waterways in 35 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates, to enhance Project Osiris is a bold plan. Thanks to your help countries, on 6 continents. Thanks to your support, the their work and bolster the skills needed to protect their over the years, Waterkeeper Alliance is now ready to Marc Yaggi Waterkeeper movement is the largest and fastest growing waterways and communities. To broaden our base, we will execute it. We know that true change will start from Executive Director nonprofit solely focused on water. Demand for our strengthen and deepen our communications work; create strong leadership at the local level. Our plan will unleash

4 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 5 CLEAN FISCAL YEAR 2017 WATER ANNUAL REPORT

Recruiting Director Sharon Khan and Buddhist Drukpa DEFENSE ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER BY PHOTO nuns after a water quality monitoring training held in Nepal, at Druk Amitabha Mountain.

6 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 7 CLEAN FISCAL YEAR 2017 WATER ANNUAL REPORT

Recruiting Director Sharon Khan and Buddhist Drukpa DEFENSE ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER BY PHOTO nuns after a water quality monitoring training held in Nepal, at Druk Amitabha Mountain.

6 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 7 CLEAN WATER DEFENSE

THE HIMALAYAN WATER PROJECT Stormwater August 2016 to settle a lawsuit the first time that EPA will evaluate challenging EPA’s industrial setting numeric standards and A coalition, led by Waterkeeper stormwater multi-sector general practices for responsible stormwater t h e h i m a l aya n wat er p ro j e c t strengthens Waterkeeper Alliance’s collective efforts in the region to ensure drinkable, fishable, swimmable waters worldwide by protecting one of Alliance and including permit (MSGP). Under the retention at industrial sites. It also the largest sources of water on the planet. Apalachicola Riverkeeper, settlement, EPA will begin adding marks the first time EPA has Bayou City Waterkeeper, NY/ both improved monitoring tools agreed to propose restrictions on July 2016 marked the official launch of our initiative Waterkeeper Alliance’s President Robert F. NJ Baykeeper, Snake River and a number of clear, numeric the use of coal tar sealants in the to protect the waters of the Himalayas, a source of Kennedy, Jr., Executive Director Marc Yaggi, and Waterkeeper, Puget Soundkeeper targets and standards to the United States, a product that is fresh water for nearly half the world’s population. Recruiting Director Sharon Khan traveled to Ladakh Alliance, Lake Pend Oreille permit in 2020 that simplify the poisoning ecosystems nationwide

In partnership with Live to Love International and in September 2016 for Naropa, a Buddhist pilgrimage Waterkeeper, and others, reached job of controlling water pollution and exposing infants and children to FISCAL YEAR 2017 Himalayan Glacier Waterkeeper, Waterkeeper Alliance that occurs once every 12 years in honor of the 11th- an agreement with EPA and two for regulators, businesses and a high risk of developing cancer later staff, Milwaukee Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn and century patron saint of the Drukpa lineage. At Naropa, industry trade associations in citizens. The agreement marks in life. Deputy Director of Waccamaw Riverkeeper Christine Waterkeeper Alliance was able to raise significant Ellis traveled to Ladakh, India to demonstrate pollution awareness about the state of the Himalayan glaciers: investigation and water quality monitoring techniques Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. addressed a crowd of 300,000 to Buddhist Drukpa nuns, monks, and youth. people, thousands of Waterkeeper magazines were distributed, and His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa spoke extensively about our work to protect the waters of Unsafe Waters In NYC “Bacteria and other pathogens the Himalayas. introduced into New York’s Recruiting Director Sharon Khan and Organizer In April 2017, Waterkeeper Alliance initiated waterways from sewer overflows Min Zheng, along with Columbia Riverkeeper Brett its first legal action against Scott Pruitt’s and contaminated runoff make VandenHuevel and Deputy Director of Waccamaw EPA for failing to protect the health of people thousands of New Yorkers sick ANNUAL REPORT Riverkeeper Christine Ellis, traveled to Nepal in March who swim, boat and fish in New York City every year. Children, the elderly 2017 to train and organize our growing network of waters – or who would if the waters were and pregnant women are Himalayan Waterkeepers, Affiliates, and partners not contaminated with untreated sewage particularly vulnerable to these including over 200 Drukpa Kung Fu Nuns. While in scores of times each year. The coalition of illnesses. Despite this human Nepal, Waterkeeper Alliance was represented at New York City and regional environmental suffering, the federal EPA continues the 2nd Nepal River Summit, where over 250 local organizations, including Hudson Riverkeeper to allow New York State to utilize stakeholders, youth, scientists, lawyers, government and NY/NJ Baykeeper, asked a federal court antiquated and inaccurate tests to officials, and other international organizations to order EPA to adopt modern standards determine whether waterways gathered to develop a common understanding that protect New Yorkers’ health unless the are safe for swimming, in gross of the conservation and management of Nepal’s state promptly did so on its own. The official violation of the Clean Water Act.”

PHOTO BY SHARON KHAN, WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER KHAN, SHARON BY PHOTO Himalayan rivers. complaint was filed in June 2017. – Daniel E. Estrin, General Counsel and Advocacy Director

8 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 9 CLEAN WATER DEFENSE

THE HIMALAYAN WATER PROJECT Stormwater August 2016 to settle a lawsuit the first time that EPA will evaluate challenging EPA’s industrial setting numeric standards and A coalition, led by Waterkeeper stormwater multi-sector general practices for responsible stormwater t h e h i m a l aya n wat er p ro j e c t strengthens Waterkeeper Alliance’s collective efforts in the region to ensure drinkable, fishable, swimmable waters worldwide by protecting one of Alliance and including permit (MSGP). Under the retention at industrial sites. It also the largest sources of water on the planet. Apalachicola Riverkeeper, settlement, EPA will begin adding marks the first time EPA has Bayou City Waterkeeper, NY/ both improved monitoring tools agreed to propose restrictions on July 2016 marked the official launch of our initiative Waterkeeper Alliance’s President Robert F. NJ Baykeeper, Snake River and a number of clear, numeric the use of coal tar sealants in the to protect the waters of the Himalayas, a source of Kennedy, Jr., Executive Director Marc Yaggi, and Waterkeeper, Puget Soundkeeper targets and standards to the United States, a product that is fresh water for nearly half the world’s population. Recruiting Director Sharon Khan traveled to Ladakh Alliance, Lake Pend Oreille permit in 2020 that simplify the poisoning ecosystems nationwide

In partnership with Live to Love International and in September 2016 for Naropa, a Buddhist pilgrimage Waterkeeper, and others, reached job of controlling water pollution and exposing infants and children to FISCAL YEAR 2017 Himalayan Glacier Waterkeeper, Waterkeeper Alliance that occurs once every 12 years in honor of the 11th- an agreement with EPA and two for regulators, businesses and a high risk of developing cancer later staff, Milwaukee Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn and century patron saint of the Drukpa lineage. At Naropa, industry trade associations in citizens. The agreement marks in life. Deputy Director of Waccamaw Riverkeeper Christine Waterkeeper Alliance was able to raise significant Ellis traveled to Ladakh, India to demonstrate pollution awareness about the state of the Himalayan glaciers: investigation and water quality monitoring techniques Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. addressed a crowd of 300,000 to Buddhist Drukpa nuns, monks, and youth. people, thousands of Waterkeeper magazines were distributed, and His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa spoke extensively about our work to protect the waters of Unsafe Waters In NYC “Bacteria and other pathogens the Himalayas. introduced into New York’s Recruiting Director Sharon Khan and Organizer In April 2017, Waterkeeper Alliance initiated waterways from sewer overflows Min Zheng, along with Columbia Riverkeeper Brett its first legal action against Scott Pruitt’s and contaminated runoff make VandenHuevel and Deputy Director of Waccamaw EPA for failing to protect the health of people thousands of New Yorkers sick ANNUAL REPORT Riverkeeper Christine Ellis, traveled to Nepal in March who swim, boat and fish in New York City every year. Children, the elderly 2017 to train and organize our growing network of waters – or who would if the waters were and pregnant women are Himalayan Waterkeepers, Affiliates, and partners not contaminated with untreated sewage particularly vulnerable to these including over 200 Drukpa Kung Fu Nuns. While in scores of times each year. The coalition of illnesses. Despite this human Nepal, Waterkeeper Alliance was represented at New York City and regional environmental suffering, the federal EPA continues the 2nd Nepal River Summit, where over 250 local organizations, including Hudson Riverkeeper to allow New York State to utilize stakeholders, youth, scientists, lawyers, government and NY/NJ Baykeeper, asked a federal court antiquated and inaccurate tests to officials, and other international organizations to order EPA to adopt modern standards determine whether waterways gathered to develop a common understanding that protect New Yorkers’ health unless the are safe for swimming, in gross of the conservation and management of Nepal’s state promptly did so on its own. The official violation of the Clean Water Act.”

PHOTO BY SHARON KHAN, WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER KHAN, SHARON BY PHOTO Himalayan rivers. complaint was filed in June 2017. – Daniel E. Estrin, General Counsel and Advocacy Director

8 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 9 CLEAN WATER DEFENSE

PHOTOS BY GARY WOCKNER, POUDRE WATERKEEPER POUDRE WOCKNER, GARY BY PHOTOS Free

Flowing FISCAL YEAR 2017

Rivers ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER YAGGI, MARC BY PHOTO

the Karnali River in Nepal to highlight the impacts of the meeting for free rivers in Chile’s San Fabián de waterkeeper a lli a n c e supports clean and free flowing rivers and waterways, including opposing new dams and diversions, mitigating dams when there is no other option and proposed development of the world’s tallest dam. Alico, Province of Ñuble, Bio Bio region. They joined After an agreement to undam the Klamath River delegates and members of various organizations in

removing dams wherever possible. ANNUAL REPORT was signed last year, the Klamath River Renewal issuing a public letter about protecting their rivers Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. Kennedy, The budget has been slashed for the Don Sahong Corporation hired its first executive director, Mark from hydropower projects. Jr. and Peru’s Marañon Waterkeeper met with Peru’s and Xayaburi dam projects in Laos, but the Mekong Bransom, who has been meeting stakeholders Dongting Lake Waterkeeper celebrated the Minister of Environment and Minister of Energy and River Commission is preparing to approve another throughout the Klamath Basin. Klamath Riverkeeper removal of a dam near Dongting Lake in Hunan Mines to discuss hydroelectricity and the damming of dam project. Tonle Sap Lake Waterkeeper Senglong staff are working to keep Klamath River dam removal Province, China. The demolition order shed light on Peru’s rivers. In October 2016, the Minister of Energy Youk said, “The Mekong River Commission has on track for 2020. the years of hardship they endured in protecting and and Mines announced that large hydroelectric dams failed to properly implement its duties and has failed Poudre Waterkeeper, in Fort Collins, Colorado, has restoring the lake to its former glory. in the Amazon are not a part of the new government’s to address concerns and requests from Mekong been fighting a large dam proposal for 14 years at the Executive Director Marc Yaggi traveled to short-term agenda. communities and civil society organizations.” local, state and federal level. The Colorado State Senate Sweden to witness and discuss the impacts of Tonle Sap Lake Waterkeeper in Cambodia co- Poudre Riverkeeper Gary Wockner joined Snake rejected a bill that would have allowed the Northern dams on Sweden’s rivers with Swedish Baltic Rivers facilitated a successful meeting on the impact of Riverkeeper Buck Ryan at the Free the Snake Flotilla Integrated Supply Project to run water through 12 miles Waterkeeper and Älvräddarnas Waterkeeper. While large scale hydropower dams and climate change to support the removal of dams and the sustained of the Poudre River in Fort Collins and recapture it at the there, they celebrated the removal of an ancient on people’s livelihoods at the Association of restoration of the lower Snake River. Timnath Reservoir inlet for storage east of Fort Collins. sawmill dam on the Emån river — one our Swedish Southeast Asian Nations Civil Society Conference. Karnali River Waterkeeper hosted an expedition on Futaleufú Riverkeeper was part of the second Waterkeepers have been fighting for over 10 years!

10 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 11 CLEAN WATER DEFENSE

PHOTOS BY GARY WOCKNER, POUDRE WATERKEEPER POUDRE WOCKNER, GARY BY PHOTOS Free

Flowing FISCAL YEAR 2017

Rivers ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER YAGGI, MARC BY PHOTO

the Karnali River in Nepal to highlight the impacts of the meeting for free rivers in Chile’s San Fabián de waterkeeper a lli a n c e supports clean and free flowing rivers and waterways, including opposing new dams and diversions, mitigating dams when there is no other option and proposed development of the world’s tallest dam. Alico, Province of Ñuble, Bio Bio region. They joined After an agreement to undam the Klamath River delegates and members of various organizations in removing dams wherever possible. ANNUAL REPORT was signed last year, the Klamath River Renewal issuing a public letter about protecting their rivers Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. Kennedy, The budget has been slashed for the Don Sahong Corporation hired its first executive director, Mark from hydropower projects. Jr. and Peru’s Marañon Waterkeeper met with Peru’s and Xayaburi dam projects in Laos, but the Mekong Bransom, who has been meeting stakeholders Dongting Lake Waterkeeper celebrated the Minister of Environment and Minister of Energy and River Commission is preparing to approve another throughout the Klamath Basin. Klamath Riverkeeper removal of a dam near Dongting Lake in Hunan Mines to discuss hydroelectricity and the damming of dam project. Tonle Sap Lake Waterkeeper Senglong staff are working to keep Klamath River dam removal Province, China. The demolition order shed light on Peru’s rivers. In October 2016, the Minister of Energy Youk said, “The Mekong River Commission has on track for 2020. the years of hardship they endured in protecting and and Mines announced that large hydroelectric dams failed to properly implement its duties and has failed Poudre Waterkeeper, in Fort Collins, Colorado, has restoring the lake to its former glory. in the Amazon are not a part of the new government’s to address concerns and requests from Mekong been fighting a large dam proposal for 14 years at the Executive Director Marc Yaggi traveled to short-term agenda. communities and civil society organizations.” local, state and federal level. The Colorado State Senate Sweden to witness and discuss the impacts of Tonle Sap Lake Waterkeeper in Cambodia co- Poudre Riverkeeper Gary Wockner joined Snake rejected a bill that would have allowed the Northern dams on Sweden’s rivers with Swedish Baltic Rivers facilitated a successful meeting on the impact of Riverkeeper Buck Ryan at the Free the Snake Flotilla Integrated Supply Project to run water through 12 miles Waterkeeper and Älvräddarnas Waterkeeper. While large scale hydropower dams and climate change to support the removal of dams and the sustained of the Poudre River in Fort Collins and recapture it at the there, they celebrated the removal of an ancient on people’s livelihoods at the Association of restoration of the lower Snake River. Timnath Reservoir inlet for storage east of Fort Collins. sawmill dam on the Emån river — one our Swedish Southeast Asian Nations Civil Society Conference. Karnali River Waterkeeper hosted an expedition on Futaleufú Riverkeeper was part of the second Waterkeepers have been fighting for over 10 years!

