The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shared the results of its evaluation of the Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions’ two-year milestones.
Although most of the Bay states are not on track to meet the 2025 water quality restoration goals, EPA noted that 2022 saw new significant successes at the state level that could improve the trajectory of restoration efforts.
“Although the results are mixed overall, there are more positive developments in the mix than ever. Most of the partnership is not on track for the 2025 targets, but we are encouraged by significant recent progress made in the states,” says EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “We applaud the historic new programs, laws, and funding in Pennsylvania to help farmers. Those achievements will help us accelerate restoration in the local streams that need it the most.”
The two-year milestone reports are prepared by the Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions: Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. These reports represent key check-in points on the way to having all pollutant reduction measures in place by 2025, a goal established by the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Partnership. The CBP Partnership is composed of the seven Bay jurisdictions, along with dozens of local governments, federal partners, organizations, and academic institutions.
Overall, the Partnership has already achieved 100 percent of targeted sediment reductions, and practices are in place to achieve 49 percent of the nitrogen reductions and 64 percent of the phosphorus reductions.
Based on EPA’s review, the District of Columbia and West Virginia are on track to meet their overall cleanup goals by 2025, but the other jurisdictions are not on track to meet all the cleanup goals.
“We are dedicated to reducing pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and we also understand the complexities each state faces with technical assistance, data verification, staffing, and funding,” adds Chesapeake Bay Program Director Kandis Boyd. “Although there is good news, there are also new challenges — such as addressing our evolving climate, increased population in the watershed, and advancing air/land/water monitoring and modeling — that hinder sustainable environmental and economic progress. We are committed to working with our partner states and agencies to address these challenges to restore our national treasure.”
