Earlier this week, the Choose Clean Water Coalition (CCWC), of
which we are state lead organization for Pennsylvania, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation released their joint Milestones Report which details whether or not
the Bay states are on track to meet their water pollution reduction goals.
There are reports for each of the Bay states and Washington,
D.C. but I’ll focus on Pennsylvania. After a quick look at the report, it’s clear
that Pennsylvania is way off track when it comes to reducing pollution from the
agriculture and stormwater sectors. This is troubling because these two sectors
contribute the largest amounts of pollution to our waters and the Bay. The one
sector where Pennsylvania has met its goals is the wastewater sector.
However, there is still time for Pennsylvania to get back on
track. To better manage stormwater, our Department of Environmental Protection
should promote the formation of regional stormwater authorities to local governments. To
reduce pollution from agriculture, increased outreach and technical and
financial assistance to farmers can ensure increased adoption of conservation
practices that will keep soils and nutrients in place and out of our waters.
The plan to clean up the Bay will only work if all sources
of pollution do their fair share. Along with accountability measures,
the plan contains consequences such as requiring further costly reductions from
wastewater treatment plants if we cannot get the necessary pollution reductions
from agriculture or stormwater.
Jen Quinn is central Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Harrisburg. She tweets @QuinnJen1.