U.S. warns of sanctions if states don’t act on bay
Federal officials said today that they could impose severe punishments if Virginia and other states don't do enough to restore the Chesapeake Bay.
Those punishments could include withholding federal grants from bay-region states and placing new limits on sewage-treatment plant discharges -- a potential hindrance to growth.
"We think the accountability system we have here has teeth in it," said Robert A. Koroncai, a manager with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Koroncai spoke during a meeting held in downtown Richmond, and broadcast across Virginia on the Web, to explain the development of a tough new cleanup plan for the bay.
The 26-year restoration effort has resulted in two missed cleanup deadlines but no punishment. The bay remains badly polluted, and President Barack Obama wants to change that.
Ann Jennings, Virginia director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, an environmental group, said she hopes the focus on accountability is real. "It was a lot of good talk, but we want to see it."
Not everyone was so happy.
Restrictions on sewage-plant discharges could mean limits on localities' growth, said Joe Lerch, director of environmental policy for the Virginia Municipal League, which represents cities.
"We don't want to see this process dictate decisions we make" on how to grow, Lerch said.
In interviews, Korancai and Rich Batiuk, another EPA official, said the cleanup shouldn't necessarily hinder growth. If a locality's planned sewage plant were deemed a threat to the bay, that plant could still be built if the locality took offsetting actions such as reducing pollution that runs off land, they said.
Wilmer Stoneman, associate director of governmental relations for the Virginia Farm Bureau, said he was concerned that the re-energized cleanup program could result in new pollution rules for farmers.
Despite common perceptions, many farms -- particularly large ones -- are closely regulated, Stoneman said. "How much more blood are we going to get out of the turnip?"
The bay is contaminated by waste that runs off farms, streets and yards; discharges from sewage plants; and even air pollution.
The EPA is devising a cleanup plan that should be ready by late 2010 or early 2011. The federal officials are allowing the states to devise many of the pollution-cutting ideas.
More than 400 people took in the meeting in person or via the Web.
Reader Reactions
Mikeyt - Don’t blame the current administration for having to clean up the mess your buddies made.
If you think either side is anything but corrupt, you’re even less intelligent than your biased post already proves.
“"We don’t want to see this process dictate decisions we make” on how to grow, Lerch said.“
*********
The paradox in this statement is that the environmental damage we’ve caused is dictating growth decisions anyway. We’ve poisoned the ecosystem to the point where the fishing industry is about to collapse, so what will happen to all the people who depended on that to live? We have to fundamentally change the way we manage stormwater and agricultural runoff and sewage treatment.
Anon, but have you written your representatives to try to find out their positions on illegal alien construction workers peeing in streams ruining the Bay? The legislators don’t want to address it, but we all know the illegals are in it with the gays and the Democrats to destroy the Bay to make Republicans look bad (and impress various 3rd world dictators) so they can unleash the waiting brigades of Obamabrownshirts in pursuit of their ultimate goal of tearing down our once great nation.
The federal government has spent $2.5B over the past 5 years through 9 different agencies and 20 different programs to address Bay issues. This is on top of double that sum by Bay state agencies, private industry and farmers to meet existing regulatory requirements. The target is now non-point sources (small farms, residential areas, vehicles, golf courses, shopping malls, etc.) that cannot be easily monitored, inspected or, likely, held accountable. Not an easy nut to crack. Voluntary measures have worked for these sources, just as regulatory measures have worked for point source dischargers. A threat of regulation and enforcement is not the answer. How many farmers or homeowners could afford a Clean Water Act violation penalty of $25K/day. None. Suggest that the regulators adopt doable goals, not expecting to achieve Capt. John Smith circa 1604 water quality standards.
Illegal alien construction workers are the culprit here. If home builders would only tell their employees to stop peeing in the creeks, the watershed would be saved and the bay would be pristine again.
Good. It’s long overdue! I am behind this idea 100% and I work in the construction industry. There is far too little emphasis placed on stormwater management and environmental factors. Developers try to wriggle free from constraints and Consultants do their best to help their developer clients sneak around the rules. Consultants should dedicate more time to becoming more environmentally friendly in their planning and work to convince their clients that it is in everyone’s best interest.
However, as long as there are dumb bubba consultants out there who undercut green consultants who go that extra mile and might charge a small amount more, we will have developers who could care less about the bay. It will only make an impact if it hits them in the pocket.
The once sovereign states better beware. Billions will go to ACORN to pick up trash along the shorelines in your state.
Angry Black Panthers will be patrolling the waterways looking for political correctness violations. And Obama’s Civilian Security Force who will be just as well funded as the US Military will knock you over the head if you flick a cigarette ash into the bay.
The IOC, France, Putin, Kim Jong Il, Hugo Chavez, et al all laugh at Obama and his powerless makeshift brown shirt thuggery brigade. So should Tim Kaine.
This is OUR Commonwealth. WE know what’s best for OUR waterways.
Go back to Minnesota and steal another election there. Leave Virgina alone.
Thank you. It’s always refreshing to hear from the urban sprawl lobby.
Yet another reason to impeach Obama.
How dare Obama threaten states to cram this crap down people’s throats! It’s not the EPA making these threats—it’s the Obamatistas, the socialist bleeps most of you ignorantly voted into office who are doing their best to destroy America, first by stealing $787 billion in tax money that’s doing nothing for the economy and now by refusing to allow states to control their own growth.
These bleepin stormwater rules Governor Part-Time is shoving up developers’ rears will drive home costs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed up $30,000 per home! Don’t believe me? Ask any civil engineer who works in land use. And if Kaine’s stupidity isn’t enough, the EPA garbage may be worse. Stormwater is going to have to meet a turbidity level of 13 NTU’s (nephelometric turbidity units—I won’t try to explain) under the EPA effluent limitation guidelines. Wanna know what that means? Regular tap water has an NTU level of 10. It means stormwater will have to go into creeks and streams almost as clean as drinking water!
And the great thing about all of this is 70 percent of the pollution in the Bay is north of the Bay Bridge, and 80 percent of the problems with pollution come from homeowners who overfertilize their yards and wash pollutants off their driveways! New development has consistently been producing cleaner runoff for years!
These rules are so out of control that local governments and the entire business community in Virginia are working together to fight this bullbleep—WE’RE NEVER ON THE SAME SIDE OF ANYTHING!!! But the clowns running this state and DC clearly don’t care about helping business out of the Great Recession or helping local governments give residents the services they need.
Yes, I’m angry about it. As a home builder, I have to find ways to build smaller, lower-priced homes that people now can afford in a regulatory atmosphere that drives costs higher every day, and Obama and Kaine are driving home costs so high with this garbage that families making $80,000 a year won’t be able to afford the median-priced new home in the Richmond area. If you’re not bothered by that you need to check yourself for a brain. It means no property tax revenue growth and either higher taxes or less government services.
Maybe Obama ought to go back to Denmark and stay.
R U Kidding Me? After the over building of MINI mansions up and down the Potomac with their over fertilized lawns to impress each other—- the over dumping of sewage from housing developements along the entire BAY shores…NOW THE GOVERNMENT WANTS A CLEAN UP??? Great all the summer homes are built…all the damage has been done…now tax the little middle class to clean up after them! THERE IS A CYCLE HERE! THE DEVELOPERS have laughed all the way to the bank and the Caribbean!
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement