On Wednesday, State Representative of the Arlington and West Medford District Jim Marzilli spoke to the Water Watch club about future of environmental preservation.
Marzilli said that one obstacle impeding successful clean-up efforts is the community's ignorance of how important the Mystic River and Lake are for the area's ecosystem.
Marzilli cited politics as an additional problem. "We are one of the richest nations in the history of the world, yet we are unwilling to put money toward things like the Mystic River," he said.
He noted that the implications of our government's actions is that citizens "have to do this here on their [land], and it will require volunteers."
He said that the proactive measures employed by members of Water Watch would help expedite the cleaning and preservation of the watershed.
"Tufts plays a key role in the community because of its technical expertise and large number of potential volunteers," he said.
Marzilli concluded by stating that our natural resources are not owned simply by the government and a few individuals, but rather by the entire community.
The speech was sponsored by the Massachusetts Community Water Watch in the Lincoln Filene Center.
