Chesapeake Bay Making a Clean Comeback

Pennsylvania has made cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay a priority and the efforts are paying off. ENN recently reported that the nutrient and sediment pollution in the Chesapeake Bay has been significantly reduced over the past three years.

Collective efforts have focused on reducing point and non-point source pollution from wastewater treatment facilities, residential and commercial development and farm activities.

The Chesapeake Executive Council coordinates the work of restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay. The council is the governing body for restoration efforts undertaken by Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, the District of Columbia, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Chesapeake Bay Commission.

Pennsylvania has been at the forefront of the cleanup: “Just as we collectively benefit from having this natural wonder in our backyards, we also collectively share the responsibility for ensuring its long-term health,” said Pennsylvania Governor Rendell of the bay and its 64,000 square mile watershed. “We’re doing our part in Pennsylvania by working to reduce run-off and pollution from wastewater facilities, urban areas and agricultural lands.”

Highlights of Pennsylvania’s efforts (from ENN):

• 2006, the state had reduced nitrogen loadings to the bay by 25.8 million pounds and phosphorus loadings by 1.72 million pounds. Additionally, sediment pollution had been cut by nearly 420,000 pounds.

• Municipal wastewater treatment plants are now operating under mandatory nutrient limits in order to meet federal Clean Water Act requirements, and any new residential and commercial developments projects in Pennsylvania are required to eliminate or offset all nutrient and phosphorous discharges completely.

• The state’s Nutrient Trading Program allows communities and farms below baseline limits to sell pollution reduction credits to other municipal systems, providing a cost-effective approach to compliance.

• In 2005, Governor Rendell’s Agricultural Communities and Rural Environment initiative, or ACRE, was adopted, providing significant improvement to Pennsylvania’s farm management regulations.

More:

• Progress declared in Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts
• Bay Pollutants: Where do they come from?
• USGS: Chesapeake Bay Measuring Pollution Reduction
• The Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem at Maryland Department of Natural Resources
• Chesapeake Bay Commission