Environmental Protection Agency officials applauded Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and state politicians last week for passing legislation to mitigate polluted runoff from lawns and reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.
“Limiting the use of fertilizer on residential and commercial lands is one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing harmful pollutants that make their way into our rivers and streams,” EPA mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin said.
Garvin especially acknowledged the work of members of the Chesapeake Bay Commission for ushering in this new legislation.
The bill will help state officials meet commitments as part of a rigorous pollution diet or for meeting water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, and restoring local rivers and streams throughout the 64,000-sq-mile Bay watershed.
Maryland, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and District of Columbia officials are expected to have all nutrient-reduction practices in place to meet the pollution diet by 2025, with 60% of the effort completed by 2017.
Source: EPA
