Comments on: State Leaders Tour Conowingo Dam, Admit Dam is Half of Bay Pollution but Cecil County Still on Hook for Cleanup Costs https://ceciltimes.com/2013/05/state-leaders-tour-conowingo-dam-admit-dam-is-half-of-bay-pollution-problem-but-cecil-county-still-on-hook-for-millions-in-cleanup-costs/ News and Views for Cecil County and the Eastern Shore of Maryland Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:21:21 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.38 By: John Cole https://ceciltimes.com/2013/05/state-leaders-tour-conowingo-dam-admit-dam-is-half-of-bay-pollution-problem-but-cecil-county-still-on-hook-for-millions-in-cleanup-costs/#comment-18323 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 06:58:47 +0000 https://ceciltimes.com/?p=3156#comment-18323 Al is absolutely correct. Executive Order 13508 was issued in May 2009. The only reaction by NY, PA and DE, all of whom are in the watershed, is the production of reams of PDF documents, all of which state that they have failed to meet sediment targets; in fact all of these states report increased sediment. Maryland, according to the reports, HAS achieved the target, with the exception of phosphorous loading:

https://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/tmdl/ChesapeakeBay/RestorationUnderway.html

With the mighty muscle of the EPA behind them, Maryland should not need a lawsuit – the EPA should be reacting, and compensating us, while we maintain our efforts to keep the Bay clean.

Although this is apparently an issue for Exelon, Cecil County and Maryland, the primary problem is not caused by any of these entities, and funds for rectifying the problem must come from the causation states.

]]> By: Al Reasin https://ceciltimes.com/2013/05/state-leaders-tour-conowingo-dam-admit-dam-is-half-of-bay-pollution-problem-but-cecil-county-still-on-hook-for-millions-in-cleanup-costs/#comment-18108 Sat, 01 Jun 2013 04:42:07 +0000 https://ceciltimes.com/?p=3156#comment-18108 As usual our state government is willing to spend millions of our money to implement fixes or to force the counties to do it; many of these efforts, as in the past, will get wiped out during the next storm. And if the nitrogen is free flowing from upstream sources, where is the MD lawsuit against NY and PA?

I contend that PA and NY are doing little to reduce the problems that impact the Bay. Last fall I traveled extensively through PA and NY in the Susquehanna River area and every place I stopped I made it a point to ask about the May 12, 2009 Executive Order 13508, creating the WIP policy and explained what it was. No one knew what I was talking about including an old friend who is on a local board, a planning board if I remember correctly, and is a farmer near the river.

But then most Marylanders probably don’t know about WIP, or even the rain tax, since most seemly don’t want to be bothered until it hits them in the pocketbook. Too many low information citizens it seems to me.

Thanks for helping to get out the word.

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