"For more than 20 years, we have been subject to false promises and broken commitments from federal and state governments with regard to cleaning up local streams and rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

"On May 12th, President Obama signed an Executive Order requiring EPA and five of his cabinet agencies to report on what more they can do to promote clean water in this region. We welcomed and applauded his initiative.

"Obviously, we haven't yet spent much time analyzing the seven draft reports that were just released this afternoon and so can only offer our initial reactions. We are most interested in the report written by the Environmental Protection Agency, which has primary responsibility to implement the Clean Water Act.

"First, we acknowledge and strongly commend EPA's bold intentions as outlined in this report. It appears that Administrator Jackson's EPA is finally ready to take on an ambitious agenda to reduce water pollution in our region. Unlike past documents that focused on goals, this one focuses almost entirely on actions. EPA is announcing its intent to require the states to do more to implement the Clean Water Act, to expand the reach of its own regulatory programs, and to work closely with USDA and other agencies to better target financial and technical resources. It says it wants to hold itself and the states accountable for progress. Its suggestions for accomplishing this are positive, but weak and need strengthening.

"These intentions are consistent with what the 226,000 members of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation have been advocating though our lawsuit, our public statements, and our correspondence with EPA. If EPA were to achieve everything it suggests that it will do in this report, it would help a great deal to clean up the water in the Bay and throughout this region.

"In a couple of cases, the EPA's approach to certain kinds of pollution cry out for strengthening. For example, the report's suggestions with regard to airborne pollution are woefully inadequate, virtually ignoring the growing recognition of air emission problems from coal-fired power plants, truck and automobile emissions, and manure. Other sources of pollution are acknowledged to remain completely outside of EPA's regulatory reach.

"We are encouraged to see that EPA has expressly stated its intent to pursue some actions "as soon as possible" and prior to the completion of the overall federal strategy. The Executive Order expressly states that "agencies may begin implementing core elements of restoration and protection programs and strategies as soon as possible." We concur that EPA should not sit and wait. What is still missing are clearly identified bold, specific, and measurable pollution reductions EPA will pursue today. Whether it is the proposed wastewater pollution discharge permit for the Merck pharmaceutical company which threatens Virginia's Shenandoah River; or the Sparrows Point steel mill site in Maryland, which continues to contaminate recreational waters; or the series of unchecked gas drilling permits in Pennsylvania, which threaten the health of trout streams and high-value wetlands; EPA has the opportunity to step forward now, to exercise federal leadership now, to start changing the status quo now.

"We will be reading the other six reports with interest over the next few days, and are looking forward to similarly bold intentions with regard to resource targeting, habitat and living resources, climate change mitigation, federal facilities, and research and monitoring.

"Finally, we note that Senator Ben Cardin has circulated a discussion draft of legislation to revise and strengthen the Clean Water Act for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Such legislation is essential to support and make permanent EPA's new initiatives, as well as fill in some gaps in EPA's ability to really deliver pollution reductions. We know that President Obama and Administrator Jackson are serious, but even if they were to achieve everything that they're setting out to do, they won't be here forever. We look forward to working closely with Senator Cardin and other Senators and members of the House to achieve passage of strong, permanent legislation during this Congress.

"Restoring clean water to the Chesapeake Bay and the streams and rivers of its watershed is a massive undertaking that will take strong commitment and strong action in the face of significant opposition. Today's reports line up the edge pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. The question yet to be answered is whether government will put together all the right pieces in the middle to complete the clean water picture for all the citizens of our region. If not our economy will suffer, human health will remain at risk, and the world's greatest estuary will die."