BALTIMORE – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, praised the ruling by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals that upholds a lower court ruling supporting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint, which establishes a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for how much pollution can enter the bay each year, covers all states of the watershed region and the District of Columbia.

“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and an economic engine for the region. I fully agree with the court decision that ‘The Chesapeake Bay TMDL will require sacrifice by many, but that is a consequence of the tremendous effort it will take to restore health to the Bay … a goal our elected representatives have repeatedly endorsed,’” said Senator Cardin. “We all benefit from a healthy Bay and therefore all have a role in restoring and protecting its health. Like most of the watersheds in this nation, the Chesapeake Bay has had to deal with challenges that come from a growing and expanding population and accompanying increase in excess nitrogen and phosphorus that leads to greater dead zones. Actions taken by Maryland’s farmers and all sectors have contributed to a slowing of the degradation of the Chesapeake Bay’s health, but if we want to restore the Bay and continue to develop practices that can be applied across the country, we need to increase our commitment and become more creative in our solutions.”