The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee this week unanimously reported out Senate Resolution 215 (Brubaker-R-Lancaster) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the costs to achieve nutrient reductions from agricultural sources.

Prior to the vote, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation wrote to each member of the Committee saying:

"Thank you for addressing the important issue of estimating the costs for Pennsylvania to meet the agricultural nutrient reduction goals to be defined in the State Implementation Plan under the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). It’s imperative that we have current, Pennsylvania-specific cost data. Senate Resolution 215 will help us get that information.

"We need this information to build and refine the 15-year implementation plan and associated short-term milestones for the Commonwealth. This is Pennsylvania’s last opportunity to develop our own strategy before EPA steps in with greater control.

"We would like to offer some questions to consider for the report:

-- Can we estimate how much of these costs are necessary to establish compliance with existing state regulations, such as Chapter 91, 92, 96, 102, and others?

-- Can we estimate how much of these costs are necessary to comply with local TMDL’s that are now being adopted for every impaired watershed in the state as well as the Chesapeake Bay watershed?

-- Can we estimate the economic benefits of implementation, such as reduced production costs due to practices like precision feeding and stream fencing?

"Without question, costs will be significant. Federal legislation has been introduced – the Chesapeake Clean Water Act – that would bring significant funding to this effort and enable an interstate trading program which would allow more funds to flow to Pennsylvania from Maryland and Virginia. We urge your support for this legislation."

The resolution is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Sen. Michael O'Pake (D-Berks) serves as Minority Chair.

2/1/2010