Give and you shall receive

The Tennessee Clean Water Network(TCWN) presented its annual River Hero award to Wilma Dykeman. Dykeman authored “The French Broad” in 1955 and was a lifelong advocate for the Appalachian people and environment. She died in December 2006. Senator Lamar Alexander presented the award to Jim Stokely, Dykeman’s son. Meanwhile, the organization was awarded the 2007 Green Paddle by the American Canoe Association for its statewide efforts protecting water quality. TCWN helped win a major victory in 2005 when the state legislature passed a bill allowing citizens to appeal pollution permits. This year the state passed a TCWN-sponsored bill requiring the Department of Environment and Conservation(TDEC) to post notices of water quality violations on its Web site. Their “Build the River Movement” program is helping unite communities across the state around water quality issues, and the network is working to pass the Water Quality Act, which includes an innovative penalty structure designed to reward good actors, discourage repeat offenders and bolster TDEC’s enforcement budget.