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| In what could well be the largest outpouring of public comments on the Chesapeake Bay, Environment Maryland reported that 43,140 bay area residents wrote to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency demanding they take stronger action to protect the bay. | |
| The Environmental Protection Agency today sent letters to Chesapeake Bay states and the District of Columbia outlining possible penalties it could impose on those governments for failing to meet upcoming bay clean-up goals. The proposals are in the ballpark, but not a grand slam. | |
| The EPA and six other federal agencies today released a draft of a comprehensive bay clean-up plan. While calling for enforceable state implementation plans, the EPA would still wait for states to strengthen limits on the biggest polluters. The EPA should both hold states accountable and move forward immediately on stronger regulation of the largest sources of pollution. | |
| Industrial facilities dumped more than two million pounds of toxic chemicals into Maryland’s waterways in 2007. Toxic chemicals were discharged in 1,900 waterways across all 50 states. Maryland’s Curtis Bay ranked in the top 50 waterways for total toxic discharges in 2007 with over 1.5 million pounds of pollution. | |
| Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) announced he will introduce a bill to reauthorize the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program. Along with renewed and increased funding, the bill establishes an accountability system whereby states must enforce limits on all sources of pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay. | |
| Environment Maryland today released a report on the impacts of an unhealthy Chesapeake Bay for the area's commercial fishing industry. The report comes as Congress and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are considering ways to jumpstart bay restoration efforts. | |
| The Environmental Protection Agency and six other federal agencies this morning released draft reports outlining a new plan of action to restore the Chesapeake Bay. Environment Maryland applauded this commitment by the Environmental Protection Agency to enhanced accountability in bay restoration. | |
| Environment Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation today presented the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with over 19,000 signatures from Maryland and Virginia residents urging strong federal action to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. This comes one week before the EPA is scheduled to release a new clean-up report called for by President Obama. | |
| On Tuesday, August 11, over four hundred concerned citizens urged a top EPA official to commit to enforceable pollution limits in upcoming Chesapeake Bay clean-up plans. Chuck Fox, Senior Advisor to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, heard from the crowd of Marylanders that it is past time for effective accountability in our restoration efforts and all eyes are on EPA. | |
| Environment Maryland praised the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, including Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), for yesterday’s 12-7 vote for passage of the Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787). | |
| President Barack Obama issued an executive order today creating a Federal Leadership Committee to manage efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay. U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson unveiled the order at a press conference following a meeting of the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council. The order, which declares “a new era of shared federal leadership,” will bring together representatives from at least seven federal agencies to oversee bay cleanup. | |
| Three environmental organizations gathered at Turville Creek near Berlin today to present a new report on failures of Maryland’s landmark law intended to limit development along the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coastal Bays. The Critical Area Act restricts construction within 1000 feet of the bays, but the groups contend that the law is poorly enforced and contains deficiencies that allow development that harms water quality and wildlife habitat. | |
| More than 37% percent of industrial and municipal facilities across Maryland discharged more pollution into our waterways than their permits allowed in 2005. Over the last three and a half decades, the Clean Water Act has made significant improvements in water quality, but the original goals have yet to be met. | |
| Governor O'Malley signed into law this morning the Stormwater Management Act, HB 786/SB784. The bill sets higher standards for new development to reduce the polluted runoff that washes off our parking lots, roofs, and roads and damages our streams and pollutes the Chesapeake Bay. Environmental organizations also held an event to thank the bill sponsors, Del. Jane Lawton and Sen. James Rosapepe, for their hard work on this legislation. | |
| The Maryland House of Delegates passed the Stormwater Management Act, HB 786, today by a unanimous vote. The bill sets higher standards for new development to reduce the polluted runoff that washes off our parking lots, roofs, and roads and damages our streams and pollutes the Chesapeake Bay. | |
