For Immediate Release
Durant, OK (April 30) Oklahomans for Responsible Water Policy (ORWP), a new citizens group formed to protect the region’s water and environment, will hold their kick-off rally at 4 p.m. next Thursday, May 6th, featuring Attorney General Drew Edmondson.
The Attorney General will address area residents about legal and public policy issues relating to water, promoting sustainable development and water use in Southeastern Oklahoma and all of Oklahoma.
Oklahomans for Responsible Water Policy recently delivered a letter to both Edmondson and Gov. Brad Henry expressing their concern about the proposed sale of Sardis Lake to Oklahoma City.
The proposed sale of Sardis Lake to the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust has many Southeastern Oklahoma residents concerned. “The lack of responsibility of the State in failing to pay its debt to the federal government should not rest solely on the backs of Southeastern Oklahoma. Having the Attorney General personally address our concerns will go a long way is letting the area residents know that we are being heard,” said Amy Ford, Executive Director of the group.
Board President, Charlette Hearne, stated “Southeast Oklahoma has been fighting water battles for years. We have the water that the rest of the state wants but to move the vast quantities of water we are talking about without any studies to know the local impacts is simply not acceptable.”
The kick-off rally for Oklahomans for Responsible Water Policy will be held at the Bryan County Fairgrounds on Thursday, May 6th at 4:00 pm. In the event of rain, the event will be moved indoors.
Focusing on sound water management, ORWP’s core mission is to preserve and protect the economy, agriculture, environment, habitat, and local beneficial uses of the pristine waters in Southeastern Oklahoma, said Ford. ORWP intends to promote awareness of the value of water as a precious resource ensuring that these waters continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.
“We hope to protect local rights to manage our waters to ensure economic growth and allow for sustainable development well into the future,” Ford concluded.