“Poisoned Waters” Documentary on FRONTLINE

FRONTLINE correspondent Hedrick Smith takes an in-depth look at Puget Sound and the Chesapeake Bay, and examines the growing number of hazards to human health and our nation’s waterways.

Both PEC and partner group, the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG), were interviewed for the piece. We stressed that poor land use decisions and sprawling development pose the primary threat to the Bay’s water quality.

PEC President Chris Miller is featured in Segment 12 (shown below) which focuses on DC’s suburban sprawl. CSG’s Director Stewart Schwartz is featured in Segment 13, which focuses on Arlington as a showcase for smart growth. To view segment 13 or other parts of the documentary visit FRONTLINE’s website.

Read the Transcript

Watch Poisoned Waters on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

Hedrick Smith also highlights the work of PEC in an NPR interview (around minute 24).

FRONTLINE Press Release
FRONTLINE Examines Newest Health Hazards in Nation’s Contaminated Waterways

More than three decades after the Clean Water Act, iconic American waterways like the Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound are in perilous condition and facing new sources of contamination.

In FRONTLINE’s Poisoned Waters, airing Tuesday, April 21, 2009, from 9 to 11 P.M. ET on PBS (check local listings), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hedrick Smith examines the growing hazards to human health and the ecosystem.

With polluted runoff still flowing in from industry, agriculture and massive suburban development, scientists note that many new pollutants and toxins from modern everyday life are already being found in the drinking water of millions of people across the country and pose a threat to fish, wildlife and, potentially, human health.