Ehrlich to be honored at Salem State event

MARBLEHEAD-State Rep. Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead) is being honored at Salem State College this week.Salem State College will close its weeklong celebration of Earth Day with a “Friends of the Earth” awards for local environmental activists. The Earth Day Planning Committee will honor the recipients on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Veterans Hall at the college’s Ellison Campus Center.Ehrlich is a founding member of the environmental group HealthLink and she also played a major role in the cleanup of the area around Wenham Lake.As a founder of HealthLink, she brought to the forefront the health hazards posed by the Salem Power Plant and the rest of the “Filthy Five” coal burning power plants. As co-founder of the Wenham Lake Watershed Association, she helped with cleaning up the drinking-water source for 80,000 people who live in that area. Ehrlich pointed out the water from Wenham Lake used to be so pure that Queen Victoria insisted on using only ice from Wenham Lake.?Since the mid 1950s the careless dumping of coal waste laid this irreplaceable drinking water source to waste,” she said. “This is something close to my heart. It really was a community effort that galvanized and connected 80,000 people to their drinking water.”Ehrlich said she is honored by the award and is pleased the $10 million project to clean Wenham Lake led to the removal of the waste in the lake and restoration of its surrounding wetlands.?I’m honored by this award,” Ehrlich said. “I’m proud to receive this honor and I think Queen Victoria would be proud of us all.”Her grassroots efforts to clean up the environment have not gone unnoticed at the state level.When she was campaigning to run for state representative, Gov. Deval Patrick stated his support for her at one of her fundraising events.?Lori Ehrlich understands that sound environmental policy for Massachusetts goes hand-in-hand with good economic policy,” Patrick said. “Lori is a leading advocate for creating a clean energy economy in Massachusetts that promotes innovation, creates jobs and protects our environment.”In addition to Ehrlich, Kerry Mackin and Jan Schlictmann, who are also members of the Wenham Lake Watershed Association, are being honored.Additional recipients include Beverly environmental activists Pam Kampersal, Renee Mary and Mary Rodick along with Barbara Warren of the Salem Sound Coastwatch.There will be a reception and social hour starting at 6 p.m. where guests will have an opportunity to meet members of the Earth Day Planning Committee, speakers and award recipients. Students from Salem State will provide live entertainment and refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public.