The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week reported Pennsylvania restored three times more brownfields in the Chesapeake Bay drainage area than Maryland and Virginia combined over the last year.

The Chesapeake Bay 2000 Agreement signed by the governors of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the administrator of the EPA, and the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, contains this commitment: "By 2010, rehabilitate and restore 1,050 brownfield sites to productive use."

The cumulative total rehabilitated and restored sites in each state since June 2000 is: Pennsylvania 377, Maryland 99, and Virginia 56 sites.

During the last annual reporting period (June 28, 2004 and June 28, 2005), Pennsylvania rehabilitated and restored 89 sites, Maryland 20, and Virginia 9. Washington, D.C. has just completed developing their program and reported no sites during this timeframe.

11/25/2005