It is with pleasure that the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) announces the formation of a new ORSANCO Advisory Committee. During its 214th Commission meeting on February 11, 2016, the Commission approved a proposal to form an advisory committee which represents watershed organizations. The new committee is titled the Watershed Organizations Advisory Committee, whose membership includes representatives from citizen-based environmentally-focused nonprofit water-related organizations within the Ohio River Basin.

 

Judy Petersen, Executive Director of Kentucky Waterways Alliance, was voted the chairman of the committee. "On behalf of the Watershed Organizations Advisory Committee members," Petersen said, "I thank the Commissioners for their cordial welcome.  In the entire 68-year history of ORSANCO, there has never before been an official seat at the table for watershed and wildlife advocacy organizations. Moving forward, it will take us all to make the Ohio River the clean, healthy, vital river we want and need."

 

ORSANCO Chairman Douglas Conroe noted, "I am delighted to see the interest that the 17 watershed organizations have offered in helping ORSANCO in its development of Ohio River studies and policies and welcome working with them at the table.  We have several Ohio River-related stakeholder advisory committees, and the addition of the Watershed Organizations Advisory Committee will serve well to round-out the interaction that is involved in the deliberative process."

 

The new committee will serve its first ex officio role at ORSANCO's Technical Committee meeting in June 2016.