根据切萨皮克湾基金会的一份新报告，减少切萨皮克湾污染的多州计划可能有失败的危险。

切萨皮克流域内的各州可能在2025年的截止日期之前，可能没有污染目标。Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint基金会说，基金会是一个独立的非营利组织，致力于恢复和保存海湾。

While wastewater treatment plants in the three states responsible for 90% of the bay’s pollution – Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia –have largely stepped up with necessary upgrades to reduce nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus and sediment in the bay, governments need a “major acceleration” of efforts to address agricultural pollution as well as a “concerning rise” in stormwater runoff from urban and suburban areas, the foundation said in its评估released Jan. 5.

The blueprint, established in 2010, is a federal and state plan to have programs and practices in place that will result in a restored bay. It falls under the authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but each state has specific water quality reduction targets. It includes one of the most aggressive total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) in the nation and includes enforcement mechanisms for entities that do not comply.

From 2009 to 2020, watershed states put in place practices that would reduce nitrogen reaching the bay by approximately 44%, leaving more than half the work to be accomplished in four years. Most of the remaining improvements need to be in the agricultural sector, but the foundation pointed to a net loss of 270,000 acres of forest to development between 2014 and 2018, which has contributed to stormwater runoff generated by new roads, buildings, and hard surfaces. However, so far state regulator have not “adequately accounted” for this increase in stormwater pollution.

Falling Behind

从历史上看，宾夕法尼亚州在履行其承诺方面一直落后，其第一阶段实施计划的初稿却远远没有达到减少氮的目标，并且每年不足3亿美元的资金。

Pennsylvania’s Dept. of Environmental Protection has修改了其第三阶段计划, outlining how it will fully meet its nutrient and sediment pollution reduction goals by 2025. “With all counties on board and unprecedented progress underway, Pennsylvania is at an exciting turning point in improving local water quality in the watershed,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McConnell.

EPA中大西洋地区管理员亚当·奥尔蒂斯（Adam Ortiz）在一份声明中说，该机构正在审查宾夕法尼亚州的修改计划。但是，如果修订后的计划不符合2025年的清理目标或提供实现其目标的信心，“ EPA认真采取更大的联邦行动来促进宾夕法尼亚州的进步”。他说，EPA可以使用的可能的工具包括更多监督建筑许可证，增加的检查和执法行动。

马里兰州，弗吉尼亚州，特拉华州和哥伦比亚特区于2020年9月起诉EPA，迫使该机构在要求宾夕法尼亚州和纽约州有效地实现蓝图的减少目标方面更加积极。

马里兰州的环境部长本·格鲁斯布斯（Ben Grablbles）在一封电子邮件的声明中说，该州“在过去七年中取得了稳步的进步”。他说，在整个分水岭中需要更多的行动和合作伙伴关系，其中一些进展得到了65亿美元的国家预算的帮助，以保持行驶。

马里兰州州长拉里·霍根（Larry Hogan）（R）支持该州大会的立法，以帮助当地社区资助绿色基础设施和污染的韧性项目。新利18备用网址

但是爱丽丝on Prost, foundation vice president for environmental protection and restoration, says EPA Administrator Michael Regan has yet to appoint a permanent Chesapeake Bay program leader. To date, he “has failed to take meaningful action," she says. "EPA must hold all jurisdictions accountable.”