Dog Poop
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
[Date]
CONTACT:
[Name, Phone #, Email]
[INSERT CATCHY HEADLINE]
[Insert subtitle if desired]
{Introduction Paragraph}
YOUR TOWN, MA – Start with a couple of enticing sentences that briefly summarize your project, and include the five essential W’s (who, what, where, when, and why)
{Fact Paragraph}
Add a paragraph (or two) that discusses the importance of the issue, using facts rather than opinion. Share the information in descending order of importance. For example:
Irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up after their pets and properly dispose of the waste contribute to high bacteria levels from sewage and runoff, causing sickness and infections among humans. High bacteria levels can also contaminate seafood. In 2004, nationwide, 85 percent of beach closing and advisory days stemmed from monitoring that revealed high levels of bacteria were associated with fecal contamination.
{Quote Paragraph}
Include a quote from one of the project leaders or other relevant contact. The quote is the opportunity to tell how you feel about the topic, and introduce the readers to organizations that also care about the issue.
{Background Paragraph}
This project is part of a larger outreach campaign called Think Blue Massachusetts, which is being led in [your community] by the [your organization/team]. The Think Blue Massachusetts campaign (www.ThinkBlueMA.org) educates citizens about stormwater pollution and how we can all help protect our water resources. Polluted stormwater is a major public health threat to [your town]'s waters -- closing swimming beaches, contaminating drinking water supplies, and harming shellfish, birds, and mammals.
{Contact Paragraph}
For more information, please contact [insert contact information].
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Please Note: This letter is intended only as a model for your letter to the editor. Make sure to personalize it to include your experience with stormwater pollution, and highlight issues that are of particular importance to your community.
[NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]
Dear Editor,
I’ve been happy to see more and more dog owners doing the right thing recently and picking up after their furry best friends. But those who continue to leave their dog’s “gifts” on the sidewalk might be interested to know that the simple act of picking up after their pet has far more importance than saving our sneakers from a messy clean-up.
Water from rain and snowmelt carries anything it can to storm drains—those grated openings found on our streets—and then through the stormwater system. But, unlike the sewer system that takes our sink and toilet water to a treatment plant, stormwater is never cleaned. Instead it’s discharged as is to our rivers, beaches, and bays. That means that what ends up on our streets, such as dog waste, ends up in our waters. In 2004, for example, 85% of beach closures and advisories nationwide stemmed from high levels of fecal coliform, the bacteria found in pet waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that in a watershed of up to twenty square miles, two to three days of droppings from 100 dogs would contribute enough bacteria and other pollutants to temporarily close a bay to swimming and shellfishing.
I encourage everyone to take just a few minutes to learn how to reduce pollution in our local waterways by visiting www.ThinkBlueMA.org, a great resource that provides simple tips and facts on ways we can be part of the polluted stormwater solution.
Respectfully,
[NAME]
[ORGANIZATION/AFFILIATION (if applicable)]
