Virginia is a southern gem, from the remote beaches of Chincoteague and the Chesapeake Bay to the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains the Commonwealth is known for its special places and abundant natural resources. However, these special places are not just havens for vacation lovers, they also attract greedy corporations.

Although, your first thought of the State of Maryland may be the delicious seafood, it is the Chesapeake Bay and many other waterways that define the state. The extensive coastline that edges the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay is riddled with rivers, bays, and creeks that merge with other Bay tributaries.

As the home of the Nation’s Capitol, access to clean and safe water should be a given. An aging and crumpling infrastructure has left Washington DC residents at risk. In 2003, the drinking water in the District exceeded federal levels for lead. Lead is a neurotoxin known to cause learning and behavioral disabilities, and is unsafe at any level in drinking water. Children and pregnant or nursing women are most vulnerable to the effects.

Economic interests in southeastern Pennsylvania are pushing officials in Delaware and New Jersey to approve a plan to deepen the Delaware River. Plan calls for dredging - and in some cases blasting - about one hundred miles of the Delaware River near Philadelphia, from 40 to 45 feet. The area is within four feet of a pristine aquifer that serves all three states. It will cost at least $264 million and many think the cost could be as high as $500 million. For each dollar spent, only fifty cents in benefits will return to the local economy.