"Talking Trash" Potomac Watershed Summit, Wed. Oct. 28

Online, October 27, 2009 (Newswire.com) - MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release: October 28th event

Story Highlights: Elected Officials, Youth Leadership, Interviews with No Impact Man Colin Beavan,Trash Free Event Catering

Contact:

Nadine Bloch, 202-412-7611, Cole Haymond, 860-995-6105, [email protected]

Alice Ferguson Foundation's 4th Annual

Potomac Watershed Trash Summit

featuring "No Impact Man" Colin Beavan

WHEN: Wed. October 28th, 2009 . 8:30 am-4:30pm (8 am Continental Breakfast)

Morning Plenary scheduled 10:30 to 12:30 pm.

WHERE : House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

Washington, DC: This Wednesday, at the House of Sweden on the shores of the Potomac River , 33 new Elected Officials representing fourteen different jurisdictions will add their signatures and their commitment to the Potomac Watershed Trash Treaty. They will be witnessed by more than 200 Youth, Community Leaders & Concerned Citizens at the Alice Ferguson Foundation's 4th Annual Potomac Watershed Trash Summit.

Currently 105 elected officials from the region have signed including all four Governors of the Watershed (MD, VA, WV, PA), the Mayor of Washington,DC, and many leaders from Congress, Counties and municipalities throughout the region.
As part of the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative (TFPWI), the Summit is the venue for key stakeholders to discuss strategies to eliminate trash from our waterways, communities, and streets. Citizens, business and community leaders, waste management professionals, public and private agencies, youth leadership, and elected officials on every level gather to learn, plan, and take action to improve and solve the trash issue.
"The idea is as simple as it is profound. By removing the trash - the most obvious sign of carelessness and neglect - we as a community begin to reclaim the Potomac River, and our communities," said Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Chair of the Advisory Council of TFPWI. "We will continue to work together towards our ambitious goal of a trash free Potomac by 2013."

"The 1st Potomac Watershed Summit framed trash as an environmental and a social issue. In Year Two we identified what we needed to do to solve trashing of our waterways. In Year 3 we built the toolbox and gathered tools. For this 4th Trash Summit, we will celebrate the tangible trash free actions and accomplishments by our many of our government leaders, businesses, communities and citizens; and we will focus key actions of individual responsibility needed by all citizens of the watershed that will take us to our audacious goal of a Trash Free by 2013." said Tracy Bowen, executive director of AFF.

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Colin Beavan, aka No Impact Man, continued, "The good news about taking personal responsibility for the planet that we depend upon for our health, happiness and security is that we get to stop feeling like victims and start feeling in charge. We all can help with everything from trash to carbon dioxide emissions by taking that personal responsibility to heart in the decisions we make at home and, sometimes more importantly, at work."
Education, Enforcement, Regulation, Legislation, and Market-based approaches are the five core components of the Trash Free Potomac Watershed's Initiative and will be covered in Round Table discussions during the Summit. During the Plenary Session, Potomac Champion Awards will be presented to significant leaders and heroes of the Watershed.

Interviews are available with Tracy Bowen, AFF Executive Director; attending Elected Officials and, No Impact Man, Colin Beavan.

Schedule for the day is attached

List of New Signatories and Attending Elected Officials attached

Thank you to our sponsors: The Summit Fund of Washington; NOAA; Altria; Fugro Earthdata, Washington Times; Chesapeake Bay Trust; Keith Campbell Foundation; Fox 5 News WDCA/WTTG TV; Telemundo; Occasions Caterers; House of Sweden; Project Performance Corporation; National Park Service; Host Hotels & Resorts; Exxon Mobil Corporation; Greener Results Consulting; Target; PilieroMazza PLLC; Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.; OpinionWorks; Perfect Settings; Patagonia; ESRI; Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; Potomac Disposal Services; Gaylord Entertainment; Owens-Illinois, Inc.; Mirant Potomac River, LLC; Covanta Energy; Prince George's Police Department; REI; Winchester Homes; HMSHost; Bates White; Urban Service; Billy Buck, Buck & Associates Realtors; Safeway; The Brick Companies Foundation; Arnold & Porter LLP; Washington Area Parrot Head Club

About the Alice Ferguson Foundation (AFF)

AFF conducts environmental education programs for students at its 330-acre Hard Bargain Farm facility along the Potomac River in Accokeek, Maryland; and in national parks throughout the Potomac Watershed in a partnership program called Bridging the Watershed. It founded and coordinates the Potomac River Watershed Cleanups for the past 21 years to address the significant trash problem along its shoreline. AFF's goal is to celebrate a Trash Free Watershed by 2013, and is spearheading the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative which engages elected officials and stakeholders throughout the region to work collaboratively toward this goal. To learn more, please visit www.trashfreepotomac.org.