10 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 11 FISCAL YEAR 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

I n t o Democracy

1012 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 1013 FISCAL YEAR 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

I n t o Democracy

1012 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 1013 DIVE INTO DEMOCRACY

waterkeeper a lli a n c e launched Dive Into Democracy, a weekly roundup of current Opposing Scott Pruitt attacks on America’s clean water protections. Each week, we post a straightforward, up-to- As EPA Administrator date list of bills and policies that threaten Americans’ right to clean water and include simple instructions on how to take action. Our goal is to have Dive Into Democracy be the place Senate Democrats on the U.S. American citizens can go to get whatever they need to speak about clean water at their town Senate Committee on Environ- halls or in any interaction with their elected officials. As of June 2017, actions have focused ment and Public Works hosted a on topics such as toxic coal, free flowing rivers, regulatory rollbacks, pipeline permitting, panel discussion in January 2017 industrial meat production and more. to further examine the then-nom- inee for EPA Administrator Scott

Pruitt’s environmental record, and FISCAL YEAR 2017 highlight his lack of qualifications to lead the agency. Waterkeeper EXXON DEBARMENT knowledge, Exxon ran robust Alliance’s Senior Attorney Kelly propaganda campaigns and tes- Hunter Foster spoke as an expert Following the nomination of Exxon- and individuals from participating in tified to Congress that the relation witness; as the former Environ- Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Secre- government contracts, subcontracts, between fossil fuels and climate mental Protection Unit Chief in tary of State, Waterkeeper Alliance, loans, grants and other assistance change was inconclusive. During this the Oklahoma Attorney General’s represented by the Pace Environ- programs. The effect of suspension time, Exxon made hundreds of bil- Office, she is uniquely familiar with mental Litigation Clinic, submitted and debarment by a federal agency lions in profits while climate change Pruitt’s dangerous environmental a petition to the U.S. Environmental is government-wide. impacts grew in severity. To this day, track record. Not a single panel- Protection Agency (EPA) against Exxon’s executives and they continue to fund anti-climate ist in the discussion with Senate ExxonMobil under its authority to scientists have understood that change groups while making millions Democrats was able to cite an ANNUAL REPORT suspend and or debar individuals fossil fuels could cause catastrophic off American tax dollars; in fact, in action Pruitt took as Oklahoma and entities. Suspension and debar- climate change since at least 2015 alone, Exxon had over $750M Attorney General that produced ment actions prevent companies the 1970’s. Despite having this worth of federal contracts. a positive public health or envi- ronmental outcome. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted to approve Pruitt “ExxonMobil kept its knowledge of climate change a secret while as EPA Administrator after the using lies to build a generation of climate change deniers. committee changed its rule so that The company continues to push government policy that goes against minority members do not have proven science and exacerbates the greatest threat to humanity and to be present to vote; all of the America’s national security. American tax dollars should not be committee’s Democratic senators making a morally bankrupt business richer. We must cut our financial objected to Pruitt’s appointment. support for this outlaw corporation.” –Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President

14 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 15 DIVE INTO DEMOCRACY

waterkeeper a lli a n c e launched Dive Into Democracy, a weekly roundup of current Opposing Scott Pruitt attacks on America’s clean water protections. Each week, we post a straightforward, up-to- As EPA Administrator date list of bills and policies that threaten Americans’ right to clean water and include simple instructions on how to take action. Our goal is to have Dive Into Democracy be the place Senate Democrats on the U.S. American citizens can go to get whatever they need to speak about clean water at their town Senate Committee on Environ- halls or in any interaction with their elected officials. As of June 2017, actions have focused ment and Public Works hosted a on topics such as toxic coal, free flowing rivers, regulatory rollbacks, pipeline permitting, panel discussion in January 2017 industrial meat production and more. to further examine the then-nom- inee for EPA Administrator Scott

Pruitt’s environmental record, and FISCAL YEAR 2017 highlight his lack of qualifications to lead the agency. Waterkeeper EXXON DEBARMENT knowledge, Exxon ran robust Alliance’s Senior Attorney Kelly propaganda campaigns and tes- Hunter Foster spoke as an expert Following the nomination of Exxon- and individuals from participating in tified to Congress that the relation witness; as the former Environ- Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Secre- government contracts, subcontracts, between fossil fuels and climate mental Protection Unit Chief in tary of State, Waterkeeper Alliance, loans, grants and other assistance change was inconclusive. During this the Oklahoma Attorney General’s represented by the Pace Environ- programs. The effect of suspension time, Exxon made hundreds of bil- Office, she is uniquely familiar with mental Litigation Clinic, submitted and debarment by a federal agency lions in profits while climate change Pruitt’s dangerous environmental a petition to the U.S. Environmental is government-wide. impacts grew in severity. To this day, track record. Not a single panel- Protection Agency (EPA) against Exxon’s executives and they continue to fund anti-climate ist in the discussion with Senate ExxonMobil under its authority to scientists have understood that change groups while making millions Democrats was able to cite an ANNUAL REPORT suspend and or debar individuals fossil fuels could cause catastrophic off American tax dollars; in fact, in action Pruitt took as Oklahoma and entities. Suspension and debar- climate change since at least 2015 alone, Exxon had over $750M Attorney General that produced ment actions prevent companies the 1970’s. Despite having this worth of federal contracts. a positive public health or envi- ronmental outcome. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted to approve Pruitt “ExxonMobil kept its knowledge of climate change a secret while as EPA Administrator after the using lies to build a generation of climate change deniers. committee changed its rule so that The company continues to push government policy that goes against minority members do not have proven science and exacerbates the greatest threat to humanity and to be present to vote; all of the America’s national security. American tax dollars should not be committee’s Democratic senators making a morally bankrupt business richer. We must cut our financial objected to Pruitt’s appointment. support for this outlaw corporation.” –Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President

14 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 15 DIVE INTO DEMOCRACY

Regulatory Reform control, would eliminate citizen and governmental WATERS OF THE authority to address discharges of toxic pollution into Waterkeeper Alliance, along with UNITED STATES waterways that have been protected by the Clean Water 121 Waterkeeper Organizations and Act since 1972. Practically, this means all a polluter Affiliates, submitted comments “It is EPA’s job to protect our Waterkeeper Alliance, Humboldt Baykeeper, Monterey needs to do to avoid regulation and enforcement is to EPA in vehement opposition to health and our air, land and water Coastkeeper, Russian Riverkeeper, Snake River discharge pollutants into an exempt waterbody or far the withdrawal, modification or from pollution. Period. It is not Waterkeeper, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, and enough upstream. This is dangerous, as uncontrolled revocation of any EPA regulation that EPA’s job to eliminate environmental three partner organizations filed litigation against upstream pollution will move downstream — results from its so-called Regulatory regulations for the sole purpose endangering people and

Reform Task Force evaluation under of reducing industry’s ‘burden.’ contaminating drinking FISCAL YEAR 2017 Executive Order 13777. More than No one should be allowed to endanger water supplies, fisheries and 55,100 responses rolled in by the time or harm children, contaminate a recreational waters. the comment period closed — they community’s water supply or destroy Our fight to maintain were full of Americans sharing their a fishery to create more jobs, avoid Clean Water Act protections experiences of growing up with dirty paperwork or increase corporate profits.” for all U.S. waterways is air and water, supporting environmen- - Kelly Hunter Foster, Senior Attorney ongoing in the Supreme tal protections and pleading for the Court, where we successfully agency not to return the country to a opposed the current more polluted era. administration’s efforts to indefinitely stay our litigation, and with the President, Congress and EPA, where ANNUAL REPORT the current administration OFFSHORE DRILLING is attempting to pass legislation and regulations In May 2017, President Trump released an executive order calling for a review of the 5-year to dramatically reduce offshore drilling leasing plan finalized by the Obama administration. The Interior Department the number of waterways initiated the process of rewriting the plan in June 2017, and it is expected that the Trump protected by the Clean administration will be pushing to allow drilling in the Atlantic Ocean and expand it in the Pacific EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers in May 2017 to Water Act — rolling back jurisdiction over vital Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico. Waterkeeper Alliance is monitoring this process and overturn illegal exemptions in the Clean Water Rule, a waterways that have been protected throughout the opposes any expansion of offshore drilling. 2015 regulation that redefined which waterways are 45-year history of the Act. Waterkeeper Alliance will protected against unregulated pollution under the Clean continue its fight to preserve federal protection of our Water Act. These arbitrary exemptions, many of which waters on these and any other new battlefronts opened were added at the last minute in an ill-advised attempt by those who would profit from pollution at the expense to appease aggressive industry opposition to pollution of current and future generations.

16 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 17 DIVE INTO DEMOCRACY

Regulatory Reform control, would eliminate citizen and governmental WATERS OF THE authority to address discharges of toxic pollution into Waterkeeper Alliance, along with UNITED STATES waterways that have been protected by the Clean Water 121 Waterkeeper Organizations and Act since 1972. Practically, this means all a polluter Affiliates, submitted comments “It is EPA’s job to protect our Waterkeeper Alliance, Humboldt Baykeeper, Monterey needs to do to avoid regulation and enforcement is to EPA in vehement opposition to health and our air, land and water Coastkeeper, Russian Riverkeeper, Snake River discharge pollutants into an exempt waterbody or far the withdrawal, modification or from pollution. Period. It is not Waterkeeper, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, and enough upstream. This is dangerous, as uncontrolled revocation of any EPA regulation that EPA’s job to eliminate environmental three partner organizations filed litigation against upstream pollution will move downstream — results from its so-called Regulatory regulations for the sole purpose endangering people and

Reform Task Force evaluation under of reducing industry’s ‘burden.’ contaminating drinking FISCAL YEAR 2017 Executive Order 13777. More than No one should be allowed to endanger water supplies, fisheries and 55,100 responses rolled in by the time or harm children, contaminate a recreational waters. the comment period closed — they community’s water supply or destroy Our fight to maintain were full of Americans sharing their a fishery to create more jobs, avoid Clean Water Act protections experiences of growing up with dirty paperwork or increase corporate profits.” for all U.S. waterways is air and water, supporting environmen- - Kelly Hunter Foster, Senior Attorney ongoing in the Supreme tal protections and pleading for the Court, where we successfully agency not to return the country to a opposed the current more polluted era. administration’s efforts to indefinitely stay our litigation, and with the President, Congress and EPA, where ANNUAL REPORT the current administration OFFSHORE DRILLING is attempting to pass legislation and regulations In May 2017, President Trump released an executive order calling for a review of the 5-year to dramatically reduce offshore drilling leasing plan finalized by the Obama administration. The Interior Department the number of waterways initiated the process of rewriting the plan in June 2017, and it is expected that the Trump protected by the Clean administration will be pushing to allow drilling in the Atlantic Ocean and expand it in the Pacific EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers in May 2017 to Water Act — rolling back jurisdiction over vital Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico. Waterkeeper Alliance is monitoring this process and overturn illegal exemptions in the Clean Water Rule, a waterways that have been protected throughout the opposes any expansion of offshore drilling. 2015 regulation that redefined which waterways are 45-year history of the Act. Waterkeeper Alliance will protected against unregulated pollution under the Clean continue its fight to preserve federal protection of our Water Act. These arbitrary exemptions, many of which waters on these and any other new battlefronts opened were added at the last minute in an ill-advised attempt by those who would profit from pollution at the expense to appease aggressive industry opposition to pollution of current and future generations.

16 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 17 CLEAN FISCAL YEAR 2017 & SAFE ENERGY ANNUAL REPORT

18 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE CLEAN FISCAL YEAR 2017 & SAFE ENERGY ANNUAL REPORT

18 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE CLEAN & SAFE ENERGY

PROTECTING PUBLIC LANDS Taylor Energy

FROM OIL AND GAS DRILLING In August 2016, Waterkeeper Alliance discovered that Taylor In April 2017, Waterkeeper Alliance joined Colorado oil and gas extraction. Within days of that filing, we Energy had secretly objected to Riverkeeper and partners in filing a lease protest for achieved a significant win when BLM withdrew more the public release of documents the first time, objecting to the U.S. Bureau of Land than a quarter of that acreage from its scheduled related to an oil leak from Management’s (BLM) proposal to lease over 100,000 June 2017 lease sale, alleviating some of the biggest destroyed wells in the Gulf of acres of public lands — many containing vulnerable threats to the Colorado headwaters and the drinking Mexico that has been ongoing

and irreplaceable Colorado River headwaters — for water supplies of several adjacent towns. since 2004. Believing this to FISCAL YEAR 2017 be a violation of the terms of the settlement agreement “BLM’s pending decision to open over 100,000 acres of public lands in that Taylor Energy signed the headwaters of the Colorado River to oil and gas leasing, and the with Waterkeeper Alliance, inevitable impacts that fossil fuel extraction will have on the river, Apalachicola Riverkeeper, and its tributaries and our climate, heads us in exactly the wrong direction. Louisiana Environmental Action It will only hasten the collapse of this critical and fragile resource.” Network in 2015, the groups, “This [ruling] will ensure that Taylor Energy with the help of our counsel at cannot attempt to avoid third-party review of – Kate Hudson, Western U.S. Advocacy Coordinator Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, documents it wishes to keep from the public took Taylor Energy back to court under the guise of not understanding the to challenge the company’s terms of our agreement. Especially in light of ANNUAL REPORT FIGHTING DIRTY ENERGY DEREGULATION attempts to circumvent our reports by SkyTruth that the oil slick at Taylor settlement agreement. In Energy’s site appears to be growing larger, In an unusual defeat for victory for the environment and advocates, including Water- September 2016, the judge ruled and the silence from the federal government the current Congress’ our climate. The Senate’s 51-to-49 keeper Alliance and local in our favor, finding Taylor Energy on what should be done, it is imperative that anti-environmental agenda, vote in May 2017 marked the first Waterkeeper Organizations had not been following the plain- the public has access to information on this Waterkeeper Alliance’s time since President Trump’s elec- and Affiliates, that mobilized language terms of the agreement, ongoing disaster.” – Larissa Liebmann, Staff Attorney opposition to Congressional tion that an attempt by Congress broad opposition to this and we drafted an addendum efforts to repeal BLM’s to overturn an Obama-era rule regulatory rollback on to the settlement agreement so methane waste rule helped failed. This victory was the result environmental, public health, as to avoid any confusion in the to achieve a significant of work by many stakeholders and and economic grounds. future. We continue to gather the enforcement efforts through available to citizens and scientists information on the oil leak, Taylor Freedom of Information Act hoping to better understand what Energy’s response efforts, and requests, and make them publicly is happening at the site.

20 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 21 CLEAN & SAFE ENERGY

PROTECTING PUBLIC LANDS Taylor Energy

FROM OIL AND GAS DRILLING In August 2016, Waterkeeper Alliance discovered that Taylor In April 2017, Waterkeeper Alliance joined Colorado oil and gas extraction. Within days of that filing, we Energy had secretly objected to Riverkeeper and partners in filing a lease protest for achieved a significant win when BLM withdrew more the public release of documents the first time, objecting to the U.S. Bureau of Land than a quarter of that acreage from its scheduled related to an oil leak from Management’s (BLM) proposal to lease over 100,000 June 2017 lease sale, alleviating some of the biggest destroyed wells in the Gulf of acres of public lands — many containing vulnerable threats to the Colorado headwaters and the drinking Mexico that has been ongoing

and irreplaceable Colorado River headwaters — for water supplies of several adjacent towns. since 2004. Believing this to FISCAL YEAR 2017 be a violation of the terms of the settlement agreement “BLM’s pending decision to open over 100,000 acres of public lands in that Taylor Energy signed the headwaters of the Colorado River to oil and gas leasing, and the with Waterkeeper Alliance, inevitable impacts that fossil fuel extraction will have on the river, Apalachicola Riverkeeper, and its tributaries and our climate, heads us in exactly the wrong direction. Louisiana Environmental Action It will only hasten the collapse of this critical and fragile resource.” Network in 2015, the groups, “This [ruling] will ensure that Taylor Energy with the help of our counsel at cannot attempt to avoid third-party review of – Kate Hudson, Western U.S. Advocacy Coordinator Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, documents it wishes to keep from the public took Taylor Energy back to court under the guise of not understanding the to challenge the company’s terms of our agreement. Especially in light of ANNUAL REPORT FIGHTING DIRTY ENERGY DEREGULATION attempts to circumvent our reports by SkyTruth that the oil slick at Taylor settlement agreement. In Energy’s site appears to be growing larger, In an unusual defeat for victory for the environment and advocates, including Water- September 2016, the judge ruled and the silence from the federal government the current Congress’ our climate. The Senate’s 51-to-49 keeper Alliance and local in our favor, finding Taylor Energy on what should be done, it is imperative that anti-environmental agenda, vote in May 2017 marked the first Waterkeeper Organizations had not been following the plain- the public has access to information on this Waterkeeper Alliance’s time since President Trump’s elec- and Affiliates, that mobilized language terms of the agreement, ongoing disaster.” – Larissa Liebmann, Staff Attorney opposition to Congressional tion that an attempt by Congress broad opposition to this and we drafted an addendum efforts to repeal BLM’s to overturn an Obama-era rule regulatory rollback on to the settlement agreement so methane waste rule helped failed. This victory was the result environmental, public health, as to avoid any confusion in the to achieve a significant of work by many stakeholders and and economic grounds. future. We continue to gather the enforcement efforts through available to citizens and scientists information on the oil leak, Taylor Freedom of Information Act hoping to better understand what Energy’s response efforts, and requests, and make them publicly is happening at the site.

