On April 21 a bipartisan group of 12 members of the Maryland House of Delegates wrote to EPA Region III Administrator Shawn Garvin urging him to use his authority to force Pennsylvania to meet its Chesapeake Bay cleanup commitments.
The letter said in part, “...(W)e are extremely concerned and frustrated that the EPA is not taking its responsibilities seriously when it comes to enforcement of the Clean Water Act in Pennsylvania. (W)e feel compelled to convey our grave concern and frustration that Pennsylvania did not meet its 2013 milestone targets for nutrients and sediment in agriculture.”
The Delegates pointed out that Maryland is implementing mandatory compliance with its nutrient management plan requirements on farmers, while in Pennsylvania 85 to 90 percent of farmers are under voluntary compliance.
“Pennsylvania continues to lag behind, making little effort to limit agricultural runoff into the (Chesapeake) Bay,” the letter said.
“While Maryland is prohibited from spreading fertilizer in the winter on our farms, Pennsylvania is not and generously spreads fertilizer on their farms with little buffer, which runs directly into the Susquehanna River, then over the Conowingo Dam into the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay.
“Respectfully, Maryland citizens are exceedingly frustrated with that absence of enforcement by the EPA, as well as the lack of dedication to the Bay by Pennsylvania.
“We implore the EPA to address our concerns through your increased oversight responsibility under the Clean Water Act and your enforcement authorization of the states’ Watershed Implementation Goal commitments.
“We are relying on the EPA for strong accountability for improved implementation of best management practices so that Pennsylvania can get back on track to meeting its Phase III WIP commitments as part of the TMDL 2017 mid-point assessment.”
A copy of the letter is available online.
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