With Governor Josh Shapiro becoming chair of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Executive Council and Senator Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) elected to lead the tri-state Chesapeake Bay Commission for 2026, Pennsylvania is front and center in efforts to reduce pollution flowing into local waters and the Chesapeake Bay.
Elected officials in Harrisburg are not afraid to lead and have demonstrated the wherewithal to fortify Pennsylvania’s role in cleaning up our waterways.
The Commonwealth and partners crafted a revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement that was adopted by states across the region in December.
Its goals are thriving habitats, fisheries and wildlife; clean water; healthy landscapes; and engaged communities.
Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves.
This year, members of the General Assembly have opportunities to support farmers who are cleaning up waterways, address the potential impacts of data centers, reduce the threat of road salt to trout streams, and better handle odious food processing waste.
House Bill 664 (Rep. Joe Webster, D-Montgomery) would require the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to develop a Road Salt Management Best Practices Guide.
While maintaining winter safety, it would reduce road salt pollution that threatens freshwater streams and drinking water supplies.
The measure was passed by the state House in October.
Rep. Webster’s bill would create a blueprint for more sustainable practices that will keep roads safe, but without the risk of further damaging the environment, harming wildlife, weakening infrastructure, and costing billions in repairs each year.
As the threats of data centers on communities and creeks are drawing increased attention in the legislature and public square, we need to address potential risks for Pennsylvania’s waters.
House Bill 2150 (Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-Lackawanna) is a transparency bill with a focus on water use and energy reporting requirements for data centers.
House Bill 2151 (Rep. Kyle Donahue, D-Lackawanna) is a bill encouraging proper data center siting through state-created model ordinances.
House Bill 586 (Rep. Paul Friel, D-Chester) would update the manual for storage and application of food processing residuals to farm fields.
This is waste left over from food manufacturing, which can include vegetable peelings, raw meat scraps, and liquid-like cleaning wastewater that includes blood, fat, hair, and feathers.
They cause odor, groundwater and well contamination issues.
The bill would also require any of this rank waste sourced from animal products to be processed by a digester or another means of odor control before allowing it to be stored or applied on farms.
Pennsylvania has momentum. We should capitalize on it by passing legislation and continuing to invest in clean water.
The budget process kicks into higher gear with Governor Shapiro’s General Fund budget proposal for the next fiscal year.
The budget for the current fiscal year includes an over 5.5 percent increase in funding for the Department of Environmental Protection, and a reinvestment of $10 million in the Agricultural Innovation Grant.
The grant program reimburses projects that improve efficiency on the farm or in processing, generate energy while reducing nutrient waste leaving the farm, and support crops that effectively store carbon or replace non-renewable resources.
There is also a recurring $50 million investment in the Clean Streams Fund, as part of the Pennsylvania Tax Code.
It includes over $35 million for the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) which puts more clean water projects on farms that reduce pollution, helps sustain family farms, and improves the health of local rivers and streams.
As the Chesapeake Bay Foundation celebrates its fortieth year of working for a cleaner and healthier environment here in Pennsylvania, we urge elected leaders to pick up the pace toward a legacy of clean water for future generations.
We appreciate the progress Pennsylvania has made and the leadership of Governor Shapiro and Senator Yaw.
For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA webpage. Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column). Click Here to support their work.
Also visit the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership to learn how you can help clean water grow on trees.
How Clean Is Your Stream
DEP’s draft 2026 Water Quality Assessment includes a mapping tool that allows you to check on the status of water quality near you.
Click Here to check how clean your stream is.
Related Article This Week:
-- DEP Chesapeake Bay News Highlights County Water Quality Action Planning Process, Watershed Restoration Projects, Funding Opportunities [PaEN]
[Posted: February 2, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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