20 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 21 CLEAN & SAFE ENERGY

c FISCAL YEAR 2017 TOXIC a ANNUAL REPORT l 23 PHOTO BY JATAM EAST KALIMANTAN EAST JATAM BY PHOTO ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER HARRISON, PETE BY PHOTO CLEAN & SAFE ENERGY

c FISCAL YEAR 2017 TOXIC a ANNUAL REPORT l 23 PHOTO BY JATAM EAST KALIMANTAN EAST JATAM BY PHOTO ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER HARRISON, PETE BY PHOTO CLEAN & SAFE ENERGY

Civil Rights Duke Energy In a sweeping report sent to Congress and President Waterkeeper Alliance continues to protect the public Obama, the United States Commission on Civil Rights and the environment from Duke Energy’s pollution by (USCCR) blasted EPA for chronic failures to protect filling gaps in government oversight and the company’s low-income communities and communities of color self-monitoring.

FISCAL YEAR 2017 from dangerous pollution. The report substantiates the years of work by Waterkeeper Alliance and partner Yadkin Riverkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance, organizations to spur EPA to strengthen its policies represented by the Southern Environmental Law Samarinda in East Kalimantan, Indonesia under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and protect people Center, reached a settlement with Duke Energy that is scarred by a growing from the toxic impacts of pollution from coal ash and requires the removal of all the coal ash from the number of abandoned open cut coal pits and industrial meat production. unlined, leaking coal ash pits at Duke Energy’s Buck piles of topsoil and mine facility on the Yadkin River in Salisbury, North Carolina. overburden leaving vast areas prone to flooding Under the settlement agreement, Duke Energy must and contamination of remove all the coal ash and either recycle it into surrounding waterways with toxic cocktails “The Commission’s report concrete or put it in a modern lined landfill away from of heavy metals and confirms what we’ve known the Yadkin River and separated from groundwater and sediment.

for years: government is drinking water sources. ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER WINN, PAUL BY PHOTO ANNUAL REPORT failing to protect America’s Cape Fear Riverkeeper, Waterkeeper Alliance, and most vulnerable communities partners reached a settlement with Duke Energy that from dangerous pollution. secures up to $1.5 million for water quality and conser- Whether it’s arsenic leaking vation efforts in the lower Cape Fear watershed near watershed lands of the lower Cape Fear watershed that In 2015, Duke pled guilty to nine criminal violations out of unlined coal ash Wilmington. Under this settlement, Duke Energy will are used and enjoyed by local communities. The federal of the Clean Water Act related to its mismanagement dumps into drinking water place $1 million in a fund to be used to improve water litigation regarding the Sutton facility will be dismissed. of coal ash at its North Carolina power plants. The plea supplies or noxious fumes quality and conserve watershed lands in the lower Cape In December 2016, Waterkeepers caught Duke agreements required Duke to pay $105 million in fines from factory farms making Fear Basin at and below Duke’s Sutton plant. Duke Energy asleep at the wheel, putting the public at risk and restitution and sentenced Duke to five years of people sick, the Commission Energy will provide up to $250,000 in additional funds again. During a site visit at Duke’s Allen Steam Station, probation. In April 2017 , Staff Attorney Pete Harrison found a chronic failure for the effort through a dollar-for-dollar match for other Waterkeeper Alliance and Catawba Riverkeeper sent a letter to the court-appointed monitor overseeing by EPA to protect people.” funds raised by conservation groups. As a result, the discovered a rotting two-foot metal pipe discharging Duke Energy’s compliance with the terms of its proba- – Pete Harrison, Staff Attorney effort is designed to invest $1.5 million in the waters and coal ash pollution to the Catawba River. tion. Based on a series of preventable, unauthorized

24 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 25 CLEAN & SAFE ENERGY

Civil Rights Duke Energy In a sweeping report sent to Congress and President Waterkeeper Alliance continues to protect the public Obama, the United States Commission on Civil Rights and the environment from Duke Energy’s pollution by (USCCR) blasted EPA for chronic failures to protect filling gaps in government oversight and the company’s low-income communities and communities of color self-monitoring.

FISCAL YEAR 2017 from dangerous pollution. The report substantiates the years of work by Waterkeeper Alliance and partner Yadkin Riverkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance, organizations to spur EPA to strengthen its policies represented by the Southern Environmental Law Samarinda in East Kalimantan, Indonesia under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and protect people Center, reached a settlement with Duke Energy that is scarred by a growing from the toxic impacts of pollution from coal ash and requires the removal of all the coal ash from the number of abandoned open cut coal pits and industrial meat production. unlined, leaking coal ash pits at Duke Energy’s Buck piles of topsoil and mine facility on the Yadkin River in Salisbury, North Carolina. overburden leaving vast areas prone to flooding Under the settlement agreement, Duke Energy must and contamination of remove all the coal ash and either recycle it into surrounding waterways with toxic cocktails “The Commission’s report concrete or put it in a modern lined landfill away from of heavy metals and confirms what we’ve known the Yadkin River and separated from groundwater and sediment. for years: government is drinking water sources. ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER WINN, PAUL BY PHOTO ANNUAL REPORT failing to protect America’s Cape Fear Riverkeeper, Waterkeeper Alliance, and most vulnerable communities partners reached a settlement with Duke Energy that from dangerous pollution. secures up to $1.5 million for water quality and conser- Whether it’s arsenic leaking vation efforts in the lower Cape Fear watershed near watershed lands of the lower Cape Fear watershed that In 2015, Duke pled guilty to nine criminal violations out of unlined coal ash Wilmington. Under this settlement, Duke Energy will are used and enjoyed by local communities. The federal of the Clean Water Act related to its mismanagement dumps into drinking water place $1 million in a fund to be used to improve water litigation regarding the Sutton facility will be dismissed. of coal ash at its North Carolina power plants. The plea supplies or noxious fumes quality and conserve watershed lands in the lower Cape In December 2016, Waterkeepers caught Duke agreements required Duke to pay $105 million in fines from factory farms making Fear Basin at and below Duke’s Sutton plant. Duke Energy asleep at the wheel, putting the public at risk and restitution and sentenced Duke to five years of people sick, the Commission Energy will provide up to $250,000 in additional funds again. During a site visit at Duke’s Allen Steam Station, probation. In April 2017 , Staff Attorney Pete Harrison found a chronic failure for the effort through a dollar-for-dollar match for other Waterkeeper Alliance and Catawba Riverkeeper sent a letter to the court-appointed monitor overseeing by EPA to protect people.” funds raised by conservation groups. As a result, the discovered a rotting two-foot metal pipe discharging Duke Energy’s compliance with the terms of its proba- – Pete Harrison, Staff Attorney effort is designed to invest $1.5 million in the waters and coal ash pollution to the Catawba River. tion. Based on a series of preventable, unauthorized

24 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 25 CLEAN & SAFE ENERGY

“At Buck, we have fought hand-in-hand with local citizens, and Effluent Limitation Guidelines for Power Plants Save the Sundarbans finally Duke Energy is required to recycle this ash for concrete Waterkeeper Alliance filed its first lawsuit against the Waterkeeper Alliance continues to join Waterkeepers or remove it to safe storage. There was a Riverkeeper working Trump administration’s EPA in May 2017, challenging Bangladesh in the fight against the proposed Rampal at every one of the eight sites across North Carolina that Duke a rollback that could wipe out critical protections for coal plant in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans forest — a Energy has agreed to clean up.” – Pete Harrison, Staff Attorney cleaning up America’s leading source of toxic water World Heritage Site that includes globally important pollution: coal power plant waste. The federal lawsuit mangroves, endangered aquatic species, and a seeks to invalidate an April 2016 U.S. Environmental fishery that feeds hundreds of thousands of people Protection Agency order that abruptly put an indefinite — by supporting the release of two new international Alliance responded to releases of toxic coal ash from hold on a set of safeguards to control the amount of research reports:

Duke facilities, including our discovery of a coal ash dis- arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead and other pollutants FISCAL YEAR 2017 charge pipe that Duke had overlooked at a power plant that spew from coal power plants into our public “Rampal Thermal Power Plant: Potential Air Pollution, near Charlotte and a dam failure and coal ash spills on waters. By putting those protections on hold indef- Toxicity and Effects on Human Health” the Neuse River following Hurricane Matthew. Again and initely, the Trump administration is allowing power This report shows that the proposed 1320 MW coal- again, Duke Energy mischaracterized facts and mini- plants to continue discharging toxics without any based power plant in Rampal will be one of the largest mized the significance of the events. specific limits, using standards set 35 years ago. single sources of air pollution throughout Bangladesh, increasing the risk of stroke, lung cancer, cardiovas- Stream Protection Rule Impacts on Indonesian Food Security cular and respiratory diseases for adults and children. Waterkeeper Alliance, along with Cook Inletkeeper Waterkeeper Alliance and Indonesian mining advocacy Even if the current air pollution level of Bangladesh is and a coalition of local and national community and network JATAM released a report that names coal zero, the power plant alone will cause the premature conservation groups, filed a motion to defend the mining as the biggest threat to Indonesian food death of 6,000 people and the low birth weight of

PHOTO BY JATAM EAST KALIMANTAN EAST JATAM BY PHOTO national Stream Protection Rule against two lawsuits. security. Contrary to Indonesian regulations, most 24,000 children. ANNUAL REPORT An Indonesian coal mine. The Stream Protection Rule would have required coal coal companies leave mined land and water resources firms to clean up waste from mountaintop removal damaged and useless for food production. Due to the “Environmental Hazard Assessment of Coal Ash mining and prevent it from going into streams. The depletion of groundwater and surface water catchment Disposal at the Proposed Bangladesh-India Friendship water pollution incidents — and Duke’s subsequent rule also would have updated the minimum standards caused by coal mining, villagers surrounding coal Power Company Plant in Rampal, Bangladesh” mischaracterizations of those incidents — the letter to protect clean water and other natural resources mines are forced to use mine pit water for washing, This report found that it is inevitable that ash disposal provides thorough and accurate information and alerts threatened by coal mining operations across the bathing, irrigation of crops and fish farming. Farmers from the proposed coal-fired Rampal plant would release the compliance team that Duke Energy had failed to nation, providing local communities with information using mine pit water report rice yields down 50 percent toxic heavy metals into the waterways of the Sundarbans. correct the mismanagement and negligence that led they need about water contamination caused by and fish production down 80 percent. The report to the 2014 Dan River coal ash spill and numerous nearby coal mining operations. Unfortunately, shortly estimates that 1.7 million tonnes of rice per year has Waterkeeper Alliance and Waterkeepers violations of the Clean Water Act at all 14 of the com- after filing our motion, both houses of Congress been lost due to coal mining and 6 million tonnes of Bangladesh will continue to fight against this pany’s North Carolina coal plants. The letter voted to repeal the Stream Protection Rule under the rice production is at risk from existing cultivated land dangerous project. referenced several instances where Waterkeeper Congressional Review Act (CRA). each year.

26 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 27 CLEAN & SAFE ENERGY

“At Buck, we have fought hand-in-hand with local citizens, and Effluent Limitation Guidelines for Power Plants Save the Sundarbans finally Duke Energy is required to recycle this ash for concrete Waterkeeper Alliance filed its first lawsuit against the Waterkeeper Alliance continues to join Waterkeepers or remove it to safe storage. There was a Riverkeeper working Trump administration’s EPA in May 2017, challenging Bangladesh in the fight against the proposed Rampal at every one of the eight sites across North Carolina that Duke a rollback that could wipe out critical protections for coal plant in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans forest — a Energy has agreed to clean up.” – Pete Harrison, Staff Attorney cleaning up America’s leading source of toxic water World Heritage Site that includes globally important pollution: coal power plant waste. The federal lawsuit mangroves, endangered aquatic species, and a seeks to invalidate an April 2016 U.S. Environmental fishery that feeds hundreds of thousands of people Protection Agency order that abruptly put an indefinite — by supporting the release of two new international Alliance responded to releases of toxic coal ash from hold on a set of safeguards to control the amount of research reports:

Duke facilities, including our discovery of a coal ash dis- arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead and other pollutants FISCAL YEAR 2017 charge pipe that Duke had overlooked at a power plant that spew from coal power plants into our public “Rampal Thermal Power Plant: Potential Air Pollution, near Charlotte and a dam failure and coal ash spills on waters. By putting those protections on hold indef- Toxicity and Effects on Human Health” the Neuse River following Hurricane Matthew. Again and initely, the Trump administration is allowing power This report shows that the proposed 1320 MW coal- again, Duke Energy mischaracterized facts and mini- plants to continue discharging toxics without any based power plant in Rampal will be one of the largest mized the significance of the events. specific limits, using standards set 35 years ago. single sources of air pollution throughout Bangladesh, increasing the risk of stroke, lung cancer, cardiovas- Stream Protection Rule Impacts on Indonesian Food Security cular and respiratory diseases for adults and children. Waterkeeper Alliance, along with Cook Inletkeeper Waterkeeper Alliance and Indonesian mining advocacy Even if the current air pollution level of Bangladesh is and a coalition of local and national community and network JATAM released a report that names coal zero, the power plant alone will cause the premature conservation groups, filed a motion to defend the mining as the biggest threat to Indonesian food death of 6,000 people and the low birth weight of

PHOTO BY JATAM EAST KALIMANTAN EAST JATAM BY PHOTO national Stream Protection Rule against two lawsuits. security. Contrary to Indonesian regulations, most 24,000 children. ANNUAL REPORT An Indonesian coal mine. The Stream Protection Rule would have required coal coal companies leave mined land and water resources firms to clean up waste from mountaintop removal damaged and useless for food production. Due to the “Environmental Hazard Assessment of Coal Ash mining and prevent it from going into streams. The depletion of groundwater and surface water catchment Disposal at the Proposed Bangladesh-India Friendship water pollution incidents — and Duke’s subsequent rule also would have updated the minimum standards caused by coal mining, villagers surrounding coal Power Company Plant in Rampal, Bangladesh” mischaracterizations of those incidents — the letter to protect clean water and other natural resources mines are forced to use mine pit water for washing, This report found that it is inevitable that ash disposal provides thorough and accurate information and alerts threatened by coal mining operations across the bathing, irrigation of crops and fish farming. Farmers from the proposed coal-fired Rampal plant would release the compliance team that Duke Energy had failed to nation, providing local communities with information using mine pit water report rice yields down 50 percent toxic heavy metals into the waterways of the Sundarbans. correct the mismanagement and negligence that led they need about water contamination caused by and fish production down 80 percent. The report to the 2014 Dan River coal ash spill and numerous nearby coal mining operations. Unfortunately, shortly estimates that 1.7 million tonnes of rice per year has Waterkeeper Alliance and Waterkeepers violations of the Clean Water Act at all 14 of the com- after filing our motion, both houses of Congress been lost due to coal mining and 6 million tonnes of Bangladesh will continue to fight against this pany’s North Carolina coal plants. The letter voted to repeal the Stream Protection Rule under the rice production is at risk from existing cultivated land dangerous project. referenced several instances where Waterkeeper Congressional Review Act (CRA). each year.

