Federal & Watershed-Wide Releases
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25 Bipartisan Members of Congress Urge Chesapeake Bay Restoration Recommitment
June 27, 2024
As the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program seeks public input on the next phase of Chesapeake Bay restoration, this week a bipartisan group of 25 U.S. Senators and Representatives from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New York, and the District of Columbia urged regional leaders to recommit to the Chesapeake Bay.
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Supreme Court Blocks Interstate Smog Pollution Rule, Putting Bay Cleanup and Local Communities at Risk
June 27, 2024
A divided U.S. Supreme Court today granted a request by industry groups and allied states to block EPA from implementing the interstate ozone reduction plan it finalized in February.
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Virginia Opens Winter Blue Crab Harvest Despite Opposition
June 25, 2024
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) voted 5-4 on June 25 to reopen the winter crab dredge fishery, going against VMRC’s staff recommendation and nearly 200 public comments in opposition to the reopening.
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Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Predicted to Be Slightly Larger Than Average
June 21, 2024
The dead zone in the Chesapeake Bay responsible for choking underwater life is forecast to be slightly larger than average and began earlier than normal this year, according to a forecast released today by the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program.
Maryland Releases
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Maryland Highway Authority’s Stormwater Management Permit Must Set Precedent for Pollution Reduction
June 10, 2024
Advocates are calling on Maryland to take stronger action to reduce polluted runoff from state highways as public comment period opens for major stormwater management permit.
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Gov. Moore Executive Order to Accelerate Maryland’s Climate Change Goals
June 4, 2024
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) was honored to be present as Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced a new Executive Order to demonstrate effective implementation of Maryland’s Climate Pollution Reduction Plan through the leadership of state government.
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Maryland Fines Eastern Shore Poultry Rendering Plant $15,000 for Pollution Violations
May 31, 2024
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has levied $15,000 in fines against Darling Ingredients, owner of the Dorchester County Valley Proteins animal waste rendering plant, for repeated violations that could pollute waterways.
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South Baltimore Advocates File Civil Rights Complaint on Incinerator Pollution Threats
May 29, 2024
In the fight for environmental justice and cleaner air and water, advocates from South Baltimore have filed a civil rights complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of people suffering from pollution from Maryland’s largest trash incinerator.
Pennsylvania Releases
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Chesapeake Bay Foundation Applauds New Pennsylvania Law Requiring Native Vegetation Along State Highways
July 2, 2024
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is applauding the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s passage and Governor Josh Shapiro’s signing this week of a bill that requires the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to plant native vegetation along state highways.
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Extreme Rainfall in Pennsylvania to Increase, Finds New Report
June 5, 2024
A new report suggests that the devastation from extreme rain events that claim lives, cause billions of dollars in damage, and pollute local waters, will become more severe in Pennsylvania if left unchecked, thanks to climate change.
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‘Experience the Upper Conestoga’ at a Free, Family-Friendly Event During Lancaster Water Week
June 4, 2024
A free, family-friendly event presented by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) on June 12 at Historic Poole Forge will celebrate the Upper Conestoga River in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and a restoration plan to clean and protect it.
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CBF Applauds House Passage of Bill to Prohibit The Sale and Use of Toxic Pavement Sealants
April 30, 2024
CBF applauds the Pennsylvania House passage of House Bill 1166, which prohibits the supply, sale, and application of coal tar sealants containing high amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on driveways or parking lots.
Virginia Releases
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Reopening Virginia’s Winter Crab Season a Mistake Amid Lackluster Crab Numbers
June 20, 2024
Despite Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) staff’s advice to keep the winter crabbing season closed, the Blue Crab Management Advisory Committee voted at their May 29 meeting to support opening the winter dredge fishery for the 2024-2025 season.
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Aggressive Hurricane Season and Extreme Rainfall on Virginia’s Horizon
June 19, 2024
As a heat wave hits Virginia this week, twin challenges fueled by climate change could also send the state deadly and damaging weather that increases pollution to waterways, according to two recently released reports.
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Chesapeake Bay Foundation Opposes Virginia Governor’s Withdrawal From Clean Car Standards
June 5, 2024
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced his intention to unilaterally withdraw the state from standards requiring a cleaner fleet of vehicles on the Commonwealth’s streets, raising environmental, health, and legal concerns.
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More Than 100,000 Pounds of Litter Removed Across Virginia on Clean the Bay Day
June 1, 2024
Reports indicate that more than 100,000 pounds of litter will not flow into Virginia’s waterways thanks to thousands of volunteers who participated Saturday in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) annual Clean the Bay Day, Virginia’s largest and longest-running litter and shoreline cleanup.