Senate Passes Infrastructure Bill With Key Investments for Chesapeake Bay

(ANNAPOLIS, MD)—Today, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed the Senate containing a provision of $238 million over five years for the Chesapeake Bay through EPA. In response, Choose Clean Water Coalition Director Kristin Reilly issued the following statement:

"This major investment to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams will not only move us closer to achieving our clean water goals, but will support new and existing jobs around the region. These additional funds will help close the gap in pollution reduction goals across the watershed, especially as we approach the 2025 deadline to have all pollution reduction practices in place as part of the Bay's restoration effort.

"Investing in clean water infrastructure will not only improve the quality of our local rivers and streams, but will protect communities, improve public health, and safeguard the environment, especially in communities that are disproportionally impacted by our changing climate.

"This more than 50 percent increase in funding for the Chesapeake can be a game-changer for restoration in our region. We look forward to working with clean water champions in the House to bring this precedent-setting Infrastructure bill to final passage and to be signed into law."

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