Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are not fully on track to meet commitments to reduce Chesapeake Bay pollution by 2025, according to evaluations released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), despite significant improvements.
The EPA evaluations take place every two years to measure progress toward goals set for the improvement of the Chesapeake Bay water quality. Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia account for approximately 90 percent of Chesapeake Bay pollution. The six Chesapeake Bay watershed states (including those three) and Washington, D.C. partnered with the federal government to establish the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint in 2010. The Blueprint set a 2025 deadline to have practices in place for reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution to the Bay. The bi-annual EPA evaluations measure these milestones to keep progress on track.
The report precedes the December Chesapeake Executive Council meeting, which is central to determining the future of the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is calling for actions from the region’s governors at the December meeting.
The council comprises 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 Foundation will call for several actions, one of which is attendance in person by each of the Executive council members, including all six governors and the EPA administrator. The CBF also asks for a formal recommitment to maintaining the Bay restoration partnership in addition to meeting the goals to which Executive Council members already agreed. They also call for the Executive Council to update the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement by the end of 2025 to include issues identified by the latest science.
“While tremendous progress has been made, these evaluation reports demonstrate we still have a long way to go,” said Hilary Harp Falk, president and CEO of CBF. “As climate change, development, and population growth make finishing the job harder, we must be direct about the challenges ahead.”
“The immediate next step is clear” Falk continued. “This December, the Chesapeake Bay’s six governors and federal leaders must recommit to working together and pledge to update the Chesapeake Bay Agreement by the end of 2025, including a new timeline for water quality goals that should be measured in years, not decades. Chesapeake Bay restoration is an international model built on the world’s best science. And it’s working. By continuing to follow the latest science and build upon our collective experiences, together we can ensure a thriving Chesapeake Bay ecosystem for all.”
According to the EPA’s evaluations for Maryland, the state has made significant improvements in wastewater treatment and its forest buffer initiative. Maryland is said to have met 83 percent of its 2025 goal for nitrogen reduction and 100 percent of its 2025 goal for phosphorus and sediment. The state needs to accelerate implementation of best management practices for agriculture and urban and suburban stormwater management to fully meet its pollution reduction goals.
The Maryland evaluation mentions the state’s progress towards planting 5 million trees by 2031 contributing to the tree buffer, and the release of the Environmental Justice Screening Tool released by the Maryland Department of the Environment in June 2022 which provides “data to inform decisions on siting, permitting, enforcement, and infrastructure improvements to help underserved communities in Maryland.”
“Governor Moore and his administration have made great progress towards a healthier Maryland and Chesapeake Bay, especially considering the tough challenges we’re facing such as increased development pressure and intensified rainfall from climate change,” said Allison Coldon, Maryland Executive Director of the CBF. “But there are still improvements to be made. We can no longer stay the course on stormwater management. It’s one of the fastest growing sources of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Current permits do not account for the latest rainfall data or require sufficient on-the-ground restoration. These clear solutions should be a top priority if Maryland wants to meet its pollution reduction goals.”
