By Lisa Feldt, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

In a show of solidarity unprecedented in the history of the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort, citizen groups, a county and four Bay jurisdictions have put the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on notice that we won’t allow it to give up on clean water.

In late May, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and our partners — the Maryland Watermen’s Association; Anne Arundel County, MD; and Virginia cattle farmers Jeanne Hoffman and Bobby Whitescarver — filed a Notice of Intent to sue the EPA for its failure to require Pennsylvania and New York to develop plans that will achieve the 2025 Bay restoration goals in accordance with the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint.

The attorneys general of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia also filed their own notices of intent to sue.

The reason is simple. The Blueprint is our last, best chance to achieve the fishable, swimmable waters guaranteed by the Clean Water Act.

As the only entity with the authority to enforce the state’s commitments to reduce pollution, the EPA’s inaction puts the success of the entire restoration, and all of the progress we’ve made, at risk. The agency can choose a different course.

The Clean Water Act requires providing the EPA with a notice of intent 60 days before a lawsuit can be filed, giving the agency the opportunity to resolve issues without litigation. There are a number of steps the EPA can and should take.

First, the EPA must use its authority under the Clean Water Act to ensure that Pennsylvania and New York develop plans that meet their commitments for reducing nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution in waterways that feed into the Bay by 2025.

These commitments were agreed upon by all of the Bay jurisdictions in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement, which the EPA is mandated to uphold.

At present, neither Pennsylvania nor New York have submitted plans that achieve their share of reductions.

Second, the EPA should lead federal efforts to provide additional resources to reduce pollution and help the states achieve their goals, including targeting federal agriculture conservation dollars to the most effective practices and locations.

This is especially critical in Pennsylvania, where elected officials have not invested sufficient funds to support farmers and local conservationists who are working on the ground to reduce pollution in waterways.

Taking the actions necessary to reduce pollution will support local businesses, create jobs, and provide additional environmental and public health benefits.

We encourage the EPA to take these steps, but we are also fully prepared to use litigation if the agency does not enforce the Clean Water Act and hold these states accountable.

After decades of failed commitments, the Blueprint is working. Pollution is down, and crabs are rebounding. The dead zone in the Bay is getting smaller over time — this year, the volume of low-oxygen water is expected to be 9 percent lower than the 34-year average.

We’re only five years away from the Blueprint’s 2025 deadline. Clean water is essential to our region’s health, economy, outdoor heritage and quality of life.

The EPA must be held accountable now if we are going to leave a legacy of clean water to future generations.

[For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA webpage.  Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column).  Click Here to support their work.

[Also visit the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership to learn how you can help clean water grow on trees.

[CBF has over 275,000 members in Bay Watershed.]

Lisa Feldt is the former vice president for Environmental Protection and Restoration at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

(Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Journal Forum.)

Related Articles:

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Other States Give Notice To EPA Of Intent To Sue Over Failure To Hold PA, NY Accountable For Meeting Bay Cleanup Milestones

-- U.S. House Votes To Add $5.5 Million To Chesapeake Bay Program; All 9 PA Republicans Vote Against It

-- Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan Team Virtual Meeting July 20

[Includes Update On Activities Since January 2020]

Related Articles This Week:

-- EPA Finds PA Did Not Meet Targets For Reducing Water Pollution In Chesapeake Bay Watershed Area; Must Identify Funding Sources For 2020-21 

-- Bay Journal: One-Third Of Pennsylvania Waterways Have Impaired Water Quality

-- Agriculture: Apply Now For $10 Million In REAP Farm Conservation Tax Credits

-- Ag Progress Days Moves Online Aug. 9-12 With Live Webinars, Virtual Tours, Education

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Bringing Silvopasture To Pennsylvania

-- Green Infrastructure Program Takes Root In City Of Lancaster

-- PRC, Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative Complete 3 New Rain Gardens

-- DEP Our Common Wealth Blog: Summer Is The Season For Stream Maintenance To Avoid Flood Of Problems

-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed TMDL Plans For Watersheds In Adams, Bedford Counties

-- Penn State Extension: Dive Deeper Distantly - Water Educators Virtual Summit Oct. 1

-- National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Hosts 5 Webinar Series On Regional-Scale Collaborative Approaches For Chesapeake Bay Restoration

[Posted: July 28, 2020]

8/3/2020