WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is preparing to file a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to force a crackdown on the state of Pennsylvania for pollution the state sends downstream into Maryland.
“The lawsuit is designed to force the EPA to hold states accountable ─ in this case, Pennsylvania,” Federal Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Jason Rano said.
Rano said Pennsylvania isn’t spending enough to keep its waste from flowing downstream.
“Even if Pennsylvania came up with that money, it wouldn’t meet the necessary goals,” Rano said.
Robert Glicksman, a professor of environmental law at George Washington University, said the lawsuit could provide the leverage needed for change.
“It would provide the court with sort of a handle to force the agency to do a better job enforcing,” Glicksman explained.
In a statement, EPA said they’re committed to protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay.
“It is a priority for EPA to help our partners advance their plans to restore the Chesapeake Bay and improve local water quality,” the agency said.
But Rano said there’s a lot more that needs to be done to achieve a clean bay by 2025.
“What we need to see is more investment, more leadership to hitting and implementing those goals because if not this progress that we’ve made, we’re in danger of backsliding,” Rano said.