26 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 27 FROM OIL AND GAS DRILLING

Washington United States Waterkeeper Alliance and a coalition will be held before the Washington The D.C. Circuit Court ordered EPA of public interest organizations State Pollution Control Hearings to close a loophole that has allowed representing tens of thousands Board later this year. Joining us in PURE FARMS, hazardous substances released into of Washingtonians filed a legal the appeal are Puget Soundkeeper the environment by concentrated challenge to the Washington State Alliance, Community Association animal feeding operations (CAFOs) Department of Ecology’s issuance for Restoration of the Environment, to go unreported, marking a major of a revised CAFO general discharge Friends of Toppenish Creek, Sierra win in Waterkeeper Alliance, et al. permit under state law and the Club, Center for Food Safety and PURE WATERS v. EPA. The loophole was created Clean Water Act, five years after North Sound Baykeeper’s parent

by the Bush administration in 2008 the former permit expired. Faced organization RE Sources for FISCAL YEAR 2017 and exempted CAFOs from the with the opportunity to protect Sustainable Communities. We same pollutant reporting required Washingtonians from industrial are represented by the Western of other industries to ensure public agriculture pollution, Ecology failed Environmental Law Center and the law safety. This victory sent a reminder to comply with the law as required offices of Charles M. Tebbutt. to the new Trump administration to address the four major sources that Waterkeeper Alliance will of pollution from CAFOs: land New York continue to use the courts as an application, lagoons, waste storage Waterkeeper Alliance, Hudson important independent evaluator areas, and animal confinement Riverkeeper and other groups filed of executive branch authority, and buildings. a lawsuit against New York’s that the language used by Congress Instead, Ecology issued a Department of Environmental in enacting the statutes on which problematic, two-tiered permit Conservation in the Albany County agency actions are based is a very scheme that fails to protect our Supreme Court, demanding it ANNUAL REPORT real and very powerful limit on future most important natural resource – strengthen a general water permit for agency actions. clean water. A hearing on our legal large farm operations to bring it into challenges to Ecology’s permits compliance with the Clean Water Act.

North Carolina is home to more “It is imperative that state and federal leaders stop bowing than 2,200 swine CAFOs confining an to industry pressure and start enforcing our clean water laws. estimated 10 million Clean water and agriculture can go hand-in-hand, but not if we continue hogs, making it the producer of the to allow agribusiness to pollute our nation’s water with impunity.” second most hogs of any U.S. state. –Marc Yaggi and Brion Blackwelder, in the Sun Sentinel August 2016 PHOTO BY WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER BY PHOTO

28 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 29 FROM OIL AND GAS DRILLING

Washington United States Waterkeeper Alliance and a coalition will be held before the Washington The D.C. Circuit Court ordered EPA of public interest organizations State Pollution Control Hearings to close a loophole that has allowed representing tens of thousands Board later this year. Joining us in PURE FARMS, hazardous substances released into of Washingtonians filed a legal the appeal are Puget Soundkeeper the environment by concentrated challenge to the Washington State Alliance, Community Association animal feeding operations (CAFOs) Department of Ecology’s issuance for Restoration of the Environment, to go unreported, marking a major of a revised CAFO general discharge Friends of Toppenish Creek, Sierra win in Waterkeeper Alliance, et al. permit under state law and the Club, Center for Food Safety and PURE WATERS v. EPA. The loophole was created Clean Water Act, five years after North Sound Baykeeper’s parent

by the Bush administration in 2008 the former permit expired. Faced organization RE Sources for FISCAL YEAR 2017 and exempted CAFOs from the with the opportunity to protect Sustainable Communities. We same pollutant reporting required Washingtonians from industrial are represented by the Western of other industries to ensure public agriculture pollution, Ecology failed Environmental Law Center and the law safety. This victory sent a reminder to comply with the law as required offices of Charles M. Tebbutt. to the new Trump administration to address the four major sources that Waterkeeper Alliance will of pollution from CAFOs: land New York continue to use the courts as an application, lagoons, waste storage Waterkeeper Alliance, Hudson important independent evaluator areas, and animal confinement Riverkeeper and other groups filed of executive branch authority, and buildings. a lawsuit against New York’s that the language used by Congress Instead, Ecology issued a Department of Environmental in enacting the statutes on which problematic, two-tiered permit Conservation in the Albany County agency actions are based is a very scheme that fails to protect our Supreme Court, demanding it ANNUAL REPORT real and very powerful limit on future most important natural resource – strengthen a general water permit for agency actions. clean water. A hearing on our legal large farm operations to bring it into challenges to Ecology’s permits compliance with the Clean Water Act.

North Carolina is home to more “It is imperative that state and federal leaders stop bowing than 2,200 swine CAFOs confining an to industry pressure and start enforcing our clean water laws. estimated 10 million Clean water and agriculture can go hand-in-hand, but not if we continue hogs, making it the producer of the to allow agribusiness to pollute our nation’s water with impunity.” second most hogs of any U.S. state. –Marc Yaggi and Brion Blackwelder, in the Sun Sentinel August 2016 PHOTO BY WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER BY PHOTO

28 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 29 PURE FARMS, PURE WATERS

owners Donald and Annie Taylor, the Taylors filed for briefing for Members of Congress to hear first- Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization resulting in hand accounts of swine waste devastation from North Carolina an automatic stay of the litigation. The Taylors also the affected residents, most of them from minority joined with NC Farm Families, an industry PR group, communities, and to present a petition to EPA in a massive public relations campaign designed to officials. The petition requested that EPA take findings, along with similar complaints lodged before malign Waterkeeper Alliance. immediate action to protect their communities from the storm, helped form the basis of our December Waterkeeper Alliance and Sound Rivers responded the dangerous impacts of industrial agriculture 2016 administrative action against North Carolina’s by filing an adversary proceeding in the bankruptcy pollution, and was signed by over 95,000 concerned Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), alleging court arguing that our claims for injunctive and citizens. Larry Baldwin, Crystal Coast Riverkeeper,

inadequate complaint response by the agency, declaratory relief under the Clean Water Act and generously gave his time and energy to drive these FISCAL YEAR 2017 notwithstanding indisputable evidence of permit RCRA – i.e. our claims designed to bring the Taylor wonderful and passionate citizens in a van from violation. We are currently in settlement negotiations Facility into compliance with federal law by stopping North Carolina to Washington. with the agency. and cleaning up these discharges – are not “debts” Waterkeeper Alliance and North Carolina subject to discharge in bankruptcy. No court had Waterkeepers launched a video campaign that Taylor Finishing directly addressed this precise legal issue in the captures the struggle of minority community Back in 2012, Waterkeeper Alliance and Sound context of a citizen suit, but we relied on principles members living with the impacts of industrial farm Rivers, Inc. (Upper and Lower Neuse Riverkeepers’ derived from similar cases to support our position. pollution. Titled “The True Cost of Industrial Meat and Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper’s parent organization) The judge agreed with our legal arguments and, on Production,” the video series raises awareness of filed a citizen suit under the Clean Water Act and the May 31, 2017, the court issued an opinion granting the environmental injustices being perpetrated

PHOTO BY WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER BY PHOTO Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) summary judgment in our favor holding that our against North Carolina’s most vulnerable populations A North Carolina CAFO sprays untreated animal waste from its to stop illegal discharges of swine waste and the claims for injunctive and declaratory relief under the and features powerful, first-hand accounts of lagoons onto a nearby field prior to Tropical Storm Hermine. resulting surface water and groundwater pollution Clean Water Act and RCRA are not “debts” that the community members, esteemed scientific experts, ANNUAL REPORT caused by the Taylor Finishing swine CAFO – a Taylor’s can discharge in bankruptcy. and local experts. Tropical Storm Hermine facility with the capacity to confine more than 14,000 This decision sets an important precedent that will In January 2017, EPA’s External Civil Rights More than four hours after the National Weather swine located in Jones County. The Taylor Facility is deter polluters from attempting to use bankruptcy Compliance Office wrote a stern “letter of Service issued its widely publicized Flash Flood Watch generating and disposing of roughly 10 million gallons to avoid complying with environmental laws in North concern” to North Carolina DEQ stating that North for Tropical Storm Hermine, Waterkeeper Alliance of swine waste each year. Waterkeeper Alliance has Carolina and across the country. We are now seeking Carolina’s failure to adequately regulate more than and Cape Fear Riverkeeper documented roughly 30 developed substantial onsite and offsite evidence to proceed with our case in federal district court. 2,200 industrial hog operations has a disparate, Duplin County hog CAFOs spraying untreated animal demonstrating that the waste is being discharged discriminatory impact on African American, Latino, waste from their lagoons, with several spraying onto through drainage ditches, groundwater transport and Environmental Justice and Native American communities in eastern North saturated lands, into wood lines and onto public surface runoff into Long Branch Creek, a tributary of In October 2016, Daniel E. Estrin, Waterkeeper Carolina. The letter was sent in connection with EPA’s roadways. North Carolina permits require all spraying the Trent River which flows into the Neuse River. Alliance’s General Counsel and Advocacy Director, ongoing investigation into our federal civil rights of hog waste to cease four hours after issuance of Shortly after we completed onsite inspection accompanied 12 citizens from North Carolina complaint filed in September 2014. a National Weather Service Flood Watch associated and sampling of the facility after obtaining a environmental justice communities on a visit to with a tropical storm system for a county. These federal district court order that was opposed by the EPA headquarters in Washington D.C. to hold a

30 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 31 PURE FARMS, PURE WATERS

owners Donald and Annie Taylor, the Taylors filed for briefing for Members of Congress to hear first- Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization resulting in hand accounts of swine waste devastation from North Carolina an automatic stay of the litigation. The Taylors also the affected residents, most of them from minority joined with NC Farm Families, an industry PR group, communities, and to present a petition to EPA in a massive public relations campaign designed to officials. The petition requested that EPA take findings, along with similar complaints lodged before malign Waterkeeper Alliance. immediate action to protect their communities from the storm, helped form the basis of our December Waterkeeper Alliance and Sound Rivers responded the dangerous impacts of industrial agriculture 2016 administrative action against North Carolina’s by filing an adversary proceeding in the bankruptcy pollution, and was signed by over 95,000 concerned Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), alleging court arguing that our claims for injunctive and citizens. Larry Baldwin, Crystal Coast Riverkeeper,

inadequate complaint response by the agency, declaratory relief under the Clean Water Act and generously gave his time and energy to drive these FISCAL YEAR 2017 notwithstanding indisputable evidence of permit RCRA – i.e. our claims designed to bring the Taylor wonderful and passionate citizens in a van from violation. We are currently in settlement negotiations Facility into compliance with federal law by stopping North Carolina to Washington. with the agency. and cleaning up these discharges – are not “debts” Waterkeeper Alliance and North Carolina subject to discharge in bankruptcy. No court had Waterkeepers launched a video campaign that Taylor Finishing directly addressed this precise legal issue in the captures the struggle of minority community Back in 2012, Waterkeeper Alliance and Sound context of a citizen suit, but we relied on principles members living with the impacts of industrial farm Rivers, Inc. (Upper and Lower Neuse Riverkeepers’ derived from similar cases to support our position. pollution. Titled “The True Cost of Industrial Meat and Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper’s parent organization) The judge agreed with our legal arguments and, on Production,” the video series raises awareness of filed a citizen suit under the Clean Water Act and the May 31, 2017, the court issued an opinion granting the environmental injustices being perpetrated

PHOTO BY WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER BY PHOTO Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) summary judgment in our favor holding that our against North Carolina’s most vulnerable populations A North Carolina CAFO sprays untreated animal waste from its to stop illegal discharges of swine waste and the claims for injunctive and declaratory relief under the and features powerful, first-hand accounts of lagoons onto a nearby field prior to Tropical Storm Hermine. resulting surface water and groundwater pollution Clean Water Act and RCRA are not “debts” that the community members, esteemed scientific experts, ANNUAL REPORT caused by the Taylor Finishing swine CAFO – a Taylor’s can discharge in bankruptcy. and local experts. Tropical Storm Hermine facility with the capacity to confine more than 14,000 This decision sets an important precedent that will In January 2017, EPA’s External Civil Rights More than four hours after the National Weather swine located in Jones County. The Taylor Facility is deter polluters from attempting to use bankruptcy Compliance Office wrote a stern “letter of Service issued its widely publicized Flash Flood Watch generating and disposing of roughly 10 million gallons to avoid complying with environmental laws in North concern” to North Carolina DEQ stating that North for Tropical Storm Hermine, Waterkeeper Alliance of swine waste each year. Waterkeeper Alliance has Carolina and across the country. We are now seeking Carolina’s failure to adequately regulate more than and Cape Fear Riverkeeper documented roughly 30 developed substantial onsite and offsite evidence to proceed with our case in federal district court. 2,200 industrial hog operations has a disparate, Duplin County hog CAFOs spraying untreated animal demonstrating that the waste is being discharged discriminatory impact on African American, Latino, waste from their lagoons, with several spraying onto through drainage ditches, groundwater transport and Environmental Justice and Native American communities in eastern North saturated lands, into wood lines and onto public surface runoff into Long Branch Creek, a tributary of In October 2016, Daniel E. Estrin, Waterkeeper Carolina. The letter was sent in connection with EPA’s roadways. North Carolina permits require all spraying the Trent River which flows into the Neuse River. Alliance’s General Counsel and Advocacy Director, ongoing investigation into our federal civil rights of hog waste to cease four hours after issuance of Shortly after we completed onsite inspection accompanied 12 citizens from North Carolina complaint filed in September 2014. a National Weather Service Flood Watch associated and sampling of the facility after obtaining a environmental justice communities on a visit to with a tropical storm system for a county. These federal district court order that was opposed by the EPA headquarters in Washington D.C. to hold a

30 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 31 RAPID RESPONSE

Over 900 gallons of sulfuric St. Johns Riverkeeper Waterkeeper Alliance and acid spilled into the Mulberry investigated Jacksonville’s Broad River Alliance, a

FISCAL YEAR 2017 Fork, a tributary of the Black sewer system after millions Waterkeeper Alliance and Warrior River. Black Warrior of gallons of wastewater were MountainTrue Affiliate, initiated Riverkeeper Nelson Brooke released in the aftermath of Rapid Response following a coal documented hundreds of fish Hurricane Matthew. pollution spill at Cliffside Power

killed as a result of the spill. Photo by St. Johns Riverkeeper Plant in Cleveland County, NC.

Photo by Nelson Brooke Photo by Pete Harrison, Waterkeeper Alliance ANNUAL REPORT

Cahaba Riverkeeper worked Waterkeeper Alliance A creek turned chalk white after alongside Colonial Pipeline initiated Rapid Response carburetor cleaner spilled from personnel to minimize the after a coal barge carrying an Apollo Technologies plant in impact and assess damage 1,000 tonnes of coal sunk in August 2016. Chattahoochee from the liquid gasoline pipeline Bangladesh’s Sundarbans Riverkeeper took water spill in September 2016. “You’re mangrove forest, marking the samples after the spill and not often thankful for no rain, 5th time in the past two years found naphthalene levels but in this particular incident it that a vessel has sunk in the rising; Georgia’s Environmental has been fantastic. It has given World Heritage Site. Protection Division had

them an opportunity to clean up, Map by Waterkeeper Alliance declared the cleanup complete and rain would only carry [fuel] weeks earlier.

to the river,” said Riverkeeper Photo by Cox Media Group Rapid Response David Butler. Photo by Cahaba Riverkeeper

32 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 33 RAPID RESPONSE

Over 900 gallons of sulfuric St. Johns Riverkeeper Waterkeeper Alliance and acid spilled into the Mulberry investigated Jacksonville’s Broad River Alliance, a

FISCAL YEAR 2017 Fork, a tributary of the Black sewer system after millions Waterkeeper Alliance and Warrior River. Black Warrior of gallons of wastewater were MountainTrue Affiliate, initiated Riverkeeper Nelson Brooke released in the aftermath of Rapid Response following a coal documented hundreds of fish Hurricane Matthew. pollution spill at Cliffside Power

killed as a result of the spill. Photo by St. Johns Riverkeeper Plant in Cleveland County, NC.

