Student internship in 2018 with Clean Water Action, a non-profit founded after 1972's Clean Water Act

1. MY SUMMER WITH CLEAN
WATER ACTION

2. WHO THEY ARE
• NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
• FOUNDED IN 1972 AFTER THE CLEAN WATER ACT
• FOUND IN 12 STATES AS WELL AS DC
• CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, FLORIDA, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN,
MINNESOTA, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, TEXAS, AND VIRGINIA
• THEIR MISSION: TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, ECONOMIC WELL-BEING
AND COMMUNITY QUALITY OF LIFE. CLEAN WATER ACTION ORGANIZES STRONG
GRASSROOTS GROUPS AND COALITIONS, AND CAMPAIGNS TO ELECT
ENVIRONMENTAL CANDIDATES AND TO SOLVE ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY
PROBLEMS.

3. INVOLVEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• FOUND THE POSITION THROUGH INDEED
• MY POSITION: GRASSROOTS ORGANIZER
• ORGANIZE MEMBERSHIP
• FUNDRAISER
• LETTER DRIVE
• MEET TRAINING GOALS
• WORKING IN NJ CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS 3,4, AND 6
• FOCUSING ON REPRESENTATIVES MACARTHUR, SMITH, AND PALONE
• SENATORS BOOKER AND MENENDEZ
• GOVERNOR MURPHY

4. OUTLINE OF A TYPICAL DAY
• GROUP TRAINING FOR NEW INTERNS
• ISSUE BRIEFINGS
• 5 HOURS OF CANVASSING THROUGH YOUR DESIGNATED TURF
• STANDARD: $190 AND 5 LETTERS
• “INVENTORY” TAKEN ON THE WAY BACK TO THE OFFICE

5. CAMPAIGNS
• ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION IN NEW JERSEY
• CLEAN WATER RULE
• FULL FRACKING BAN IN NEW JERSEY
• RETHINK DISPOSABLE
• ELECTION WORK

6. ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
• 3 BILLS PUT FORTH FOR NJ
• OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING
• NUCLEAR BAILOUT BILL
• PSEG- $300 MILLION SUBSIDIES PER YEAR TO KEEP NUCLEAR PLANTS PROFITABLE
• DUPONT TOXIC WASTE BILL
• ALLOW DUPONT’S CHAMBERS WORKS CHEMICAL PLANT TO PROCESS AND DISCHARGE
WASTE INTO THE DELAWARE

7. FRACKING BAN
• DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMITTEE
• NJ, DE, PA, NY
• TERMS OF THE BAN
• WANTED TO BAN ALL FRACKING IN NJ
• WOULD ALLOW FOR FRACKING WASTE FROM OTHER STATES TO BE IMPORTED AND
PROCESSED IN NJ
• WOULD ALLOW WATER TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE DELAWARE FOR FRACKING
PURPOSES

8. CLEAN WATER RULE
• BUSH’S ADMINISTRATION LIMITED CLEAN WATER ACT
• ONLY NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS WERE PROTECTED
• CLEAN WATER RULE REAPPLIED TO ALL TYPES OF WATERWAYS
• CONGRESS HAS MADE MANY EFFORTS TO DISMANTLE THE REAL IN ORDER TO
LESSEN THE BURDEN OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

9. RETHINK DISPOSABLE
• CAMPAIGN TO LIMIT PLASTIC AND WASTE
• REDUCTION OF SINGLE USE PLASTICS
• BAN OF PLASTIC STRAWS
• REACHING OUT TO LOCAL BUSINESSES
• PLASTIC AND PAPER BAG BAN

10. ELECTION WORK
• ELECTION WORK CONDUCTED IN DISTRICTS THAT CURRENTLY HAD A
REPRESENTATIVE WHO SCORED LOW ENVIRONMENTALLY
• CLEAN WATER ACTION ENDORSED ANDY KIM FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL
CANDIDATE IN DISTRICT 3
• VOTING POLLS

11. COWORKERS
• YEAR-ROUND EMPLOYEES
• CANVASSERS VS. OFFICE EMPLOYEES
• SUMMER INTERNS
• ISSUES WITH DIVERSITY

12. FUTURE OF THESE PROJECTS
• CAMPAIGNS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING
• CLEAN WATER RULE IS A TOPIC THAT RESURFACES OFTEN
• YEAR-ROUND WORKERS CARRY ON THE CAMPAIGNS

13. MY TAKEAWAYS
• INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF NEW JERSEY ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND ISSUES
• DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• BENEFITS GAINED FROM WORKING WITH A GROUP THAT SHARES COMMON
VALUES AND BELIEFS
• UNEXPECTED EXPERIENCE

14. SOURCES
• HTTPS://WWW.CLEANWATERACTION.ORG/