"The current pace of reducing agricultural pollution in the Chesapeake Bay is off track, an advocacy group said Wednesday.
As part of the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, the bay’s jurisdictions are committed to implementing practices and programs that will lead to restored water quality in local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay by 2025. The Chesapeake Bay Program—whose leadership includes Environmental Protection Agency officials—on Wednesday released its modeled estimates of pollution reduced over the last year.
The jurisdictions have achieved 49% of their nitrogen reduction goal and 64% of their phosphorus reduction goal, according to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s modeled estimate.
“While we continue to see reductions in pollution from agriculture, the pace is insufficient to achieve the 2025 goals,” Beth McGee, Chesapeake Bay Foundation director of science and agricultural policy, said in a statement. “In addition, it is troubling that pollution is increasing in other areas like wastewater in Maryland.”"
Nyah Phengsitthy reports for Bloomberg Environment June 22, 2022.
