Rep. Hershey, Chesapeake Bay Commission Chair, Pushes For Accelerated Bay Restoration

In an effort to acknowledge the significant challenges facing the Chesapeake Bay restoration and nutrient reduction effort, Chesapeake Bay Commission Chairman, Rep. Arthur Hershey (R-Chester), sought to offer a realistic and rational tone to this week's Chesapeake Executive Council meeting in Washington, DC.

 

“The Bay clean up deadline has always been, and will continue to be, a target date. Meeting any new target date will require enormous additions of both financial resources and technical assistance, and most importantly extensive public support and commitment,” Chairman Hershey said. “We will miss the 2010 date, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not have these adequate resources in place.”

 

Among many of the key measures needed to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay that were discussed at today’s meeting, Chairman Hershey recognized the importance of establishing measurable benchmarks to accelerate the Bay restoration effort. Consistent with this notion, Chairman Hershey offered the Commission’s support for the development of two-year milestones with associated contingencies.

 

He also acknowledged the unique benefit of an effective TMDL that offers reasonable assurance that pollution reduction strategies for the Chesapeake Bay are achievable, emphasizing again the critical need of committing the necessary financial resources, technical assistance, and achieving extensive public engagement and commitment.

 

Chairman Hershey placed the Commission in the lead on a number of initiatives intended to accelerate the Bay restoration effort. Among many of the topics discussed, the Commission has taken a leadership role in continuing the advancement of a next-generation cellulosic biofuels industry in the Bay region and ensuring funding to upgrade enhanced nutrient removal technology and Combined Sewer Overflow at Blue Plains Waste Water Treatment Plant on the Potomac River, a strategy that would result in a reduction of nearly 4 million pounds of nitrogen each year. Upgrading Blue Plains represents the single largest gain in nutrient reduction Bay-wide.

 

With Congress recently setting the precedent of direct Federal investment in District of Columbia infrastructure by authorizing $1.5 Billion over 10 years to finance capital improvements to DC Metro, we look forward to Congress taking similar fundamental action for its wastewater treatment plant.

 

The sole formal commitment made by the Executive Council today was to a Commission-led initiative. A Directive entitled Leading the Nation in Development of a Sustainable Next-Generation Biofuels Industry commits the Bay restoration partners to an aggressive plan to position the Chesapeake region as a national leader in the production of next-generation biofuels.

 

The action this weekbuilds on an effort co-championed by the Commission and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2008 to identify regional opportunities for economic, social, and environmental sustainability presented by an emerging next-generation biofuels industry.

 

“While the Bay’s water quality goals themselves should not change, we should be open to new, innovative, and cost-effective methods to achieve those goals,” Rep. Hershey said. “In a time of ever-tightening government budgets, we can’t afford to ignore the nexus of economic and environmental sustainability and energy security presented by next-generation biofuels. By committing today to implement biofuel action plans, we are seizing the opportunity of this unique, market-based approach to accelerate our Bay restoration efforts.” Next-generation biofuels produced from cellulosic sources offer immense water quality and economic benefits to the Chesapeake Bay region.

 

The Chesapeake Bay Commission’s role as a Bay Program partner is to advance legislation at the state and Federal levels. Over the last 28 years, Chesapeake Bay Commission members have played an active part in nearly 80 pieces of legislation in their respective General Assemblies for the advancement of Bay restoration goals. These legislative accomplishments stand as testimony to the dedication of Commission members towards the protection of the Bay.

 

The breadth of subject and diversity of legislative approaches used by Commission members include, among others, nutrient and sediment pollution, living resources, land stewardship, atmospheric deposition, environmental education, and public engagement.

 

While government has an important leadership role in Bay restoration, restoration cannot be achieved by government working alone – it must be a true public/private partnership. Public commitment to a clean Bay is cornerstone to the successful achievement of the Bay restoration goals.

 

The Chesapeake Bay Commission is a policy leader in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. As a tri-state legislative body representing Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, its mission is to identify critical environmental needs, evaluate public concerns, and ensure state and Federal actions to sustain the living resources of the Chesapeake Bay. The commission works directly with the state General Assemblies and the U.S. Congress and serves as the legislative branch of the Chesapeake Bay Program.

 

Rep. Hershey will be retiring from the Pennsylvania General Assembly December 1.