CBF, Others Notify EPA of Lawsuit On Missing 2010 Deadline

(ANNAPOLIS, MD) -- The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), the Virginia State Waterman’s Association, the Maryland Watermen’s Assoc iation, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association, former Maryland Governor Harry Hughes, retired Maryland Senator Bernie Fowler, former Virginia legislator and Natural Resources Secretary Tayloe Murphy, and former Washington D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams today notified the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that they intend to go to federal court to force EPA to require pollution reduction in the Chesapeake Bay.
Today’s notice letter is required for any citizen lawsuit against EPA to enforce the Clean Water Act.
“Over the last 25 years Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts have been littered with promises broken and commitments unfulfilled,” said CBF President William C. Baker. “CBF and our partners are suing EPA to hold the agency legally accountable for its failure to comply with the law. We seek to force EPA to fulfill its commitment to reduce pollution so that the Bay may be removed from the federal “dirty waters” list by 2010.”
“When I signed the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement, I believed that the goal of removing the Bay and its tidal tributaries from the Clean Water Act impaired waters list by 2010 was a binding commitment of all the signatories including the United States,” Anthony Williams said.
EPA has admitted that with current programs and policies in place, the goal will not be achieved. Officials are now discussing pushing the Bay clean-up goal back another 12 years. (click here for more)