Auditor General Report On Meeting Chesapeake Bay Milestones, There Is No Silver Bullet

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale Friday urged environmental regulators, the agricultural community and municipalities to work together on water pollution control strategies if the state is to meet federally mandated Chesapeake Bay pollutant reductions by 2025 and prevent dramatic increases in water and sewer rates.

“There is no silver bullet that will help Pennsylvania resolve its pollution problems affecting the Chesapeake Bay,” DePasquale said in releasing a Special Report on the Importance of Meeting Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Reduction Targets. “The problems facing our waterways are complex.  Relying on expensive wastewater treatment upgrades cannot be the only option.  It is imperative that we do everything possible to employ effective and sensible pollution control strategies that will not result in huge cost increases for ratepayers.”

DePasquale said he issued the report because of a long-standing concern about water quality and potentially negative economic impact if the Commonwealth does not meet pollution reduction targets in 2017 and 2025.

If the targets are not met, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandates additional expensive pollution control regulations for Pennsylvania’s portion of the Bay watershed.  

Among the report recommendations:

— The Commonwealth should revise and promote the existing nutrient trading program which encourages the transfer of nutrient reduction credits between buyers to allow the marketplace to be used to achieve nutrient reduction goals.

— The Department of Environmental Protection should support using low-cost solutions and technologies as alternatives to higher-cost public infrastructure projects, where possible.

— Municipalities and DEP should review all available options and strive to use the most cost-effective practices for sewage and stormwater runoff treatment, including new or updated treatment plants.

— DEP and the Department of Agriculture should have adequate staffing levels to carry out Chesapeake Bay nutrient reduction mandates.

A copy of the 7-page report is available online.
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