Levels of pollutant reduce in Chesapeake Bay, new study finds

A new report appears to yield good news for the Chesapeake Bay, with levels of pollutants reportedly down; however, experts say there’s still a lot of work left to do.

“We have a long way to go. We’re essentially at the midpoint,” says Alan Girard of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (“CBF”)

Numbers released by the Chesapeake Bay Program find levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution in the bay dropped between 2009 and 2015.

According to the report, levels dropped by eight, 20 and 30 percent respectively.

Girard, Eastern Shore director for CBF, says neither pollutant carries heavier weight than the other; however, the three working together can have serious environmental effects.

“It essentially degrades the water to a point where there’s not enough oxygen for fish, crabs, other species that live in the water to breathe,” He says. “That’s the challenge.”

Girard says the Chesapeake Bay Program is a federal unit of the EPA.

Water quality experts have attributed the drop in levels to reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus in the wastewater sector, combined with the Clean Air Act.

According to the EPA, the act is a federal law regulates air emissions from “stationary and mobile sources.”

A statement from Molly Joseph Ward, chair of the Chesapeake Bay Program Principals’ Staff Committee, reads “These results show that water quality practices work and that we can expect future reductions as we continue our significant investments in controlling pollutants from all major sources.”

Girard says the Clean Air Act is only part of the puzzle.

He credits the latest reduction to the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, which he describes as a two-prong approach. He says it includes listing goals for the bay like cleaner waters by the 2025 and then implementing actual practices.

Girard says while it is unlikely that pollution levels will reach zero percent, he says it is possible to reach a healthy threshold.

“It’s essentially, what do fish need in order to survive in terms of oxygen content? What is going to be safe to swim in? To fish in? The healthy threshold is the target and we’re about halfway there,” He says.

Girard says if the blueprint is successfully implemented, it could possibly generate 22 billion dollars in economic return to Marylanders over time. He says this includes jobs in bay restoration, tourism, and benefits to the fishing industry.