Washington, D.C. - Today, the Congressional Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force met with White House officials to present a detailed proposal for increased funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration in its preparation of the President’s FY 2006 budget. The request, for a total of $130 million, emphasizes support for programs to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from wastewater treatment plants and agricultural lands. These are the two largest sources of pollution to the Bay, and together account for over 60 percent of the nutrient pollution that enters the Chesapeake Bay.
The Task Force, co-chaired by Reps. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), Tom Davis (R-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Bobby Scott (D-VA), based their request on Chesapeake Bay Program information on 39 pollution prevention practices already accepted by local Bay planning groups, known as Tributary Strategy Teams. The request includes $50 million for wastewater treatment plant upgrades, $75 million for agriculture programs, and $5 million to improve water quality monitoring.
“Through this request, the Task Force wants to jump-start water quality improvement in the Chesapeake Bay,” said Rep. Gilchrest. “We are concerned about the slow progress of Bay restoration efforts to date and the need to meet certain water quality goals by 2010 in order to avoid federal regulation of activities that impact Bay water quality, and we want to ensure maximum federal support for these efforts.”
“The combination of programs identified by the Task Force, if fully implemented, could significantly contribute to the nutrient reductions that we need by 2010,” said Rep. Davis. Last year, the EPA-lead Chesapeake Bay Program committed to significantly reduce two major types of nutrient pollution, specifically to cut 103 million pounds of nitrogen and 6.7 million pounds of phosphorus from current loads entering the Bay every year.
“The time for action is now,” said Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). “I will be working overtime with my colleagues on the Task Force to implement these recommendations so that we can move as intelligently and expeditiously as possible towards the goals of Chesapeake 2000.”
The Task Force stresses the importance of increasing support for farmers and for homeowners who are served by sewage treatment plants. “Due to expanded development, impervious surfaces in the Bay watershed increased 50% since 1990, causing increases in both point and non-point source pollution,” reported Rep. Scott. “As development increases in the watershed, targeting nutrient reduction programs in the FY 06 budget through Farm Bill conservation dollars can help sustain agriculture, reduce urban sprawl and save the Bay.”
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force is a bipartisan alliance of Members of Congress from the 64,000 square mile basin, encompassing parts of six states and the District of Columbia. Members of the Task Force work together on a range of issues including water quality improvement, habitat restoration and fisheries management.