A ruling by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld restrictions on farm and construction runoff and wastewater treatment into Chesapeake Bay, and has the support of environmentalists and officials in the six states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
“The Chesapeake Bay (plan) will require sacrifice by many, but that is a consequence of the tremendous effort it will take to restore health to the Bay — to make it once again a part of our ‘land of living,’ a goal our elected representatives have repeatedly endorsed,” Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro wrote, quoting American poet Robert Frost.
The bay, the nation’s largest estuary, serves a growing population in nearby cities and towns, and supports commercial ventures that include fishing, farming, shipping and tourism.
The resulting pollutants have led to dead zones with opaque water and algae blooms that make it difficult for aquatic life to survive, environmentalists argued.
“This is a great day for everyone who cares about clean water and the Chesapeake Bay,” said William C. Baker, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
[Photo of Chesapeake Bay in Solomons, MD by Storm Cunningham]