Apparently, Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay implementation plan was worth the wait.
Maryland officials finally submitted their plan to reduce pollution in the bay to the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, several days past EPA’s Nov. 29 deadline. But the Maryland’s plan is “the strongest blueprint of any of the states,” according to Yee Huang, policy analyst at the Center for Progressive Reform.
So far five states and the District of Columbia have submitted plans to the EPA detailing how they would meet the federal agency’s new limits on pollutants reaching the bay.
Unlike Virginia’s plan, which experts criticized as lacking in detail, Maryland’s plan provides detailed cost estimates for implementing pollution controls, according to Huang. It also provides recommendations for sources to fund its proposals.
If fully implemented, Maryland would meet its goals for reducing pollution by 2025, as desired by the EPA.
