Advocacy Project: Letter to Public Official

December 7, 2009
Senator Amy Klobuchar
United States Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Honorable Senator Amy Klobuchar,

I am writing to you to encourage you to vote yes on H.R. 2093. This bill is working to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act). This amendment will require the EPA to use more specific criteria for monitoring recreational beaches, and the water connected with these beaches, for detecting pathogens that can alter human and animal health.

Waterborne pathogens that affect human health can include things such as E. Coli, salmonella, noroviruses, and “swimmer’s itch”. Noroviruses have the same symptoms as food poisoning. These kinds of illnesses can have a major impact on the health of individuals, especially the young and elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. A common way of waterborne illness occurring is from children with diapers, and fecal material getting into the waters. There can also be waters contaminated with mercury, which also infects the fish that humans eat. Most people don’t take the time to actually think about the kinds of bacteria that can be in water that they frequently fish from or swim in.

By voting yes on this bill, the number of outbreaks will be minimized and they can be caught early enough to take care of them before they infect large quantities of people and animals. The quicker the beach is closed, the quicker it can get cleaned up, and fewer infections will occur.

Feel free to contact me at any time, and thank you for your time and support.

Sincerely,
Danielle Scandinato