Update on Chesapeake Bay Restoration Issues

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• Update on Chesapeake Bay Restoration Issues

Briefing to the Water Resources Technical
Committee January 8, 2009
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Presentation Overview

• CBFs lawsuit against EPA
• Scientists Statement
• Press Attention
• Most Recent Progress Results
• Costs

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CBFs Lawsuit

• Lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court by the
  Chesapeake Bay Foundation on Monday, January 5th.
• For Failure to Comply with Chesapeake 2000
  Agreement
• Jointly with Bay Watermen associations
• Outlines how poor water quality has destroyed
  fisheries, etc. (i.e., blue crabs, SAV, oysters,
  Bay fish)
• Cites EPAs failure via a detailed history of
  missed deadlines (21 pgs. Total)
• Focus on Reasonable Assurance Penalties for
  Failure to Meet Deadlines
• this lawsuit is going to put the restoration of
  the Chesapeake Bay directly on the desk of the
  new EPA administrator
• Will Baker, President of CBF

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December 8, 2008 Scientists Statement

• Current Bay Program is not working.
• Mandatory enforceable measures needed.
• Axioms for restoring the Bay
• Pollution reduction by everyone.
• Change development patterns no net loss of
  forest and wetlands.
• Mandatory agricultural pollution controls.
• Stronger fisheries protection.
• Fully implement existing tributary strategies.
• Make the Chesapeake Bay a high priority for
  funding and enforcement.

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Recent Press Attention
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Common themes

• Bay Program is a failure.
• More regulation is needed.
• Development growth
• Farming
• No mention of costs.
• No mention of cost effectiveness.

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Goal
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Costs the big picture

• Unfunded gap in 2003 estimated to be 12.8
  billion
• Just MD, VA, PA
• Costs higher now
• Budgets worse
• Does not include costs to maintain or replace
  existing infrastructure, which is a huge expense.

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The challenge according to Jeff Lape

• growth and development are the greatest
  challenge to restoring and protecting the
  Chesapeake Bay.
• Stormwater management and growth appear to be the
  primary focus of CBF, the Potomac Conservancy,
  and other groups.

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Is growth the biggest challenge to a clean Bay?

• Increasing numbers of chickens, turkeys, and beef
  cattle.
• Declining agricultural acres
• More animals on smaller farms.
• Crops the highest loading land use.