The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s 2022 State of The Blue Print shows progress, but more work is needed.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) recently released its 2022 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.
Maryland and Virginia are mostly on track to meet their pollution reduction commitments. This is largely due to both states’ work regarding wastewater treatment, although there remains much work to be done in other sectors. While both states are likely to meet their 2025 goals, their long-term progress will be much more difficult to sustain.
Pennsylvania is currently not on track to meet it’s any of its pollution reduction goals. According to CBF, Pennsylvania is on a path to not meet any of their 2025 goals.
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. Agriculture and urban development are the two major sources of pollution 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.
