As officials plan for the next phase of Chesapeake Bay restoration, states in the Bay watershed will not meet goals to reduce pollution to the Bay by a 2025 deadline despite recent progress, members of Maryland’s congressional delegation and an EPA official said at a press conference yesterday.
As the 2025 deadline looms, the leaders emphasized the need to maintain momentum on cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams, and the importance of states, the federal government, and Washington, D.C., working together in that effort. The Capitol Hill event included Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, Reps. Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, and John Sarbanes, Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz, EPA Region III Administrator Adam Ortiz, and Interior Department Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Matt Strickler.
The meeting occurred ahead of a Chesapeake Executive Council meeting scheduled for Dec. 10 in Annapolis. There the region’s governors and other federal, state, and D.C. officials will meet to discuss the next phase of Bay cleanup.
Since the establishment of the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint in 2010, the six Chesapeake Bay watershed states and Washington, D.C., in partnership with the federal government, have committed to a 2025 deadline to have practices in place to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution to the Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is urging action at this crucial meeting. Over 1,800 people have submitted public comments to EPA echoing CBF’s call for a recommitment to the Bay restoration partnership. Important next steps include:
- Attendance in person by each of the Executive Council members, including all six Bay watershed governors, the mayor of Washington, D.C., the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and the EPA Administrator;
- A formal recommitment to maintaining the Bay restoration partnership, as well as meeting the pollution reduction and other restoration goals already agreed to by Executive Council members; and,
- A commitment by the Executive Council to update the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement by the end of 2025 to address challenges identified by the latest science.
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. The Chesapeake Bay watershed spans all of these jurisdictions, and cooperative partnership is essential to meeting these goals.
CBF President and CEO Hilary Harp Falk issued the following statement.
“Chesapeake Bay restoration started as a big, impossible dream that has brought together people from all walks of life and both sides of the aisle. We thank Maryland’s congressional delegation for rightly calling attention to successes so far while recognizing the need for the federal/state Chesapeake Bay partnership to redouble its efforts and commitments.
“Strong action from the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council has been paramount to making progress through the restoration effort’s history. And the Executive Council’s annual meeting this December will be another defining moment not to be missed. That is why we are calling for perfect attendance from its members, including the Chesapeake Bay watershed’s six governors, the mayor of Washington, D.C., the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and federal leaders.
“Only by standing shoulder to shoulder and pledging to update the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement by the end of 2025, can our leaders cement their legacies of delivering clean water, vibrant economies, and a future of pleasant living to the people they represent.”
