EPA Grades the States "Bay Diet" Plans

EPA evaluates Chesapeake Bay plans

An Environmental Protection Agency official says West Virginia has made the most improvement on its Chesapeake Bay restoration plans, and Pennsylvania has the most work to do.

The EPA plans to post its comments on the state plans online Friday. The plans are the second set submitted by the six bay watershed states and include how they plan to achieve pollution reductions on the local level. New York, Delaware, Virginia and Maryland are the other four states.

Jim Edwards, the deputy director of EPA's Chesapeake Bay program office, said New York submitted its plan late and the agency hasn't finished evaluating that state's plan. Maryland, meanwhile, submitted the most detailed plans.

Maybe submitting the most detailed plans just sets you up to be criticized...

EPA went easy on Maryland bay cleanup plan: Chesapeake Bay Foundation calls for storm-water fee, septic upgrade legislation

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation took issue Monday with the Environmental Protection Agency's rating of the bay pollution cleanup plan drawn up by Maryland officials. The Annapolis-based environmental group agreed with the EPA that Maryland had put together a "strong plan,'' but said the jury's still out on whether the state will follow through with its commitment to raise the funds needed to carry out the pollution reductions in its plan.

Alison Prost, CBF's Maryland executive director, called "good first steps" a trio of bills pushed by Gov.Martin O'Malley: 1) to raise the "flush fee" to pay for upgrading sewage treatments plans; 2) to limit new development on septic systems; and 3) to steer growth towards rural villages. She urged lawmakers to pass those, but added: "The EPA evaluation falls short in one area. Maryland must do more to prevent new sources of pollution as the state continues to grow."

When grievance is your reason for business, nothing is ever good enough.