PA State Sen. Scott Martin Elected Chair Of Interstate Chesapeake Bay Commission

On January 6, Sen. Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) was elected to serve as Chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Commission in 2023 as Pennsylvania continues its work to reduce pollution in the watershed.

The Chesapeake Bay Commission is a legislative body created in 1980 to advise members of the General Assemblies of Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania on issues concerning the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.

As Chair of the Commission, Martin will continue to play an active role working with state and federal environmental officials, legislators and business owners within the Chesapeake Bay watershed to meet federal pollution reduction goals.

“I am honored and humbled to receive the support of the members to lead our efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay watershed and preserve this resource for generations to come,” Martin said. “Meeting the federal government’s mandates will require a great deal of cooperation among all stakeholders, and I look forward to working with all parties to find solutions that are both effective in reducing pollution and cost-efficient for taxpayers and businesses.”

Martin’s election as Chairman took place at the Commission’s meeting in Maryland on Friday. He previously served as Vice Chair and replaces Maryland Senator Sarah Elfreth, who served as chair throughout 2022.

The Chesapeake Bay Commission coordinates with state legislatures and the U.S. Congress to provide information about how legislation and policy could affect the Bay watershed and the ongoing efforts to improve water quality in the nation’s largest estuary. 

Members of the Pennsylvania delegation to the CBC also includes Senator Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Mifflin), Rep. Michael Sturla (D-Lancaster), Acting DEP Secretary Ramez Ziadeh and G. Warren Elliott, citizen member.

[Visit DEP’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed webpage to learn more about cleaning up rivers and streams in Pennsylvania's portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates on Pennsylvania’s progress.

[How Clean Is Your Stream?

[Check DEP’s 2022 Water Quality Report to find out how clean streams are near you.]

Related Articles:

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation's 2022 State Of The Bay Score Unchanged, States Must Focus On Agriculture, Stormwater Pollution  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Commission Names Anna Killius New Executive Director  [PaEN]

[Posted: January 6, 2023]  PA Environment Digest