Waterkeeper Alliance/Emerald Coastkeeper

The Waterkeeper Alliance, http://www.waterkeeper.org/, is a group that looks over local groups that are involved in providing a voice for waterways and their communities worldwide. They support Waterkeeper organizations to protect communities, ecosystems and water quality, as well as promoting watershed protection worldwide.

Here is a news link about the Waterkeeper Alliance - http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/bal-md.poultry24jan24,0,7526704.story

Emerald Coastkeeper, http://emeraldcoastkeeper.org/, is the local group here in our area that is involved with the Waterkeeper Alliance. They are dedicated to protecting the waterways of this area, and do so through education, outreach programs and leading by example, and at times through legal remedies.

Here is a news link about the Emerald Coastkeeper - http://www.pnj.com/article/20090106/NEWS01/901060314/1006/NEWS01

With the local problems with water pollution, a possible story angle could be how do they respond to and act against the local plants and companies that pollute into the local waterways.

Some key questions that could be asked at the news conference are:

1. Where does the majority of the problems come from in regards to pollution in the waterways in our area?
2. In what ways are the Emerald Coastkeepers actively fighting the pollution problems in our area?
3. What are the negative effects of pollution in our area that the group is aware of?

The way to connect with the readers would be to make it hit as close to home as possible. Make them feel like they are part of the story, and that the Emerald Coastkeepers are trying to prevent things that are happening in their neighborhood.