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Pennsylvania Lags in Chesapeake Bay Clean Up

Edwin Remsberg
/
VWPics via AP Images

The Chesapeake Bay Executive Council met in Maryland today. Virginia’s Governor was there, along with state leaders from Maryland and Pennsylvania. The council meets each year to discuss how best to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, and keep it that way.  

 

Virginia and Maryland are on track to meet their pollution reduction goals, but Will Baker with the The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, says he’s concerned about other states.

“Especially Pennsylvania, which has a self identified gap of over $300 million per year in the implementation of their plan,” says Baker.

 

Pennsylvannia's lag is well-known among state leaders. Because of this, Baker says he had hoped to hear more about it during the Executive Council Meeting.

 

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation was hoping other member states would commit to helping find funding for Pennsylvania, or a statement from federal officials at the Environmental Protection Agency demanding Pennsylvania step up. 

Baker says neither of those things happened at the meeting. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is threatening to sue if the EPA doesn’t take a stronger stance. 

In a statement Governor Ralph Northam says he looks forward “to continuing to work closely with our federal and state partners to execute an effective Bay cleanup effort.”

 

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

 

Mallory Noe-Payne is a Radio IQ reporter based in Richmond.