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DRBC Executive Director Provides Remarks at PDE Press Conference
The speakers at the press conference pose with their copies of the revised CCMP. From L to R: DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin, EPA Region 2 Administrator Peter Lopez, EPA Region 3 Administrator Cosmo Servidio, PWD Commissioner Debra McCarty, PDE Executive Director Jennifer Adkins, PADEP Acting Sec. for Water Programs Aneca Atkinson, DRBC Executive Director Steve Tambini, and NJDEP's Bruce Friedman. Photo by DRBC. 
The speakers at the press conference pose with their copies of the revised
CCMP. From L to R: DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin, EPA Region 2
Administrator Peter Lopez, EPA Region 3 Administrator Cosmo Servidio,
PWD Commissioner Debra McCarty, PDE Executive Director Jennifer Adkins,
PADEP Acting Secretary for Water Programs Aneca Atkinson, DRBC
Executive  Director Steve Tambini and NJDEP Director of Water Monitoring
Standards Bruce Friedman. Photo by DRBC. 

Last week, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE) held a press conference officially kicking off the implementation of the revised Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the Delaware Estuary (CCMP). The plan includes a revised set of goals and strategies organized into the following subsets: Clean Waters, Strong Communities, and Healthy Habitats. The revised CCMP also includes a financial strategy and monitoring approach to help achieve the plan's main goal of improving the health of the Delaware Estuary for the millions of people who live, work, and play within the watershed.

The revision of the CCMP was a three-year, collaborative effort and would not have been possible without the efforts of the members of PDE's Steering Committee, the Estuary Implementation Committee, PDE's Science and Technical Advisory Committee, and hundreds of local partners, experts and stakeholders.

Representatives of the steering committee, which include DRBC, U.S. EPA Regions 2 and 3, Del. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Pa. Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), were present and provided remarks celebrating the completion of the revised CCMP and their commitment to working together towards a cleaner, more resilient, and healthier estuary.

As part of the implementation of the CCMP, a freshwater mussel hatchery at Philadelphia's Bartram's Garden is planned to be built. Speakers and attendees were invited to stay after the press conference's conclusion to learn more about this unique project, called the Mussels for Clean Water Initiative, which is part of the larger Freshwater Mussel Recovery Program. The goal of this program is to restore native freshwater mussel species to the Delaware, Schuylkill and Susquehanna river systems to promote cleaner water and healthier aquatic ecosystems. The hatchery, funded by PENNVEST, will eventually produce up to a half million baby mussels, which will be reared to hardier sizes at satellite partner facilities and ponds, then relocated from these nursery sites to restoration sites in rivers, streams and lakes. One adult mussel can filter more than 10 gallons of water a day, improving water quality, reducing erosion and providing better habitat for other aquatic plants and animals.

Click play below to view DRBC Executive Director Steve Tambini's remarks at the press conference:
Video 2

View DRBC Executive Director Steve Tambini's full remarks (pdf 186 KB)

View PDE News Release: Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Launches Ten-year Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan (pdf 946 KB)

Learn more about the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan

News Coverage:
The barn at Bartram's Garden was the location of the press conference. Photo by DRBC.PDE Executive Director Jennier Adkins provides welcoming remarks and thanks everyone for their support and efforts towards the revised CCMP. Photo by DRBC.The speakers' table at the press conference. From L to R: USEPA Region 3's Cosmo Servidio, USEPA Region 2's Peter Lopez, PWD's Deb McCarty, DNREC's Shawn Garvin, DRBC's Steve Tambini, PADEP's Aneca Atkinson and NJDEP's Bruce Friedman. Photo by DRBC.Why care about freshwater mussels? This demonstration says it all: on the left is a tank of river water with mussels and on the right is a tank without. The evidence is clear! Photo by DRBC.