Photo by Nelson Brooke Photo by Pete Harrison, Waterkeeper Alliance ANNUAL REPORT

Cahaba Riverkeeper worked Waterkeeper Alliance A creek turned chalk white after alongside Colonial Pipeline initiated Rapid Response carburetor cleaner spilled from personnel to minimize the after a coal barge carrying an Apollo Technologies plant in impact and assess damage 1,000 tonnes of coal sunk in August 2016. Chattahoochee from the liquid gasoline pipeline Bangladesh’s Sundarbans Riverkeeper took water spill in September 2016. “You’re mangrove forest, marking the samples after the spill and not often thankful for no rain, 5th time in the past two years found naphthalene levels but in this particular incident it that a vessel has sunk in the rising; Georgia’s Environmental has been fantastic. It has given World Heritage Site. Protection Division had

them an opportunity to clean up, Map by Waterkeeper Alliance declared the cleanup complete and rain would only carry [fuel] weeks earlier.

to the river,” said Riverkeeper Photo by Cox Media Group Rapid Response David Butler. Photo by Cahaba Riverkeeper

32 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 33 RAPID RESPONSE FISCAL YEAR 2017

ANNUAL REPORT HURRICANE MATTHEW WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 10 RAPID RESPONSE FISCAL YEAR 2017

ANNUAL REPORT HURRICANE MATTHEW WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 10 RAPID RESPONSE

eastern North Carolina. The previous 500-year flood in the region was just 17 years ago during Hurricane Floyd. The flooding caused coal ash ponds, sewage treatment plants, industrial waste water plants, coal plant cooling ponds and industrial meat production facilities to flood and/or fail. Our response primarily focused on aerial monitoring and reporting to the public about the environmental hazards that resulted from this historic

storm and, more importantly, from the poor public FISCAL YEAR 2017 policy decisions made by government officials that allowed enormous, open, unlined waste pits such as hog waste “lagoons” and coal ash “ponds” to be located within North Carolina’s floodplains. Waterkeeper Alliance’s photos and videos were shown on The Rachel Maddow Show and in many news articles including The Weather Channel, The Washington Post, Mother Jones, Esquire, and The Atlantic. CNN featured our before and after images as well, and our work caught the interest of The New York Times editorial board. Our Hurricane Matthew Rapid Response ANNUAL REPORT concluded with the discovery of two coal ash releases from Duke Energy’s H.F. Lee Facility in ATERKEEPER ALLIANCE initiated a Rapid Response Goldsboro, NC. The first discovery came just days to Hurricane Matthew with our North Carolina after Duke failed to detect a school-bus-sized breach Riverkeepers. The Hurricane impacted Waterkeepers in the cooling pond dam at the H.F. Lee facility for in the Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, and North and upwards of 24 hours. The second discovery came on South Carolina. A total of 1,045 fatalities resulted from Tuesday after Waterkeeper Alliance Staff Attorney the storm, with most deaths occurring in Haiti. We Pete Harrison and Upper Neuse Riverkeeper Matthew are thankful that all the members of our Waterkeeper Starr found a substantial but undetermined amount of Organizations and Affiliates survived the storm, albeit coal ash floating on the surface of the Neuse River in

with some significant damage to homes, offices a layer over one inch thick. ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER DOVE, RICK BY PHOTO

and boats. Rains from Hurricane Matthew created Following the discovery of the coal ash spill at A North Carolina CAFO surrounded by floods after Hurricane Matthew. a 500-year flood that broke records on 17 rivers in Duke Energy’s H.F. Lee Plant, Waterkeeper Alliance

36 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 37 RAPID RESPONSE

eastern North Carolina. The previous 500-year flood in the region was just 17 years ago during Hurricane Floyd. The flooding caused coal ash ponds, sewage treatment plants, industrial waste water plants, coal plant cooling ponds and industrial meat production facilities to flood and/or fail. Our response primarily focused on aerial monitoring and reporting to the public about the environmental hazards that resulted from this historic

storm and, more importantly, from the poor public FISCAL YEAR 2017 policy decisions made by government officials that allowed enormous, open, unlined waste pits such as hog waste “lagoons” and coal ash “ponds” to be located within North Carolina’s floodplains. Waterkeeper Alliance’s photos and videos were shown on The Rachel Maddow Show and in many news articles including The Weather Channel, The Washington Post, Mother Jones, Esquire, and The Atlantic. CNN featured our before and after images as well, and our work caught the interest of The New York Times editorial board. Our Hurricane Matthew Rapid Response ANNUAL REPORT concluded with the discovery of two coal ash releases from Duke Energy’s H.F. Lee Facility in ATERKEEPER ALLIANCE initiated a Rapid Response Goldsboro, NC. The first discovery came just days to Hurricane Matthew with our North Carolina after Duke failed to detect a school-bus-sized breach Riverkeepers. The Hurricane impacted Waterkeepers in the cooling pond dam at the H.F. Lee facility for in the Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, and North and upwards of 24 hours. The second discovery came on South Carolina. A total of 1,045 fatalities resulted from Tuesday after Waterkeeper Alliance Staff Attorney the storm, with most deaths occurring in Haiti. We Pete Harrison and Upper Neuse Riverkeeper Matthew are thankful that all the members of our Waterkeeper Starr found a substantial but undetermined amount of Organizations and Affiliates survived the storm, albeit coal ash floating on the surface of the Neuse River in with some significant damage to homes, offices a layer over one inch thick. ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER DOVE, RICK BY PHOTO and boats. Rains from Hurricane Matthew created Following the discovery of the coal ash spill at A North Carolina CAFO surrounded by floods after Hurricane Matthew. a 500-year flood that broke records on 17 rivers in Duke Energy’s H.F. Lee Plant, Waterkeeper Alliance

36 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 37 RAPID RESPONSE

and Upper Neuse Riverkeeper submitted samples of “ENVIRONMENTAL the ash to scientists at Appalachian State University. The university used a scanning electron microscope ADVOCATES AND to visualize samples of the spilled coal ash, and tested the particles for contaminants. The analysis STATE OFFICIALS HAVE detected dangerous heavy metals attached to the fly ash, including antimony and cobalt. Duke Energy BEEN FLYING OVER had previously reported elevated levels of both these contaminants in groundwater monitoring wells

REGIONS TO IDENTIFY located around the inactive ash ponds where the coal FISCAL YEAR 2017 ash spill occurred. Throughout the week, Duke Energy OVERFLOWING LAGOONS attempted to characterize the ash as “not coal ash,” “inert” and “not inherently toxic.” WHERE FLOODWATERS The conditions we observed in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew were shocking, and it will likely HAVE BECOME MIXED take years for North Carolina waterways to recover from the adverse impacts of the enormous volumes WITH THE WASTE, A of toxic waste and nutrients that were unnecessarily PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD released into the environment.

THAT COULD LAST FOR FIELDS OF FILTH ANNUAL REPORT

WEEKS AS BACTERIA FOLLOWING THE STORM, Waterkeeper Alliance and Environ- mental Working Group (EWG) released a new report, F LOW INTO RIVERS AND “Fields Of Filth: First Inventory Of Hurricane’s Impact On N.C. Factory Farms.” Hurricane Matthew’s STREAMS, POTENTIALLY rampage through North Carolina’s coastal plain flooded more than 140 feces-strewn swine and poultry SICKENING THOSE WHO barns, more than a dozen open pits brimming with hog waste and thousands of acres of manure-saturated COME INTO CONTACT fields. From aerial surveys and imagery, the organizations

PHOTO BY RICK DOVE, WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER DOVE, RICK BY PHOTO produced maps that provided the first publicly available, An aerial view of Duke Energy’s H.F. Lee facility. WITH THOSE WATERS.” detailed look at the flooding’s impact on 36 CAFOs –THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD

38 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 39 RAPID RESPONSE

and Upper Neuse Riverkeeper submitted samples of “ENVIRONMENTAL the ash to scientists at Appalachian State University. The university used a scanning electron microscope ADVOCATES AND to visualize samples of the spilled coal ash, and tested the particles for contaminants. The analysis STATE OFFICIALS HAVE detected dangerous heavy metals attached to the fly ash, including antimony and cobalt. Duke Energy BEEN FLYING OVER had previously reported elevated levels of both these contaminants in groundwater monitoring wells

REGIONS TO IDENTIFY located around the inactive ash ponds where the coal FISCAL YEAR 2017 ash spill occurred. Throughout the week, Duke Energy OVERFLOWING LAGOONS attempted to characterize the ash as “not coal ash,” “inert” and “not inherently toxic.” WHERE FLOODWATERS The conditions we observed in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew were shocking, and it will likely HAVE BECOME MIXED take years for North Carolina waterways to recover from the adverse impacts of the enormous volumes WITH THE WASTE, A of toxic waste and nutrients that were unnecessarily PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD released into the environment.

THAT COULD LAST FOR FIELDS OF FILTH ANNUAL REPORT

WEEKS AS BACTERIA FOLLOWING THE STORM, Waterkeeper Alliance and Environ- mental Working Group (EWG) released a new report, F LOW INTO RIVERS AND “Fields Of Filth: First Inventory Of Hurricane’s Impact On N.C. Factory Farms.” Hurricane Matthew’s STREAMS, POTENTIALLY rampage through North Carolina’s coastal plain flooded more than 140 feces-strewn swine and poultry SICKENING THOSE WHO barns, more than a dozen open pits brimming with hog waste and thousands of acres of manure-saturated COME INTO CONTACT fields. From aerial surveys and imagery, the organizations

PHOTO BY RICK DOVE, WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER DOVE, RICK BY PHOTO produced maps that provided the first publicly available, An aerial view of Duke Energy’s H.F. Lee facility. WITH THOSE WATERS.” detailed look at the flooding’s impact on 36 CAFOs –THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD

38 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 39 RAPID RESPONSE

along the Neuse, Black and Cape Fear rivers. raising operations with 102 barns, and 14 open-air The maps are an ugly reminder of the recklessness pits holding millions of gallons of liquid hog manure. “IT’S BAFFLING HOW DUKE ENERGY COULD of placing densely concentrated, confined animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in a low-lying area In the 47 counties in the larger coastal plain, BE SO OBLIVIOUS TO SUCH AN OBVIOUS deluged annually by tropical storms. As documented CAFOs generate more than 9 billion gallons (96 in last year’s “Exposing Fields of Filth” report, the 47 percent of the entire state’s output) of liquid animal SPILL, AND HOW STATE REGULATORS counties in the state’s Atlantic coastal plain are home waste and over 193 million pounds (47 percent of the to 96 percent of North Carolina’s hog CAFOs and more entire state’s output) of dry animal waste each year CONTINUE TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY WHEN than a third of its chicken CAFOs. The Waterkeeper (see Table 1).

Alliance/ EWG analysis of the flood’s impact on the IT COMES TO DUKE’S COAL ASH PROBLEMS.” FISCAL YEAR 2017 eight counties most heavily inundated, and of animal Within the 100-year floodplain of the coastal –PETE HARRISON, STAFF ATTORNEY waste in the larger coastal plain, found: counties, 62 CAFOs house more than 235,000 hogs and 30 CAFOs house over 1.8 million chickens. There In Craven, Duplin, Green, Jones, Lenoir, Pitt, Sampson are 166 open-air waste pits directly within the 100- and Wayne counties, the flood partially submerged 10 year floodplain, and another 366 within 100 feet of industrial pig farms with 39 barns, 26 large chicken- the area (see Table 1).

TABLE 1 ANNUAL REPORT PHOTO BY PETE HARRISON, WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER HARRISON, PETE BY PHOTO

Duke Energy failed to identify a school bus-sized breach in a cooling pond dam at their H.F. Lee facility for as much as 24 hours SOURCE: EWG AND WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE, N.C. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY before a local news helicopter spotted the collapsed dam and reported it to officials.

40 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 41 RAPID RESPONSE

along the Neuse, Black and Cape Fear rivers. raising operations with 102 barns, and 14 open-air The maps are an ugly reminder of the recklessness pits holding millions of gallons of liquid hog manure. “IT’S BAFFLING HOW DUKE ENERGY COULD of placing densely concentrated, confined animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in a low-lying area In the 47 counties in the larger coastal plain, BE SO OBLIVIOUS TO SUCH AN OBVIOUS deluged annually by tropical storms. As documented CAFOs generate more than 9 billion gallons (96 in last year’s “Exposing Fields of Filth” report, the 47 percent of the entire state’s output) of liquid animal SPILL, AND HOW STATE REGULATORS counties in the state’s Atlantic coastal plain are home waste and over 193 million pounds (47 percent of the to 96 percent of North Carolina’s hog CAFOs and more entire state’s output) of dry animal waste each year CONTINUE TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY WHEN than a third of its chicken CAFOs. The Waterkeeper (see Table 1).

Alliance/ EWG analysis of the flood’s impact on the IT COMES TO DUKE’S COAL ASH PROBLEMS.” FISCAL YEAR 2017 eight counties most heavily inundated, and of animal Within the 100-year floodplain of the coastal –PETE HARRISON, STAFF ATTORNEY waste in the larger coastal plain, found: counties, 62 CAFOs house more than 235,000 hogs and 30 CAFOs house over 1.8 million chickens. There In Craven, Duplin, Green, Jones, Lenoir, Pitt, Sampson are 166 open-air waste pits directly within the 100- and Wayne counties, the flood partially submerged 10 year floodplain, and another 366 within 100 feet of industrial pig farms with 39 barns, 26 large chicken- the area (see Table 1).

TABLE 1 ANNUAL REPORT PHOTO BY PETE HARRISON, WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER HARRISON, PETE BY PHOTO

Duke Energy failed to identify a school bus-sized breach in a cooling pond dam at their H.F. Lee facility for as much as 24 hours SOURCE: EWG AND WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE, N.C. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY before a local news helicopter spotted the collapsed dam and reported it to officials.

