ANNAPOLIS, MD – Environment Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) today presented the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 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.
"Here are thousands and thousands of signatures collected this summer around the Bay that leave no doubt the public wants the federal government to get off the sidelines and into the biggest fight for clean water the nation has ever seen," said Roy Hoagland, CBF vice president for Environmental Protection and Restoration.
"This is a perfect storm for Bay recovery, and we cannot afford to miss the boat," said Tommy Landers, Policy Advocate for Environment Maryland. "The Bay’s citizens have spoken: EPA, now is your chance to step it up and commit to the enforcement and accountability it will take to once and for all achieve a healthy Bay."
President Obama directed the creation of new clean-up plans in his May 12th Executive Order. The first test of this process will be the draft reports from the EPA and other federal agencies due next week, on Sept. 9. Subsequently, the agencies will release a coordinated draft clean-up plan in November, take public comments, and then release a final plan by May, 2010.
CBF and Environment Maryland displayed stacks of post cards and other documents containing the 19,000 signatures. In a press conference in front of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s office on Spa Creek, they heaped piles of the signatures into the arms of Chuck Fox, EPA Senior Advisor on the Chesapeake Bay, and urged him to convey the public’s sentiments to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.
Also on Tuesday, CBF sent a letter to Administrator Jackson with specific recommendations they urged her to include in the draft report. The recommendations fall into three categories: 1) specific actions the EPA can take now, such as denying federal permits when new or increased pollution loads will result; 2) new regulations and policies to reduce pollution, such as establishing minimum and enforceable standards for urban and suburban stormwater permits; and 3) new authorities needed from Congress to complete the job. Several dozen groups signed onto the letter.
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