Alice Ferguson Foundation

2001 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, Maryland 20607 Dupont Office Tel. 202.518.7415 Fax 202.518.7417

Maryland Tel. 301.292.5665 Fax 301.292.1070

www.fergusonfoundation.org

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New Signatories and Attending Elected Officials at the AFF Trash Summit as of 10-26-09:

Walter George,

Reuben CollinsII

Paul C. Strauss

Lawrence Webb

Harold Lippman

Penelope A Gross

Konrad Herling

Nathaniel Exum

Alfred Carr

Craig Rice

Jamin B.Raskin

Tom Hucker

Nancy Floreen

Thomas E.Dernoga

Harry E.Crisp

Terry Seamens

Vivian E.Watts

J. Walter Tejeda

William Euille

Roger Manno
Jeffrey Frederick
Town of Bladensburg, MD
Charles County, MD
District Of Columbia
Falls Church City,VA
Falls Church City,VA
Fairfax County, VA
Cityof Greenbelt, MD
MD
MD
MD
MD
MD
Montgomery County, MD
Prince Georges County, MD
Stafford County,VA
City of Takoma Park, MD
Virginia
Arlington County, VA
City of Alexandria, VA
Montgomery County, MD
Virginia

John Doyle

Chris Zimmerman

Mary Hynes

Mark Cook

Michael D.Brown

Jeffery C.McKay

Charles A.Jenkins

Johnathon L.Way

Wayne C.Spiggle

Peter Murphy

Nancy Jacobs

Richard Madaleno

Sheila Hixson

Brian Feldman

Duchy Trachtenburg

Phil Andrews

John Vatavuk

Shari T.Wilson
Danny Haught
WV
Arlington County,VA
Arlington County,VA
City of College Park, MD
District of Columbia
Fairfax County, VA
Frederick County, MD
City of Manassas,VA
Mineral County, WV
Maryland
Maryland
Montgomery County, MD
MD
MD
Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Somerset County, PA

Maryland
West Virginia

Overview Summit Agenda

8:30 a.m. -
10:20 a.m.

Morning Concurrent Roundtable Sessions

*

The New Rules of Trash: Legislation to Address Regional Trash Issues (Alfred Nobel Hall, Side A)
*

Treating Water as a Resource Rather than a Waste Product!: Stormwater Technologies (TRE)
* Trash is a Crime: Enforcement is Education (Alfred Nobel Hall, Side B)

10:35 a.m - 12:30 p.m.

Morning Plenary Session (Alfred Nobel Hall)

*

Remarks by Partners:
o

David Westerholm, Director, NOAA Office of Response and Restoration
o

Peggy O'Dell, Regional Director, National Capital Area of the National Park Service
o

George Hawkins, General Manager, DC WASA
o

Linda Howard, Executive Director, The Summit Fund of Washington
*

Year of Activities:
o

Potomac Watershed Public Education Campaign - Noral Group International, Ruder Finn and Opinion Works
o

Enforcement - Litter Enforcement Week Appreciation Awards - Ginny Harris, Alice Ferguson Foundation
o

Trash Free Potomac Facility Program Awards - Mark Smallwood, Whole Foods Market
o

Anacostia Trash TMDL - Jon Capacasa, EPA Region III
*

District of Columbia Bag Fee Bill - Honorable Tommy Wells, District of Columbia Council
*

Trash Free Potomac Tributary Appreciation Award &Potomac Champion Awards

Potomac River Watershed Trash Treaty Signing and Remarks from Elected Officials
Keynote: "No Impact Man" Colin Beavan and his wife Michelle Conlin
12:45 p.m.
Delicious Trash Free Lunch

1:45 p.m. -
3:25 p.m.

Afternoon Concurrent Roundtable Sessions

*

Trash Free Potomac Facility Program 101 - Market-Based Approaches (TRE)
*

Maximizing Regulatory Tools (Alfred Nobel Hall, Side B)
*

Starve the Landfill Feed the Soil - Composting (TVA)
* Wake Up and Smell the Trash! - Public Education (Alfred Nobel Hall, Side A)

3:45 p.m.
Refreshments & Wrap Up (Rooftop with an Amazing View!)