Posted under Chesapeake Bay
There was a fascinating piece in the Washington Post this weekend about how we are substituting “green gestures” for the political action necessary to clean up our environment. This is particularly true when it comes to the deteriorating Chesapeake Bay.
But perhaps things are changing.
Today, Maryland’s Waterkeepers, including my friend Chris Trumbauer, filed a petition with the EPA demanding they enforce the Clean Water Act on the Chesapeake Bay. Details from the Capital:
The waterkeepers who patrol Maryland’s rivers and bays said the state is failing to enforce clean-water laws, and the federal government should take over the task.
The waterkeepers – including the four riverkeepers who monitor Anne Arundel County’s waterways – filed a petition seeking the move with the federal government this morning.
“The Clean Water Act is not being enforced,” said Chris Trumbauer, the West/Rhode Riverkeeper. “We need to do something bold to set this on the right course.”
The 58-page petition filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asks the agency to take back authority to issue and enforce water-pollution permits. That authority is generally delegated to the states.
The waterkeepers claim in their petition that the Maryland Department of the Environment has done a sub-par job in handling water-pollution permits and carrying out the intent of the Clean Water Act.
You can read the full article here.
You can also check out the Riverkeepers full petition to the EPA here.
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