Minnesota Currents|Online, Summer 2009

State Representative Roger Reinert may have said it best: "Will Munger does not live in the shadow of his father's legacy. He has spent his life building his own. He is an outspoken and highly respected activist and community leader who brings stakeholders together who doesn't always share the same agenda. The result is moving issues forward that many of us care about deeply."

Clean Water Action has been fortunate to have Will Munger, Junior serve on our State Board as our District 8 representative. He has volunteered hundreds of hours helping with our candidate endorsing process, strategic planning and being a passionate voice for Lake Superior by attending conferences, Great Lakes Lobby Days in DC, and at the State Capitol. According to Will, " Clean Water Action is on the forefront influencing legislative action, both by lobbying and working to get people elected. We know how to get right to the grass roots level to be effective."

Will Munger spent his childhood on the St. Louis River, helped his dad run the Munger Hotel after his mother died and while he went to UMD, where he graduated with a degree in Business/Economics and Political Science. He then went on to work as a Field Representative for March of Dimes for ten years and State Director for the MS Society for 25 years.

Will returned to Duluth in the mid-90s to help his dad run the Historic Willard Munger Inn, established in 1954. Will transformed the Inn, located near Spirit Mountain, into an eco- friendly destination that appeals to bikers, hikers, skiers, snowboarders and birders. Will also manages the Indian Point Camp ground, on the St. Louis Bay. Will has created a place for people to be active in the outdoors because he believes we truly appreciate the special places we have when we are out and enjoying them. Will speaks warmly of how both his parents, Martha and Willard, influenced his life in many ways. He feels coming back home to Duluth has been very fulfilling.

Will Munger shares his passion and commitment for making Duluth a better place by serving on many local boards including: Visit Duluth, Save Lake Superior Association, St. Louis River Alliance and the Spirit Mountain Authority Board. "Duluth is a better place because of Will's involvement, vision, genuine warmth and caring. Will is a fierce supporter of Clean Water Action and a tireless Board member for us," shares Rosie Loeffler-Kemp, NE MN Organizer.

A special thanks to Will and Sally Munger for donating rooms and campsites to our Clean Water Action canvassers over the years. A highlight always is Will taking them for a walk by the St. Louis Bay, passing on history and stories. You have helped inspire many college students and new activists!

In this issue of Minnesota Currents|Online:

Minnesota Issue Updates
Updates on Minnesota's work on pesticides, global warming and the clean energy economy, Lake Superior Day events, the Clean Water Restoration Act, and the Healing Our Waters Conference.

Green Stimulus Funding Strengthens Minnesota Water Projects
Even in these tough economic times clean water has proven to be a priority that won't be given up. On February 16, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The $787 billion bill included $6 billion for water infrastructure projects through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).

Will Munger: A Passion For Making Duluth Better
State Representative Roger Reinert may have said it best: "Will Munger does not live in the shadow of his father's legacy. He has spent his life building his own. He is an outspoken and highly respected activist and community leader who brings stakeholders together who doesn't always share the same agenda. The result is moving issues forward that many of us care about deeply."

Minnesota Member Spotlight: Christopher Sullivan
This past February, Clean Water Action member Christopher Sullivan joined two Clean Water staff members, Deanna White, Program Director, and Jenna Garland, 1Sky Organizer, at an in-district meeting with Congressman Erik Paulsen, who represents Mr. Sullivan in Washington.

For California Woman, Protecting A River Can Cost You A Job
Heather Wylie traded her job for a river. And, given the choice, she'd do it again.

During the summer of 2008, Wylie joined a handful of protestors for a canoe and kayak trip down the LA River, earning the wrath of her employers and the attention of a nation. Why? At the time, Wylie was a biologist with the US Army Corps of Engineers. The agency had just declared the LA River as not navigable--a designation that put the watershed at risk and would have set a.dangerous precedent. Wylie and her compatriots were making their voyage to prove the Army Corps wrong. If their fleet could make the journey, they reasoned, then the LA River must be in-fact navigable, a critical first step in retaining Clean Water Act safeguards for the LA River system.

Restoring the Clean Water Act Must Top Congress' Agenda
Restoring the ability of the Clean Water Act to protect water resources must top Congress' water agenda. Supreme Court and agency decisions put at risk Clean Water Act protections for headwater, intermittent and ephemeral streams that supply drinking water systems that serve more than 110 million Americans. In total, 59 percent of the nation's waterways and millions of acres of wetlands are currently at risk.

What You Won't See In Those 'Clean Coal' Ads: Dirty Air, A Wall of Sludge, Poisoned Rivers
Surely you've seen the ads. They are scattered around the internet and splashed across our newspapers and magazines. Their commercials interrupt our favorite television shows and invade our local radio station's airspace. Yes, the ads are everywhere. But that doesn't make them true.

No PR campaign, no matter how well executed, can make coal clean. It's simply not possible.

Advocates for "clean" coal argue that technology exists-almost-that will allow coal-fired power plants to capture their carbon emissions and store the climate-changing gas deep under ground. Technically, this is true. Realistically, this would be extremely expensive, and wouldn't even begin to address most of the impacts felt by water. From mines to power plants, the process of wresting energy from coal is dirty and unhealthy for our waters, our communities and ourselves.

How Safe is Your Bath Tub?
Children's bubble baths should be clean, safe and fun. But No More Toxic Tub, a report published in March 2009 by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in partnership with Clean Water Action and other organizations, found contaminants and other hazardous ingredients in numerous popular shampoos, soaps and body care products marketed to babies and children.

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