Speech and Testimony
County Executive Leggett’s Remarks at the Transforming Communities Summit
Nationals Park, Norfolk Southern Club, 1500 South Capitol Street, S.E., Washington, DC
As prepare
Thank you to the Alice Ferguson Foundation for inviting me to be part of your 11th Annual Trash Summit!
It has been just over a year that I was joined by Mayor Muriel Bowser and County Executive Rushern Baker to sign the Anacostia Accord to renew our commitment to work together toward a cleaner, healthier Anacostia watershed.
Protecting and restoring the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers is not a new goal for us. We know there is more to be done and we will continue to do our part to protect and preserve the more than 1,500 miles of Montgomery County streams, which flow into the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.
Working with the District of Columbia, Prince George’s County and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; we are aligning our jurisdictional litter reduction programs; sharing information; standardizing our reporting metrics; and implementing our shared-best practices.
Montgomery County continues to build upon the hundreds of storm water runoff control projects that help stop trash before it is washed into our local streams and rivers.
Montgomery County policies and laws – such as the carryout bag law and the Polystyrene ban – help ensure that litter does not get into our local waterways.
We are making good progress to meet our goal to recycle 70% of our waste stream by the end of 2020.
Such groups as Alice Ferguson Foundation, Impact Silver Spring, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and our local watershed groups are instrumental in organizing and educating the region.
These groups actively bring our Anacostia and Potomac river communities together by supporting anti-litter efforts through advocacy, local research, surveys, open forum community presentations, distributing campaign materials and collaborative stream cleanups.
We are fortunate to have many partners to help us achieve our goals of less litter in our communities and no trash in our streams.
It is a pleasure to recognize the many partners today and to present the Potomac Champion award to two people who have gone above and beyond helping to advance Montgomery County’s anti-littering and trash free programming goals.
Beth Rodgers and Kevin Kearney, of the Great Potomac Tire Rodeo, are avid outdoor enthusiasts who became deeply concerned about the trash in the Potomac River.
Together, they organized the Great Potomac Tire Rodeo volunteer event in Fall 2017. The event removed more than 200 tires, including an airplane tire and a tractor tire.
I invite Beth and Kevin to the stage to present them the 2017 Potomac Champion award.
Thank you, Beth and Kevin, for all you have done to promote the issues of trash in the Potomac River and for engaging the community to do something about it.
Congratulations; you have shown us this is not mission impossible. This is an achievable goal. We will continue to follow your example and work hard to do our part for clearer waters in our region.
Thank you.
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Release ID: 17-120
November 16; 11:30 a.m.