AFSCME & Environmental Advocates
WHO: Danny Homan President of AFSCME Council 61
Bill Gearhard, Secretary-Treasurer of Great Plaines Laborers International, President of State Building Trades Council
Matt Ohloff, Iowa Director, Food and Water Watch
Bill Stowe, Public Works Director, City of Des Moines
Jim Piazza, Executive Director of Heavy Highway and Construction Contractors Association
WHAT: The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME) and local environmental advocates applaud the candid findings of a recent report on the nation's water infrastructure and call on the federal government to make immediate improvements to ensure public safety. According to the report, our nation's water infrastructure is outdated, overextended and in crisis. Not only are we failing to make the investments to meet today's needs, we are also failing to make the investments needed to accommodate a growing population.
Nearly four million people get sick every year from swimming in contaminated water. Twenty million people get sick each year simply from drinking contaminated water. Forty percent of rivers and 46 percent of lakes in America are too polluted for fishing, swimming or even aquatic life.
President Obama's jobs bill, the American Jobs Act, would be a start at tackling the water infrastructure gap. While more investment will be needed, this bill is an important step in the right direction. We call on all members of Congress to support the American Jobs Act so that we can put people to work and make our communities and our people healthier and safer.
WHERE: Des Moines Water Works Filter Building, Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA
DATE: Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 14, 2011
TIME: 10:30 AM
