With EPA Failing to Protect Clean Water, Legal Action Inevitable

(ANNAPOLIS, MD)—Today, Choose Clean Water Coalition member Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to adequately enforce the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). CBF is joined in their lawsuit by Anne Arundel County, Maryland, the Maryland Watermen's Association, and Bobby Whitescarver, a farmer from Swoope, Virginia. In addition, the Attorneys General of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and District of Columbia, also filed a separate suit.

The TMDL is a comprehensive pollution diet, requiring the six states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the District of Columbia to meet strict pollution reduction standards. In response, Choose Clean Water Coalition Director Kristin Reilly issued the following statement:

"Clean water is the lifeblood to the economy, culture, and way of life throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. But improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers and streams that feed it will not happen by accident. To reduce pollution entering our waterways from farmland, city streets, and suburban neighborhoods, we need a coordinated and collaborative effort at the local, state, and federal level. This is where the full implementation of the Chesapeake TMDL is critical. Unfortunately, over the past few years we have seen a lack of leadership and sense of urgency from this administration's EPA, which has led to this action today.

"That several parties feel compelled to sue the EPA is understandable. This administration's EPA is failing to enforce the TMDL, despite the early signs showing us the Bay is beginning to heal. Underwater grasses are increasing, blue crab populations are rising, and upstream water clarity is improving. But progress is fragile. We find ourselves in the midst of the worst public health crisis in a century, making our need for clean water stronger than ever. What's more, the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting Black, indigenous, and communities of color, especially for those facing environmental justice issues. We cannot afford delays.

"Despite the challenges presented by this administration's EPA, the Choose Clean Water Coalition and its more than 250 members will ensure the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort continues to make progress on our goals toward clean rivers and streams across the Chesapeake Bay watershed."

The Choose Clean Water Coalition is an organization that harnesses the collective power of more than 250 local, state, regional, and national groups to advocate for clean rivers and streams in all communities in the Chesapeake region.

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Media Contact:
Drew Robinson
443-927-8049
RobinsonAQ@nwf.org