Hagerstown Not Wild About Saving Bay Either

Hagerstown scoffs at price tag for reducing pollution to bay

With Washington County municipalities facing $1.1 billion in suggested upgrades for wastewater, stormwater and septic systems by 2025, Hagerstown Mayor Robert E. Bruchey had a incredulous reaction Tuesday to the city’s projected $210 million share to help reduce pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay.

“I applaud our governor for being so environmentally-friendly, but there is a price to be paid for that,” Bruchey said. “Being first in and making these laws that we have to abide by in the next 10 years is ridiculous.”

In February, representatives from municipalities across the county got together to form a committee to identify ways each could reduce pollution, caused mainly by runoff into local streams, as a way to reach goals mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan.

The population of Hagerstown today is slightly less than 40,000, so the the cost per person is roughly $5250 over 10 years.  Is is fair to ask if a typical family of 4 in Hagerstown is likely to get $2,100 a years worth of benefits out of the Chesapeake Bay clean up?  

It's nice of them to get volunteered to clean up the Bay for me...