Choose Clean Water Coalition Statement on Widespread Condemnation of Tucker Carlson's Comments on Potomac River Pollution
(ANNAPOLIS, MD)—On Sunday, The Atlantic posted an interview with Fox News Commentator Tucker Carlson where he blamed immigrant communities for making the Potomac River “dirtier”. In response, the Potomac Conservancy released this statement.
In coordination with the Potomac Conservancy, the Choose Clean Water Coalition gathered signatures of support from other clean water and environmental organizations in the region. The list continues to grow and to date 37 organizations have voiced their support for the Potomac Conservancy's position condemning Carlson's comments. Those organizations are:
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
American Rivers
Anacostia Riverkeeper
Anacostia Watershed Society
Audubon Naturalist Society
Audubon Society of Northern Virginia
Baltimore Tree Trust
Blue Heron Environmental Network Inc.
Blue Ridge Watershed Coalition
Cacapon Institute
Canaan Valley Institute
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Chesapeake Commons
Chesapeake Legal Alliance
Clean Fairfax
Clean Water Action
Delaware Nature Society
Elks Run Watershed Group
Environmental Education Fund
Environmental Finance Center
Friends of Accotink Creek
Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek
Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake
Lackawanna River Conservation Association
Maryland League of Conservation Voters
National Wildlife Federation
Piedmont Environmental Council
Prince William Conservation Alliance
Rock Creek Conservancy
Southern Maryland Audubon Society
SouthWings
St. Mary's River Watershed Association
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
Waterkeepers Chesapeake
West Virginia Interfaith Power & Light
West Virginia Rivers Coalition
West Virginia Wilderness Coalition
Following this outpouring of support, Choose Clean Water Coalition Director Kristin Reilly issued the following statement:
"The rich diversity in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is one of our greatest assets in our work to restore and protect the Bay and its rivers and streams. We passionately reject Tucker Carlson's racist, xenophobic, and factually-incorrect comments. It is wrong to assert that any single group is responsible for our water quality issues, and it's particularly troubling that Carlson targeted a marginalized and oppressed community. Stretching from New York to Norfolk, support from the 18 million people that call the Bay watershed home is critical to clean our waterways.
"Despite this attack, we are encouraged by the widespread support among the organizations working to attain clean water in the region who joined the Potomac Conservancy in condemning Carlson's comments. We look forward to collaborating with groups, communities, and stakeholders of all sorts to achieve our clean water goals."
The Choose Clean Water Coalition is an organization that harnesses the collective power of more than 240 local, state, regional and national groups to advocate for clean rivers and streams in all communities in the Chesapeake region.
Media Contact:
Drew Robinson
443-927-8049
RobinsonAQ@nwf.org