40 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 41 STRIKEFORCE FISCAL YEAR 2017

STRIKE FORCE ANNUAL REPORT STANDING WITH STANDING ROCK

42 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 43 STRIKEFORCE FISCAL YEAR 2017

STRIKE FORCE ANNUAL REPORT STANDING WITH STANDING ROCK

42 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 43 STRIKEFORCE

N AUGUST 2016, Waterkeeper Alliance and events; Hurricane Creekkeeper John Wathen spent a Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. dare to stand up against the thuggery of corporate 93 Waterkeeper Organizations and considerable time at Standing Rock, staying through Kennedy, Jr. joined the fight at the Standing Rock interests, and called upon President Obama to halt Affiliates worldwide sent a letter to until the winter to document the violent retaliation Sioux Reservation in November 2016, meeting with construction immediately. He also called for a full Standing Rock Sioux tribal leaders against the peaceful Water Protectors. Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault Environmental Impact Statement to assess the expressing solidarity and unwavering In October 2016, Waterkeeper Alliance delivered II and taking a tour of the camps. Mr. Kennedy cumulative impacts, as required under the National support for efforts to stop the Dakota a letter to the Obama administration calling for denounced the State of North Dakota for deploying Environmental Policy Act for a project of this size. Access pipeline that threatens their the immediate halt to the construction of the its police and military against peaceful citizens who land, water, public health and tribal Dakota Access Pipeline until a full, and rigorous, rights. Organizing Director Pete environmental review could be conducted for the

FISCAL YEAR 2017 i Nichols was one of five in a caravan to full scope of the project. In addition, we called for a Standing Rock to make the 18-hour journey, earning full assessment of the impacts to the spiritual and him a Yakama Nation flag and designation as a “Road cultural resources connected to the indigenous Warrior” by Yakama Tribal Councilman Virgil Lewis. tribes along the route, and asked that all indigenous, He was asked to speak by Yakama Chairman Goudy and human rights be respected. We also called on to the Standing Rock Sioux as part of the Yakama the Department of Justice to intervene to end the delegation. Hurricane Creekkeeper and Savannah violence against peaceful Water Protectors who were Riverkeeper were also on-site to document the simply acting to protect their waterways. ANNUAL REPORT

The people of Standing Rock camped along the Missouri River in peaceful protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline to protect their homeland, historic and sacred sites and the drinking water of millions of Americans. PHOTO BY RING OF FIRE OF RING BY PHOTO WATHEN JOHN BY PHOTO WATHEN JOHN BY PHOTO

44 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 45 STRIKEFORCE

N AUGUST 2016, Waterkeeper Alliance and events; Hurricane Creekkeeper John Wathen spent a Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. dare to stand up against the thuggery of corporate 93 Waterkeeper Organizations and considerable time at Standing Rock, staying through Kennedy, Jr. joined the fight at the Standing Rock interests, and called upon President Obama to halt Affiliates worldwide sent a letter to until the winter to document the violent retaliation Sioux Reservation in November 2016, meeting with construction immediately. He also called for a full Standing Rock Sioux tribal leaders against the peaceful Water Protectors. Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault Environmental Impact Statement to assess the expressing solidarity and unwavering In October 2016, Waterkeeper Alliance delivered II and taking a tour of the camps. Mr. Kennedy cumulative impacts, as required under the National support for efforts to stop the Dakota a letter to the Obama administration calling for denounced the State of North Dakota for deploying Environmental Policy Act for a project of this size. Access pipeline that threatens their the immediate halt to the construction of the its police and military against peaceful citizens who land, water, public health and tribal Dakota Access Pipeline until a full, and rigorous, rights. Organizing Director Pete environmental review could be conducted for the

FISCAL YEAR 2017 i Nichols was one of five in a caravan to full scope of the project. In addition, we called for a Standing Rock to make the 18-hour journey, earning full assessment of the impacts to the spiritual and him a Yakama Nation flag and designation as a “Road cultural resources connected to the indigenous Warrior” by Yakama Tribal Councilman Virgil Lewis. tribes along the route, and asked that all indigenous, He was asked to speak by Yakama Chairman Goudy and human rights be respected. We also called on to the Standing Rock Sioux as part of the Yakama the Department of Justice to intervene to end the delegation. Hurricane Creekkeeper and Savannah violence against peaceful Water Protectors who were Riverkeeper were also on-site to document the simply acting to protect their waterways. ANNUAL REPORT

The people of Standing Rock camped along the Missouri River in peaceful protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline to protect their homeland, historic and sacred sites and the drinking water of millions of Americans. PHOTO BY RING OF FIRE OF RING BY PHOTO WATHEN JOHN BY PHOTO WATHEN JOHN BY PHOTO

44 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 45 DIVE INTO DEMOCRACY Trinity Waters, a Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate (Texas, USA)

Upper Green River Network, a Colorado Riverkeeper Affiliate (Wyoming, USA)

Älvräddarnas Waterkeeper (Sweden) FISCAL YEAR 2017 White River Waterkeeper Upper Allegheny River (Arkansas, USA) Project, a Waterkeeper Colorado River CREATE, a Columbia Alliance Affiliate Waterkeepers Nepal (Nepal) Waterkeeper Riverkeeper Affiliate (Pennsylvania, USA) Network (Oregon, USA) (Colorado, USA) SunKoshi River Waterkeeper (Nepal) Great Plains Great Swamp Watershed Pa Chu, a Wang Chu Waterkeeper Association, a Passaic Waterkeeper Affiliate Rio Grande Waterkeeper Network Green Riverkeeper River Waterkeeper SetiGandaki River Waterkeeper (Nepal) (Bhutan) (New Mexico, USA) Gan River Waterkeeper (China) (Colorado, USA) (North Carolina, USA) Alliance Affiliate San Quintin Bay (New Jersey, USA) Dongting Lake Waterkeeper (China) O’ahu Waterkeeper Waterkeeper Tampa Bay Waterkeeper (Hawaii, USA) (Mexico) (Florida, USA) Lower Thim Chu, a Wang Chu Waterkeeper Affiliate (Bhutan) Maui Nui Marine Costa Grande Friends of Resource Council, Waterkeeper (Mexico) Dhobi Khola, a Waterkeeper a Bagmati River ANNUAL REPORT Alliance Affiliate Environmental Waterkeeper (Hawaii, USA) Cabo Pulmo Coast Stewardship, Affiliate (Nepal) Waterkeeper (Mexico) a Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate (Texas, USA) Friends of Bishnumati, a Bagmati River Waterkeeper Affiliate (Nepal)

Trishuli River Upper Thim Chu, Waterkeeper (Nepal) a Wang Chu Waterkeeper Affiliate (Bhutan) Ha Chu, a Wang Growth Chu Waterkeeper Affiliate (Bhutan) Waterkeeper Organization Waterkeeper Affiliate

Wang Chu Waterkeeper (Bhutan)

46 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 47 DIVE INTO DEMOCRACY Trinity Waters, a Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate (Texas, USA)

Upper Green River Network, a Colorado Riverkeeper Affiliate (Wyoming, USA)

Älvräddarnas Waterkeeper (Sweden) FISCAL YEAR 2017 White River Waterkeeper Upper Allegheny River (Arkansas, USA) Project, a Waterkeeper Colorado River CREATE, a Columbia Alliance Affiliate Waterkeepers Nepal (Nepal) Waterkeeper Riverkeeper Affiliate (Pennsylvania, USA) Network (Oregon, USA) (Colorado, USA) SunKoshi River Waterkeeper (Nepal) Great Plains Great Swamp Watershed Pa Chu, a Wang Chu Waterkeeper Association, a Passaic Waterkeeper Affiliate Rio Grande Waterkeeper Network Green Riverkeeper River Waterkeeper SetiGandaki River Waterkeeper (Nepal) (Bhutan) (New Mexico, USA) Gan River Waterkeeper (China) (Colorado, USA) (North Carolina, USA) Alliance Affiliate San Quintin Bay (New Jersey, USA) Dongting Lake Waterkeeper (China) O’ahu Waterkeeper Waterkeeper Tampa Bay Waterkeeper (Hawaii, USA) (Mexico) (Florida, USA) Lower Thim Chu, a Wang Chu Waterkeeper Affiliate (Bhutan) Maui Nui Marine Costa Grande Friends of Resource Council, Waterkeeper (Mexico) Dhobi Khola, a Waterkeeper a Bagmati River ANNUAL REPORT Alliance Affiliate Environmental Waterkeeper (Hawaii, USA) Cabo Pulmo Coast Stewardship, Affiliate (Nepal) Waterkeeper (Mexico) a Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate (Texas, USA) Friends of Bishnumati, a Bagmati River Waterkeeper Affiliate (Nepal)

Trishuli River Upper Thim Chu, Waterkeeper (Nepal) a Wang Chu Waterkeeper Affiliate (Bhutan) Ha Chu, a Wang Growth Chu Waterkeeper Affiliate (Bhutan) Waterkeeper Organization Waterkeeper Affiliate

Wang Chu Waterkeeper (Bhutan)

46 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 47 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WATERKEEPER MOVEMENT FISCAL YEAR 2017 FISCAL YEAR 2017

In coordination with three The Bagmati River is flowing Ottawa Riverkeeper Loreto Coastkeeper in Baja Alabama Waterkeepers Face to face with local A Georgia judge sided with New York State and Entergy federal agencies, Mexico’s La free of trash after 4 years of completed the first-ever study California Sur held a season worked together to create governmental officials on Altamaha Riverkeeper and reached an agreement to Paz Waterkeeper and their cleanup events organized of microplastic pollution in of beach cleanups focused on an interactive map of the Xiangyang Radio Television, other groups, saying Rayonier shutdown two aging nuclear parent organization, Red de by Nepal’s Bagmati River the Ottawa River watershed. microtrash—small pieces of 1,271 sewage spills reported China’s Middle Han River Advanced Materials is putting reactors at Indian Point by Observadores Ciudadanos, Waterkeeper and community Months later, Waterkeepers trash such as cigarette butts, in 2016 as part of their effort Waterkeeper Ms.Yun far too much pollution into the 2021. Hudson Riverkeeper organized an effort to catch partners. The cleanups across Canada celebrated bottle tops, and other tiny, to persuade state regulators demanded officials fulfill their river. Altamaha Riverkeeper president Paul Gallay said the boats fishing in no-take zones, attracted over 2,000 when the country officially broken down bits of trash that that more oversight is needed responsibility to protect the has been attempting to stop decision marked “a new day which resulted in the boats’ participants every Saturday banned the sale and can be ingested by wildlife— regarding sewage spills. quality and quantity of the this pollution for 15 years. for New York.”

gear being confiscated. morning. manufacture of microbeads! utilizing screens to filter the Photo by Nelson Brooke Han River. Photo by Altamaha Riverkeeper Photo by Riverkeeper ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL REPORT Photo by La Paz Waterkeeper Photo by Jason Houston Photo by Ottawa Riverkeeper sand of all such debris. Photo by Middle Han River Waterkeeper Staff

Photo by Loreto Coastkeeper “We need a comprehensive plan to deal with dams’ impacts on water temperature,

Lake Erie Waterkeeper and The Stratford Community Farm Columbia Riverkeeper and In a precedent setting case for Maule Itata Coastkeeper Surma River Waterkeeper and Maryland became the or we may partners sued EPA for their in Connecticut was renamed Snake River Waterkeeper citizens rights, a federal court in Chile held cleanups at 30 Waterkeepers Bangladesh third state to ban fracking be telling our failure to protect communities “The Terry Backer Community filed the first lawsuit against ruled in favor of Quad Cities locations, with hundreds of celebrated the removal of and first state with gas kids stories about and businesses from the Farm of Stratford,” to honor the Scott Pruitt’s EPA to prevent Waterkeeper and Prairie Rivers volunteers collecting more public toilets on the Surma reserves to ban fracking salmon instead harmful algal blooms that have memory of our late, beloved massive, heat-driven fish kills. Network, saying the dumping of than 4 tons of garbage as part River that were releasing through the legislature. plagued Lake Erie for years. concrete into the Green River by of Chile’s 6th National Beach untreated human waste Waterkeepers Chesapeake Long Island Soundkeeper. Photo by Russ Ricketts of River Snorkel of teaching them Photo by NASA Earth Observatory Ballegeer Excavation violated the and River Cleanup. directly into the river. Executive Director Betsy Photo by John Kovach to fish.” Clean Water Act. Photo by Maule Itata Coastkeeper Photo by The Daily Star Nicholas called the vote

Photo by Art Norris the “result of an incredible – Miles Johnson, attorney for grassroots movement across Columbia Riverkeeper Maryland.” 48 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 49 Photo by Robin Broder HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WATERKEEPER MOVEMENT FISCAL YEAR 2017 FISCAL YEAR 2017

In coordination with three The Bagmati River is flowing Ottawa Riverkeeper Loreto Coastkeeper in Baja Alabama Waterkeepers Face to face with local A Georgia judge sided with New York State and Entergy federal agencies, Mexico’s La free of trash after 4 years of completed the first-ever study California Sur held a season worked together to create governmental officials on Altamaha Riverkeeper and reached an agreement to Paz Waterkeeper and their cleanup events organized of microplastic pollution in of beach cleanups focused on an interactive map of the Xiangyang Radio Television, other groups, saying Rayonier shutdown two aging nuclear parent organization, Red de by Nepal’s Bagmati River the Ottawa River watershed. microtrash—small pieces of 1,271 sewage spills reported China’s Middle Han River Advanced Materials is putting reactors at Indian Point by Observadores Ciudadanos, Waterkeeper and community Months later, Waterkeepers trash such as cigarette butts, in 2016 as part of their effort Waterkeeper Ms.Yun far too much pollution into the 2021. Hudson Riverkeeper organized an effort to catch partners. The cleanups across Canada celebrated bottle tops, and other tiny, to persuade state regulators demanded officials fulfill their river. Altamaha Riverkeeper president Paul Gallay said the boats fishing in no-take zones, attracted over 2,000 when the country officially broken down bits of trash that that more oversight is needed responsibility to protect the has been attempting to stop decision marked “a new day which resulted in the boats’ participants every Saturday banned the sale and can be ingested by wildlife— regarding sewage spills. quality and quantity of the this pollution for 15 years. for New York.” gear being confiscated. morning. manufacture of microbeads! utilizing screens to filter the Photo by Nelson Brooke Han River. Photo by Altamaha Riverkeeper Photo by Riverkeeper ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL REPORT Photo by La Paz Waterkeeper Photo by Jason Houston Photo by Ottawa Riverkeeper sand of all such debris. Photo by Middle Han River Waterkeeper Staff

Photo by Loreto Coastkeeper “We need a comprehensive plan to deal with dams’ impacts on water temperature,

Lake Erie Waterkeeper and The Stratford Community Farm Columbia Riverkeeper and In a precedent setting case for Maule Itata Coastkeeper Surma River Waterkeeper and Maryland became the or we may partners sued EPA for their in Connecticut was renamed Snake River Waterkeeper citizens rights, a federal court in Chile held cleanups at 30 Waterkeepers Bangladesh third state to ban fracking be telling our failure to protect communities “The Terry Backer Community filed the first lawsuit against ruled in favor of Quad Cities locations, with hundreds of celebrated the removal of and first state with gas kids stories about and businesses from the Farm of Stratford,” to honor the Scott Pruitt’s EPA to prevent Waterkeeper and Prairie Rivers volunteers collecting more public toilets on the Surma reserves to ban fracking salmon instead harmful algal blooms that have memory of our late, beloved massive, heat-driven fish kills. Network, saying the dumping of than 4 tons of garbage as part River that were releasing through the legislature. plagued Lake Erie for years. concrete into the Green River by of Chile’s 6th National Beach untreated human waste Waterkeepers Chesapeake Long Island Soundkeeper. Photo by Russ Ricketts of River Snorkel of teaching them Photo by NASA Earth Observatory Ballegeer Excavation violated the and River Cleanup. directly into the river. Executive Director Betsy Photo by John Kovach to fish.” Clean Water Act. Photo by Maule Itata Coastkeeper Photo by The Daily Star Nicholas called the vote

