The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s 2021 State of The Blue Print shows progress but more work to be done.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) recently released its 2021 State of The Blueprint. The report showed significant strides in meeting the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint by the 2025 implementation deadline. The Blueprint is a plan outlining pollution reduction targets for Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, the three states that make up 90% of the Chesapeake Bay’s pollution.
Both Maryland and Virginia are mostly on track to meet their pollution reduction commitments. The CBF noted that these gains primarily come from wastewater treatment upgrades. Both states will need to take more significant action to fully meet their 2025 goals.
Pennsylvania is currently not on track to meet it’s any of its pollution reduction goals. The report calls for a, “massive influx of technical and financial assistance to provide farmers the resources to implement conservation practices.”
Key Takeaway:
The Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint is working at reducing pollution in the bay, but at the current pace, we collectively will not meet our 2025 pollution reduction targets. Not meeting these goals can spell significant environmental and economic costs for the region. A dirty bay impacts local economies, food supplies, and quality of life.
