Chesapeake Bay Foundation Sues EPA, Charges Abdication Of Responsibility For Cleanup & Oversight

[hatrack]

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation plans to sue the federal government on Monday morning, saying the feds have abdicated their responsibility to clean up the bay. The lawsuit will be filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., and will ask the court to order the Environmental Protection Agency to set up an enforceable plan to reduce pollution flowing into the bay.

"The lawsuit is about one thing and that is requiring EPA to enforce the Clean Water Act," said Will Baker, president of the nonprofit bay foundation, based in Bay Ridge.

Joining the foundation in the lawsuit are watermen's groups from Maryland and Virginia, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association and several former government officials from Maryland, Virginia and D.C. The groups jointly filed a notice of their intent to sue in late October. The notice was required under the Clean Water Act and opened a 60-day window for negotiations before the lawsuit could be filed.

Mr. Baker said negotiations with the EPA in person and over the phone didn't lead anywhere. "It's business as usual," Mr. Baker said, though he acknowledged that he "did not have high hopes" that the foundation and the EPA would see eye-to-eye on plans for cleaning up the bay.

EDIT

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2009/01_03-28/ENV

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. This is going to cost MD, particularly Southern MD and Eastern Short big time

Many of those areas are on septic tanks and use fertilizers. Residuals from both find their way to bay. The cost of putting in sewer lines is going to be scary for the landowners, let alone the mains and water treatment plants for the municipalities.