[ Over Two Hundred Kick Off Planning to Reduce Water Pollution in Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed Counties ].
More than 200 Pennsylvanians representing local governments, the farming community, and other stakeholders gathered today to share ideas for a plan to best achieve federally mandated water pollution reductions in the state’s 43 counties in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and improve the environment and economy for all.
“Clean water is essential to Pennsylvanians’ quality of life,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
All of this depends on clean water sources.” To succeed, the plan must be locally implementable, said McDonnell, accounting for economic realities as well as environmental benefits of clean local waters.
“The 2016 survey tracked and quantified impressive on-farm measures taken at the farmers’ own expense,” he added.
Having trees and other vegetation on a river bank, for example, plays a key role in keeping sediment out of the water.
“When land is healthy, water is healthy,” Dunn said, noting that DCNR is working on developing public outreach in this area.
Participants represented township, city, and county governments; the agriculture community; conservation districts; river basin commissions; watershed associations; conservancies; businesses; colleges; and many other entities.
For anyone who couldn’t attend in person, a public online comment period is open through July 7 on DEP eComments.
Pennsylvania is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment levels in waters in its Bay watershed counties by 2025.