Maryland Reaches Settlement With EPA: Agency Promises More Scrutiny Of Pennsylvania's Pollution Into The Susquehanna

HAVRE DE GRACE - Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced a settlement in the 2020 lawsuit Maryland and other plaintiffs filed against the EPA, arguing that the agency has not done enough to enforce the Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan in Pennsylvania.

Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia filed suit against the EPA in 2020 for failing to require Pennsylvania and New York to develop and implement plans to achieve 2025 Chesapeake Bay restoration goals, as required by an agreement between the states.

The lawsuit was an effort to increase the EPA's scrutiny of Pennsylvania's pollution of the Chesapeake Bay tributaries, specifically the Susquehanna River.

As a result of the settlement, the EPA committed to increasing its scrutiny of Pennsylvania's livestock operations and stormwater runoff management. The agency will also review any outdated environmental permits issued by the state.

Additionally, the settlement requires the EPA to share a report on how each state has performed in its efforts to limit pollution by 2026.

"The bay is the largest estuary in the United States, and it receives 50% of its freshwater from the Susquehanna River. As Susquehanna travels from New York through Pennsylvania, it brings pollution that impairs the bay's health. May owners deserve a clean, healthy bay. And Marylanders have been doing the demanding work to curb pollution and restore the ecosystem," Maryland AG Brown said on Thursday.

The settlement will undergo a 30-day public comment period before it is finalized.