As a defining moment for Chesapeake Bay restoration approaches, officials proposed a course for the next phase of Bay cleanup on Oct. 25.
Despite progress, states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed will not meet commitments to reduce pollution to the Bay by a 2025 deadline. On Friday, a committee supporting the Chesapeake Executive Council advanced a charge to update the Chesapeake Watershed Agreement by the end of next year, including new deadlines to meet goals “as quickly as possible.”
The approved proposal will be considered by the region’s leaders at the Chesapeake Executive Council meeting on Dec. 10 in Annapolis. There the governors of the six Bay watershed states, mayor of D.C., and other federal and state officials, could launch the next phase of Bay cleanup.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin have already confirmed their attendance.
With the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint in 2010, the six Bay states and Washington, D.C., in partnership with the federal government, committed to a 2025 deadline to have the practices in place to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution to the Bay. The 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement included this commitment and additional Bay restoration goals.
As the 2025 deadline approaches, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is urging the region’s leaders to formally recommit to the Bay restoration partnership and goals. Over 1,800 people have submitted public comments to EPA echoing CBF’s call.
Key items approved on Oct. 25 by the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Principals Staff Committee include:
- Urging attendance in person by each of the Executive Council members, including governors, and other state, federal, and local leaders;
- A commitment by the Executive Council to update the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement by the end of 2025 to address new challenges and incorporate the latest science; and,
- Update Bay restoration goals and outcomes to ensure they are measurable and time bound, and accomplished as quickly as possible.
Because the Chesapeake Bay watershed spans many jurisdictions, working together is the only way to ensure clean water across the region. The Chesapeake Executive Council includes the governors of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and New York, the mayor of Washington, D.C., the EPA Administrator, and the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
Alison Prost, CBF Vice President for Environmental Protection and Restoration, issued the following statement:
“This is a defining moment for the nearly 19 million people who live in the Bay watershed. Strong, decisive action now by the Chesapeake Executive Council is our best chance for a healthy Chesapeake Bay in the future.
“It’s up to leaders to come together in person on December 10, recommit to the Bay restoration partnership, and pledge to update the Chesapeake Bay Agreement’s goals by the end of 2025.
“States must still meet goals to reduce pollution to the Bay, and set new deadlines measured in years, not decades. An updated Bay agreement should not only incorporate the latest science, but also ensure outcomes that benefit all people and wildlife across the watershed. The process should remain transparent and open to the public.
“History shows us that Chesapeake Bay restoration progress only happens when people of all walks of life and political stripes come together around a common goal. With climate change and development pressures looming, we’re at a crossroads. Life around the Bay watershed could get better—or worse. Our leaders must act now for clean water, vibrant economies, and a high quality of life for future generations.”