Photo by Art Norris the “result of an incredible – Miles Johnson, attorney for grassroots movement across Columbia Riverkeeper Maryland.” 48 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 49 Photo by Robin Broder HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WATERKEEPER MOVEMENT Honors We know the Waterkeeper movement is full of amazing advocates, so it’s wonderful to see other entities around the world recognize their After a decade of work by Miami Waterkeeper and Futaleufú Riverkeeper President Robert F. Kennedy, Alaska’s Cook Inletkeeper to partners have filed a federal celebrated a happy ending Jr., Trustee Lessing Stern, and achievements. These are just a few of the accolades received in fiscal stop the proposed Chuitna suit against the U.S. Army Corps to their tumultuous 20-year Leadership Circle member year 2017. Congratulations to all our Waterkeeper Organizations and coal mine, which would of Engineers alleging that the battle to save Patagonia’s Geralyn Dreyfous took our Affiliates for being the best and brightest clean water advocates have strip mined through corps inadequately considered Futaleufú River in August 2016 Deer Valley Skifest auction on the planet! FISCAL YEAR 2017 14 miles of wild salmon the risks to corals in approving when Endesa Chile, subsidiary winners on a rafting/floating streams, owner of the mine the Port Everglades dredging of Enersis and part of Italian- trip down Utah’s Green River PacRim was sent packing project, and violated the controlled energy consortium with Colorado Riverkeeper and in a spectacular victory for Endangered Species Act and Enel, formally relinquished Green River Action Network, a Alaska’s fish, people, and the National Environmental all claims to Chile’s iconic Colorado Riverkeeper Affiliate. climate. Policy Act process. whitewater mecca and similar They paddled Desolation and

Photo by Brandon Hill Photo by Colin Foord stakes in other Chilean rivers. Gray canyons almost to the Qiantang River Buffalo Niagara Choctawhatchee Waterkeeper Alliance

Photo by Kaaty.7 Colorado River confluence. Waterkeeper Riverkeeper Riverkeeper Marc Yaggi and Photo by Ed Theil Hao Xin Jill Jedlicka Michael Mullen Daniel E. Estrin Ecological Civilization Thiess International Lifetime Achievement Nicholas A. Robinson Award from China’s Riverprize from Award from Alabama Award for Distinguished Ministry of Environmental International Water Watch Association Environmental Protection RiverFoundation Achievement from Pace ANNUAL REPORT “This Green River paradise Coosa Riverkeeper Environmental Law is now threatened by West Virginia Beiyun Waterkeeper Frank Chitwood Alumni Association and Headwaters Wang Yongchen Group of the Year from the Haub Environmental Puget Soundkeeper The Organization of American a boondoggle meant to Waterkeeper Global Thinker Steward Law Program celebrated a victory that States has called on the benefit a new generation Alabama Rivers Alliance will result in huge changes government of the Bahamas to of corporate villains. Angie Rosser from Foreign Policy benefitting Elliott Bay and protect the lives and personal Utah’s carbon titans are Women in Conservation Magazine Milwaukee Riverkeeper Fundy Baykeeper the Seattle waterfront. The integrity of five members Award from National Cheryl Nenn Matt Abbott settlement requires structural of Save the Bays, including slicing up the plateau for tar changes at Seattle’s Pier 86 members of Waterkeepers sands oil and gas fracking.” Wildlife Federation, Volunteer Stream T. B. “Happy” Fraser to stop stormwater discharge Bahamas, who have been National River Hero Monitoring Award from Award from the Atlantic – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President from the pier and to prevent subject to threats of harm, from the River Network UW-Extension and Salmon Federation spillage of grain into Elliott harassment and intimidation Wisconsin Department of Bay, as well as $699,000 because of their environmental for restoration and water advocacy against the Natural Resources protection efforts. government and private

Photo by Puget Soundkeeper developers.

Photo by Waterkeepers Bahamas

50 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 51 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WATERKEEPER MOVEMENT Honors We know the Waterkeeper movement is full of amazing advocates, so it’s wonderful to see other entities around the world recognize their After a decade of work by Miami Waterkeeper and Futaleufú Riverkeeper President Robert F. Kennedy, Alaska’s Cook Inletkeeper to partners have filed a federal celebrated a happy ending Jr., Trustee Lessing Stern, and achievements. These are just a few of the accolades received in fiscal stop the proposed Chuitna suit against the U.S. Army Corps to their tumultuous 20-year Leadership Circle member year 2017. Congratulations to all our Waterkeeper Organizations and coal mine, which would of Engineers alleging that the battle to save Patagonia’s Geralyn Dreyfous took our Affiliates for being the best and brightest clean water advocates have strip mined through corps inadequately considered Futaleufú River in August 2016 Deer Valley Skifest auction on the planet! FISCAL YEAR 2017 14 miles of wild salmon the risks to corals in approving when Endesa Chile, subsidiary winners on a rafting/floating streams, owner of the mine the Port Everglades dredging of Enersis and part of Italian- trip down Utah’s Green River PacRim was sent packing project, and violated the controlled energy consortium with Colorado Riverkeeper and in a spectacular victory for Endangered Species Act and Enel, formally relinquished Green River Action Network, a Alaska’s fish, people, and the National Environmental all claims to Chile’s iconic Colorado Riverkeeper Affiliate. climate. Policy Act process. whitewater mecca and similar They paddled Desolation and

Photo by Brandon Hill Photo by Colin Foord stakes in other Chilean rivers. Gray canyons almost to the Qiantang River Buffalo Niagara Choctawhatchee Waterkeeper Alliance

Photo by Kaaty.7 Colorado River confluence. Waterkeeper Riverkeeper Riverkeeper Marc Yaggi and Photo by Ed Theil Hao Xin Jill Jedlicka Michael Mullen Daniel E. Estrin Ecological Civilization Thiess International Lifetime Achievement Nicholas A. Robinson Award from China’s Riverprize from Award from Alabama Award for Distinguished Ministry of Environmental International Water Watch Association Environmental Protection RiverFoundation Achievement from Pace ANNUAL REPORT “This Green River paradise Coosa Riverkeeper Environmental Law is now threatened by West Virginia Beiyun Waterkeeper Frank Chitwood Alumni Association and Headwaters Wang Yongchen Group of the Year from the Haub Environmental Puget Soundkeeper The Organization of American a boondoggle meant to Waterkeeper Global Thinker Steward Law Program celebrated a victory that States has called on the benefit a new generation Alabama Rivers Alliance will result in huge changes government of the Bahamas to of corporate villains. Angie Rosser from Foreign Policy benefitting Elliott Bay and protect the lives and personal Utah’s carbon titans are Women in Conservation Magazine Milwaukee Riverkeeper Fundy Baykeeper the Seattle waterfront. The integrity of five members Award from National Cheryl Nenn Matt Abbott settlement requires structural of Save the Bays, including slicing up the plateau for tar changes at Seattle’s Pier 86 members of Waterkeepers sands oil and gas fracking.” Wildlife Federation, Volunteer Stream T. B. “Happy” Fraser to stop stormwater discharge Bahamas, who have been National River Hero Monitoring Award from Award from the Atlantic – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President from the pier and to prevent subject to threats of harm, from the River Network UW-Extension and Salmon Federation spillage of grain into Elliott harassment and intimidation Wisconsin Department of Bay, as well as $699,000 because of their environmental for restoration and water advocacy against the Natural Resources protection efforts. government and private

Photo by Puget Soundkeeper developers.

Photo by Waterkeepers Bahamas

50 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 51 Deer Valley Celebrity Skifest – 25th Anniversary Deer Valley, Utah December 2-4, 2016 Audi FIS Ski World Cup 2017 Squaw Valley, California The opening weekend event March 10-11, 2017

was held at the Montage Deer ENTERTAINMENT JUMA BY PHOTOS Squaw Valley hosted its first FIS Valley and featured a gala and Ski World Cup since 1969. With live concert by Dierks Bentley an eye toward Squaw Valley’s CHANNELKEEPER BARBARA SANTA BY PHOTO at the DeJoria Center. The entire environment and the threats SPLASH Series weekend of events was televised posed to it by climate change, Waterkeeper Alliance announced in a national CBS special which Waterkeeper Alliance and its 7th Annual SPLASH Event Series, reached 2.2 million viewers. Protect Our Winters created an presented nationally by Toyota. A FISCAL YEAR 2017 evening benefit event and a Pro/ record 16 events were approved for Am Ski race to coincide with the the 2017 season that brought out historic weekend. thousands of participants.

PHOTO BY JUMA ENTERTAINMENT JUMA BY PHOTO Blue Water Series Keep It Clean® Boston, Massachusetts Avalon Theater, Los Angeles, Events May 11, 2017 California Waterkeeper Alliance along April 20, 2017 with Boston Properties held Toyota and Paul Mitchell Art for Water® Waterkeeper Alliance presented an a ceremonial lighting of The sponsored the third “Keep It

Sotheby’s, New art benefit at Sotheby’s New York. Prudential Tower and hosted a Clean” live comedy event to ANNUAL REPORT

York, New York This event, chaired by Jeff Koons cocktail reception as part of the IMAGES GETTY POLK/ RICH BY PHOTO benefit Waterkeeper Alliance February 6, 2017 and Ed Ruscha, featured live and Blue Water Series. Waterkeeper at the Avalon Hollywood silent auctions by over 60 artists. Alliance’s Executive Director Theater in Los Angeles. This Marc Yaggi, and President Robert entertaining and hilarious F. Kennedy, Jr., gave remarks evening featured comedy by regarding our vital work. The The Roastmaster General Jeff entire day featured an onsite Ross, Sarah Silverman, Tig experience of Toyota’s fuel cell Notaro, Zach Galifianakis, Bill vehicle, the Mirai. Burr, Calum Worthy, Nick Kroll and Garfunkel and Oates. PHOTOS BY SAMANTHA NANDEZ/BFA.COM SAMANTHA BY PHOTOS PHOTO BY PRUDENTIAL CENTER BOSTON CENTER PRUDENTIAL BY PHOTO

52 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 53 Deer Valley Celebrity Skifest – 25th Anniversary Deer Valley, Utah December 2-4, 2016 Audi FIS Ski World Cup 2017 Squaw Valley, California The opening weekend event March 10-11, 2017

was held at the Montage Deer ENTERTAINMENT JUMA BY PHOTOS Squaw Valley hosted its first FIS Valley and featured a gala and Ski World Cup since 1969. With live concert by Dierks Bentley an eye toward Squaw Valley’s CHANNELKEEPER BARBARA SANTA BY PHOTO at the DeJoria Center. The entire environment and the threats SPLASH Series weekend of events was televised posed to it by climate change, Waterkeeper Alliance announced in a national CBS special which Waterkeeper Alliance and its 7th Annual SPLASH Event Series, reached 2.2 million viewers. Protect Our Winters created an presented nationally by Toyota. A FISCAL YEAR 2017 evening benefit event and a Pro/ record 16 events were approved for Am Ski race to coincide with the the 2017 season that brought out historic weekend. thousands of participants.

PHOTO BY JUMA ENTERTAINMENT JUMA BY PHOTO Blue Water Series Keep It Clean® Boston, Massachusetts Avalon Theater, Los Angeles, Events May 11, 2017 California Waterkeeper Alliance along April 20, 2017 with Boston Properties held Toyota and Paul Mitchell Art for Water® Waterkeeper Alliance presented an a ceremonial lighting of The sponsored the third “Keep It

Sotheby’s, New art benefit at Sotheby’s New York. Prudential Tower and hosted a Clean” live comedy event to ANNUAL REPORT

York, New York This event, chaired by Jeff Koons cocktail reception as part of the IMAGES GETTY POLK/ RICH BY PHOTO benefit Waterkeeper Alliance February 6, 2017 and Ed Ruscha, featured live and Blue Water Series. Waterkeeper at the Avalon Hollywood silent auctions by over 60 artists. Alliance’s Executive Director Theater in Los Angeles. This Marc Yaggi, and President Robert entertaining and hilarious F. Kennedy, Jr., gave remarks evening featured comedy by regarding our vital work. The The Roastmaster General Jeff entire day featured an onsite Ross, Sarah Silverman, Tig experience of Toyota’s fuel cell Notaro, Zach Galifianakis, Bill vehicle, the Mirai. Burr, Calum Worthy, Nick Kroll and Garfunkel and Oates. PHOTOS BY SAMANTHA NANDEZ/BFA.COM SAMANTHA BY PHOTOS PHOTO BY PRUDENTIAL CENTER BOSTON CENTER PRUDENTIAL BY PHOTO

52 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 53 Bio nic PHOTO BY BIONIC

54 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 55 Bio nic PHOTO BY BIONIC

54 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 55 BIONIC

works with local Waterkeeper Organizations to build the fair market value of the commodity provided by the its infrastructure fully transparent. With more than fully-developed operations that recover plastic debris local Waterkeeper, serves as a new and reliable revenue 300 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates from local marine and coastal environments. stream for the Waterkeeper Organization, affording them around the world, the initiative remains nimble and The resulting infrastructure includes recovery vital funding necessary to expand and grow in their ever expanding. receptacles and logistics, organized large-scale cleanup mission to protect their watershed from polluters. BIONIC is a raw material engineering company, operations, hiring of additional organization staff, and The role of industry is simple: demand. As the producing high performance textiles and polymers the build-out of a recovered debris processing facility use of recycled ocean plastics increases, consumers out of recycled plastic. Since 2013, BIONIC has been within the watershed. The processed materials are then must understand that not all recycled material is actively engaged in the recovery and up-cycling of plastic provided to BIONIC to be made into everything from created equally. All of the recycled marine and from coastal communities and marine environments

W FISCAL YEAR 2017 innovative high-strength yarn to polymer. BIONIC’s coastal plastic debris collected through our Ocean around the world. For more information on BIONIC, commitment to unrestricted donations, calculated at Plastic Recovery Initiative is fully traceable and please visit: bionic.is.

WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE and partner BIONIC are joining forces to defend marine environments around the world from the estimated 5-12 million tons of plastic pollution flowing into our oceans each year. The partnership was born in 2015 when BIONIC approached Nicoya Penninsula Waterkeeper in Costa Rica with the idea to build a plastic recovery operation in their watershed. Thanks to their successful collaboration, BIONIC and Waterkeeper Alliance have launched ANNUAL REPORT the Ocean Plastic Recovery Initiative to build plastic recovery facilities with Waterkeeper Organizations around the world Waterkeeper Alliance’s Ocean Plastic Recovery Initiative shines a light into how industry marries purpose and profit by creating a dynamically positive environmental impact. The Ocean Plastic Recovery Initiative unites a Waterkeeper Organization’s innate knowledge of their waterway and community with advanced raw materials manufacturing technology, PHOTOS BY BIONIC offering a first-of-its-kind solution to the harmful effects of marine plastic debris. Waterkeeper Alliance, with aid from BIONIC,

56 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 57 BIONIC

works with local Waterkeeper Organizations to build the fair market value of the commodity provided by the its infrastructure fully transparent. With more than fully-developed operations that recover plastic debris local Waterkeeper, serves as a new and reliable revenue 300 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates from local marine and coastal environments. stream for the Waterkeeper Organization, affording them around the world, the initiative remains nimble and The resulting infrastructure includes recovery vital funding necessary to expand and grow in their ever expanding. receptacles and logistics, organized large-scale cleanup mission to protect their watershed from polluters. BIONIC is a raw material engineering company, operations, hiring of additional organization staff, and The role of industry is simple: demand. As the producing high performance textiles and polymers the build-out of a recovered debris processing facility use of recycled ocean plastics increases, consumers out of recycled plastic. Since 2013, BIONIC has been within the watershed. The processed materials are then must understand that not all recycled material is actively engaged in the recovery and up-cycling of plastic provided to BIONIC to be made into everything from created equally. All of the recycled marine and from coastal communities and marine environments

W FISCAL YEAR 2017 innovative high-strength yarn to polymer. BIONIC’s coastal plastic debris collected through our Ocean around the world. For more information on BIONIC, commitment to unrestricted donations, calculated at Plastic Recovery Initiative is fully traceable and please visit: bionic.is.

WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE and partner BIONIC are joining forces to defend marine environments around the world from the estimated 5-12 million tons of plastic pollution flowing into our oceans each year. The partnership was born in 2015 when BIONIC approached Nicoya Penninsula Waterkeeper in Costa Rica with the idea to build a plastic recovery operation in their watershed. Thanks to their successful collaboration, BIONIC and Waterkeeper Alliance have launched ANNUAL REPORT the Ocean Plastic Recovery Initiative to build plastic recovery facilities with Waterkeeper Organizations around the world Waterkeeper Alliance’s Ocean Plastic Recovery Initiative shines a light into how industry marries purpose and profit by creating a dynamically positive environmental impact. The Ocean Plastic Recovery Initiative unites a Waterkeeper Organization’s innate knowledge of their waterway and community with advanced raw materials manufacturing technology, PHOTOS BY BIONIC offering a first-of-its-kind solution to the harmful effects of marine plastic debris. Waterkeeper Alliance, with aid from BIONIC,

56 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 57 WHO WE ARE

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Senior Attorney Betsy Nicholas, Board of Directors Leadership Circle Dr. William E. Smith Sharon Khan, Recruiting Director Waterkeepers Chesapeake Glenn R. Rink, Chair Amy Acker & James Carpinello Tore Steen Larissa Liebmann, Staff Attorney Sam Perkins, Catawba Riverkeeper Wendy Abrams Brian Acrish Don Thompson Donna Lisenby, Clean & Safe Energy Kathy Phillips, Assateague Casi Callaway Dr. Alan Andacht & Dr. Michael Maher Joe Tomlinson Campaign Manager Coastkeeper Karl Coplan Gabriele Bertaccini Alexandra Weed Grey Hecht Katherine Luscher, Training Director Captain Bill Sheehan, Hackensack Gordon Brown Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Bart Mihailovich, Organizer, Riverkeeper Emmeli & Dylan Bruno Mark Mattson Eastern U.S. Theo Thomas, London Waterkeeper Jason C. Chryssicas Kris Moore Sergio Moncada, Organizer, Chris Wilke, Puget Soundkeeper Deanna Clarkson Smith & Bob Smith Cheryl Nenn Latin America Gary Wockner, Poudre Waterkeeper Mira Coluccio Lessing Stern Lindsey Muzzio, Communications & Hao Xin, Qiantang River Waterkeeper Sean Currie Marketing Coordinator

Terry Tamminen Virginia Dadey FISCAL YEAR 2017 Gary Wockner Pete Nichols, Organizing Director Trustee Council Geralyn Dreyfous Mary Beth Postman, Deputy Director Chris Wilke Wendy Abrams Reverend Gerald L. Durley Tom Quinn, Senior Editor William S. Brennan Mark Feuerstein Maia Raposo, Communications Gay Browne Murray Fisher & Marketing Director Officers Ann Colley Rafael Fogel Marc Yaggi, Executive Director Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President James Curleigh Barnaby Furnas Min Zheng, Organizer, Asia Marc Yaggi, Executive Director John Paul DeJoria Kendis Gibson Mary Beth Postman, Secretary F. Daniel Gabel, Jr. Neil Giuliano Karl Coplan, Treasurer Tom Gegax CC Goldwater & David Sager Waterkeeper Council Grey Hecht Woody Harrelson Casi Callaway, Chair, Mobile Baykeeper Jami & Klaus Heidegger Rachael Harris & Christian Hebel Staff Tonya Bonitatibus, Savannah Jud Hill TJ Hill Lesley Adams, Senior Organizer, Riverkeeper Ed Hubennette Katherine Kendrick Western U.S. Kemp Burdette, Cape Fear Riverkeeper Karen Percy Lowe & Kevin Lowe Ilene S. Landress ANNUAL REPORT Christian Breen, Field Investigator Hartwell Carson, French Broad Kris Moore Carrie Lee Rachel Cook, Finance & Riverkeeper Dr. Heather Richardson Karen Lehner Operations Director Sejal Choksi, San Francisco Baykeeper Glenn R. Rink Chad Lowe Rick Dove, Senior Advisor Karl Coplan, Pace Environmental Dr. Howard Rubin Camryn Manheim The Waterkeeper Daniel E. Estrin, General Counsel & Laura Turner Seydel James Manfredonia Alliance Board Litigation Clinic of Directors is a Michael McCulloch & Chris Kafentzis Advocacy Director Margarita Diaz, Tijuana Waterkeeper & Rutherford Seydel 13-person board Kelly Hunter Foster, Senior Attorney Paul Gallay, Riverkeeper Lessing Stern Nicole Miller comprising 6 Heather George, Grants Manager Rodrigo de la O Guerrero, Maule Itata Terry Tamminen Diane Neal members Bori Gorog, Office Manager William B. Wachtel Kristie Pellecchia elected from the Coastkeeper Waterkeeper Pete Harrison, U.S. Coal Campaign Kent Weed Lewis Perkins Sharif Jamil, Buriganga Riverkeeper Council, 6 Coordinator and Staff Attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Yvonne Zappulla Bryce Perry members elected Will Hendrick, Staff Attorney Mark Mattson, Lake Ontario Carla Zilka Nick Sangermano from the Trustee & Manager, NC Pure Farms, Waterkeeper John R. Seydel Council and a Pure Waters Campaign Harper Simon President elected Cheryl Nenn, Milwaukee Riverkeeper by Waterkeeper Kate Hudson, Advocacy Coordinator, Alliance Western U.S. membership.

58 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 59 WHO WE ARE

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Senior Attorney Betsy Nicholas, Board of Directors Leadership Circle Dr. William E. Smith Sharon Khan, Recruiting Director Waterkeepers Chesapeake Glenn R. Rink, Chair Amy Acker & James Carpinello Tore Steen Larissa Liebmann, Staff Attorney Sam Perkins, Catawba Riverkeeper Wendy Abrams Brian Acrish Don Thompson Donna Lisenby, Clean & Safe Energy Kathy Phillips, Assateague Casi Callaway Dr. Alan Andacht & Dr. Michael Maher Joe Tomlinson Campaign Manager Coastkeeper Karl Coplan Gabriele Bertaccini Alexandra Weed Grey Hecht Katherine Luscher, Training Director Captain Bill Sheehan, Hackensack Gordon Brown Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Bart Mihailovich, Organizer, Riverkeeper Emmeli & Dylan Bruno Mark Mattson Eastern U.S. Theo Thomas, London Waterkeeper Jason C. Chryssicas Kris Moore Sergio Moncada, Organizer, Chris Wilke, Puget Soundkeeper Deanna Clarkson Smith & Bob Smith Cheryl Nenn Latin America Gary Wockner, Poudre Waterkeeper Mira Coluccio Lessing Stern Lindsey Muzzio, Communications & Hao Xin, Qiantang River Waterkeeper Sean Currie Marketing Coordinator

Terry Tamminen Virginia Dadey FISCAL YEAR 2017 Gary Wockner Pete Nichols, Organizing Director Trustee Council Geralyn Dreyfous Mary Beth Postman, Deputy Director Chris Wilke Wendy Abrams Reverend Gerald L. Durley Tom Quinn, Senior Editor William S. Brennan Mark Feuerstein Maia Raposo, Communications Gay Browne Murray Fisher & Marketing Director Officers Ann Colley Rafael Fogel Marc Yaggi, Executive Director Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President James Curleigh Barnaby Furnas Min Zheng, Organizer, Asia Marc Yaggi, Executive Director John Paul DeJoria Kendis Gibson Mary Beth Postman, Secretary F. Daniel Gabel, Jr. Neil Giuliano Karl Coplan, Treasurer Tom Gegax CC Goldwater & David Sager Waterkeeper Council Grey Hecht Woody Harrelson Casi Callaway, Chair, Mobile Baykeeper Jami & Klaus Heidegger Rachael Harris & Christian Hebel Staff Tonya Bonitatibus, Savannah Jud Hill TJ Hill Lesley Adams, Senior Organizer, Riverkeeper Ed Hubennette Katherine Kendrick Western U.S. Kemp Burdette, Cape Fear Riverkeeper Karen Percy Lowe & Kevin Lowe Ilene S. Landress ANNUAL REPORT Christian Breen, Field Investigator Hartwell Carson, French Broad Kris Moore Carrie Lee Rachel Cook, Finance & Riverkeeper Dr. Heather Richardson Karen Lehner Operations Director Sejal Choksi, San Francisco Baykeeper Glenn R. Rink Chad Lowe Rick Dove, Senior Advisor Karl Coplan, Pace Environmental Dr. Howard Rubin Camryn Manheim The Waterkeeper Daniel E. Estrin, General Counsel & Laura Turner Seydel James Manfredonia Alliance Board Litigation Clinic of Directors is a Michael McCulloch & Chris Kafentzis Advocacy Director Margarita Diaz, Tijuana Waterkeeper & Rutherford Seydel 13-person board Kelly Hunter Foster, Senior Attorney Paul Gallay, Riverkeeper Lessing Stern Nicole Miller comprising 6 Heather George, Grants Manager Rodrigo de la O Guerrero, Maule Itata Terry Tamminen Diane Neal members Bori Gorog, Office Manager William B. Wachtel Kristie Pellecchia elected from the Coastkeeper Waterkeeper Pete Harrison, U.S. Coal Campaign Kent Weed Lewis Perkins Sharif Jamil, Buriganga Riverkeeper Council, 6 Coordinator and Staff Attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Yvonne Zappulla Bryce Perry members elected Will Hendrick, Staff Attorney Mark Mattson, Lake Ontario Carla Zilka Nick Sangermano from the Trustee & Manager, NC Pure Farms, Waterkeeper John R. Seydel Council and a Pure Waters Campaign Harper Simon President elected Cheryl Nenn, Milwaukee Riverkeeper by Waterkeeper Kate Hudson, Advocacy Coordinator, Alliance Western U.S. membership.

58 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 59 PARTNERS FINANCIALS Other $197,782 1% 1% For The Planet Accenture Arcadia Power Born To Be Tees Direct Mail $529,413 Empowering all of us to Making a measurable The first nationwide Even the tiniest voices can 3% drive big, positive change. difference in communities renewable energy make a big statement. around the world. company. Individuals & Events $1,836,734 9%

Corporations $5,852,598 Revenue 28% FISCAL YEAR 2017 BOTE Boards EarthEcho World Water Goalsetter Leap Organics TOTAL: $20,711,363 Spearheading the Monitoring Challenge Saving made simple. Uncompromising quality evolution of paddle- Equipping anyone to pro- Gifts made meaningful. for your daily routine. boarding. tect the water resources we depend on every day. Admin $704,201.63 4%

Fundraising $1,053,209.80 5% Levi’s Patagonia Patrón Tequila Paul Mitchell Cut from the best cloth. Using business to Small-batch tequila, Live beautifully. Crafted with expert care. inspire and implement simply perfect. Feel beautiful. ANNUAL REPORT Designed for the long haul. solutions to the environmental crisis. Foundations $12,294,836 59% Expense TOTAL: $19,858,624.18

Shake Shack SweetWater S’well Toyota A modern day ‘roadside’ Brewing Company S’well, the original “hydra- Driving innovation. burger stand. Don’t float the mainstream. tion accessory” bottle, keeps drinks cold for 24 Program $18,101,212.75 hours and hot for 12 hours. 91%

*These are draft, unaudited financials for fiscal year 2017 (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017). Please visit waterkeeper.org for up to date audited financials.

60 WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE FINANCIALS Other $197,782 1% Direct Mail $529,413 3%

Individuals & Events $1,836,734 9%

Corporations $5,852,598 Revenue 28% TOTAL: $20,711,363

Admin $704,201.63 4%

Fundraising $1,053,209.80 5%

Foundations $12,294,836 59% Expense TOTAL: $19,858,624.18

Program $18,101,212.75 91%

Income: $20,711,363 Program Expenses: $18,101,212.75 Fundraising Expenses: $1,053,209.80 Administrative Expenses: $704,201.63 End of the Year Net Assets: $1,891,426

*These are draft, unaudited financials for fiscal year 2017 (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017). Please visit waterkeeper.org for the most updated audited financials. DONOR LIST

Donors John Paul Mitchell Systems Moore Charitable Annuity Trust Christine and Jordan Kaplan Foundation Raymond James Charitable $1,000,000 and up LUSH Fresh Handmade Patagonia Foundation Anonymous Cosmetics M a r i a a n d F re d R a g u c c i JP’s Peace, Love & Anonymous Mary McNamara Resnick Family Happiness Foundation Foundation for the Carolinas Park Foundation Foundation, Inc. Kathleen Krampf River Birch Fund Rowland & Sylvia Schaefer The Luz Foundation $500,000 – $999,999 The San Francisco Family Foundation Jean McCulloc Paddle 8 Foundation Howard Rubin Ryan McInerney R o ya l S t re et C o r p o rat i o n Solberg Manufacturing Inc. Alan Salzman Jim and Susanne Moore The Sternlicht Family Shake Shack Kris and Ken Moore

FISCAL YEAR 2017 $250,000 - $499,999 Foundation Dr. William E Smith Orchard Foundation Anonymous A l ex a n d ra a n d K e n t We e d Irina and Yevgeny Patricia and Douglas Sacks Swedish Postcode Shchemelev Sangham Foundation Foundation $10,000 - $24,999 Silver Mountain Foundation Deanna Clarkson Toyota Motor Sales, Inc. Accenture for the Arts and Bob Smith USA Anonymous Dr. William E Smith Spurlino Foundation Paul Ape D i a n e a n d S a m u e l S t e w a r t Elizabeth Steele $100,000 - $249,999 David Ansel Pat Stryker S W F I m m e r s i o n F o u n d a t i o n Leonardo DiCaprio T h e A s h u rs t Fo u n dat i o n SweetWater Brewing Co. Traina Interactive Foundation B e t h a n d R o g e r A r m s t r o n g John Swift Weeden Foundation Energy Foundation Frances & Benjamin John Underwood The Wilson Family European Climate Benenson Foundation Foundation Foundation Inc. $5,000 - $9,999 Penelope and Philip Wright Marisla Foundation J i m a n d G l e n d a B ra d l e y Amy and Barry Baker ANNUAL REPORT Pisces Foundation Michele and Stephen Bauer (in memory Ralph Lauren Corporation Gordon Brown of John Lacy) Richard D. Burb ridge PC D & R Fund $50,000 - $99,999 Cantor Fitzgerald Julie Denkers-Bishop Estate of George T. Rhodes Relief Fund Beth DeWoody Moore Family Foundation Celebrity Fight Night Rafael Fogel Turner Foundation The Claire Friedlander Amy Goldman Fowler Waterkeeper Alliance is a nonprofit, Sierra Club Foundation Family Foundation Janet Friesen 501(c)3, member supported organization based in New York, NY. We are governed The Goergen F r a n c e s a n d F . D a n i e l G a b e l by a 13-member Board of Directors and $25,000 - $49,999 Foundation Inc. David and Sheila Gold are supported by member contributions, foundation grants, corporate sponsorship, Anonymous John Hague Foundation events, and other income. Our most recent audited financial statements and IRS 990 The 1111 Foundation P a l m e r H i l l a n d C h a d I r w i n Goldman Environmental forms can be found on our website. Beate and Christopher Chee Chris Kafentzis and Michael Foundation For additional tax and financial information, please contact our Finance Dancing Tides McCulloch HBO & Operations Director Rachel Cook at Foundation Inc. Kutnick Foundation Hecht Charitable Lead [email protected]

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2017

ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER Protect. Swim. Fish. Drink. Heal. Clean. 2017 ANNUAL REPORT WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE Mexico withCosta Grande Waterkeeper. Photo by Alfredo Blasquez. tions fighting plastic pollution -like thisbeach cleanup inSouthwestern innovativehelp fund plastic recovery facilities for Waterkeeper Organiza- of ourcollaborative online ads generates $0.25for Waterkeeper to Alliance plastics from ourbeaches, waterways coastal areas. and Each click on one Waterkeeper haspartneredAlliance withGivewith Dell and toremove

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