This week Roy Hoagland, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Vice President for Environmental Protection and Restoration, appeared before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment calling for an enforceable, accountable Bay cleanup plan.

The hearing focused on the re-authorization of the Chesapeake Bay Program, the federal program created through the Clean Water Act.

Hoagland joined Congressmen John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Rob Wittman (R-VA), representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, GAO, and the EPA inspector general's office, and Bay scientists and advocates to present testimony on the current state of the Bay.

His comments focused on the larger question of whether the Clean Water Act has been effective in the federal Bay restoration effort.

Hoagland presented a strong and focused argument that Congress needed to strengthen the authority of the Clean Water Act when it comes to Chesapeake Bay restoration. He argued that Congress needs to clearly direct EPA to use all of its authority to ensure there is an enforceable and accountable clean up plan.

EPA is currently developing a pollution “budget” for the Bay called a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). Hoagland said that the TMDL the EPA is creating for the Bay needs to be a national model, one that ensures we will achieve the pollution reductions the TMDL will specify.

Much of the discussion at the hearing centered around Hoagland’s arguments. In the coming months, CBF will work with the subcommittee staff on legislative language.

A copy of Hoagland’s testimony is available online.

8/1/2008