Chesapeake Bay: A New Line

For many years, the federal government has been insisting that states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including Virginia, clean up their act. For many years, states have failed to do so. Deadlines have come and gone without consequence. Each time the federal government has behaved like the timid schoolyard bully who can't quite muster the courage to back up his threat: "OK, I dare you to cross this line!"

Recently, the EPA declared once again that it is going to lay down the law. And this time, it says, it really means it.

The Obama administration has chosen an odd means of enforcing the decree: If states don't reduce the pollution in their waterways, then the EPA will withhold federal funds aimed at reducing pollution in the waterways. That would seem to defeat the purpose of issuing a threat in the first place.

Maybe Washington hopes the states will be so struck by the novelty of the approach they'll be surprised into complying. Stranger things have happened. And if they aren't, the feds can always draw another line in the dirt later.