02-05-2025
A battle of the Bay breaks out in Washington
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — From Tangier Island to the Lynnhaven River, those who have worked for decades to save the Chesapeake Bay are trying to put the brakes on President Trump's executive order that forces five agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, to set expiration dates on a wide range of regulations that reduce pollution.
The president calls the order a plan to 'unleash American Energy.' Rep. Rob Wittman calls it a threat to the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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'Well, I talked just yesterday with the EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, who was a member of Congress,' Wittman said. 'So Lee and I have a great relationship, and I've talked to him specifically about the importance of protecting the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay program is administered by the EPA, and it is truly a federal function because the Chesapeake Bay is an interstate water body, and it's clear the Constitution says the federal role is in the interstate realm.
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Before Trump signed the executive order, Wittman and other members of Congress who represent the Bay region introduced the Chesapeake Bay Conservation Acceleration Act. Now he's doubling back with the Administration.
'The only way that we're able to get Maryland and and the other Bay states to do their part, to do what's necessary under the federal law, is to have a federal function there,' Wittman said.
Bay advocates and others are watching what happens on 83,000 Bay-area farms that could release nutrients that damage the Bay ecosystem. Wittman, who is a former field director for the Virginia Department of Health's Division of Shellfish Sanitation, said progress is seen on dinner plates. 'And when it does, we see the impact on natural resources … populations of fish, crabs, and oysters continue to recover, and what a great success story,' Wittman said. 'I mean, you look at what's happening in the region. Some of the best success stories are places like the Lynnhaven Project, where the Lynnhaven River has been recovered through incredible efforts from folks in neighborhoods, the city of Virginia Beach, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and even the federal government.'
Oyster reef under construction on the Lynnhaven River
In an update Thursday afternoon, Wittman provided a statement on the Bay proposal.
'Since its introduction in March, my bipartisan has been assigned to the House Agriculture Committee,' Wittman said. 'I'm continuing to work with my Virginia delegation colleagues and other members of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force to ensure the House Agriculture Committee includes key provisions of this bill — aimed at supporting conservation efforts on farms in the Bay watershed — are included in a final Farm Bill package.'
In the Senate, Democrats including Mark Warner and Tim Kaine introduced a similar bill. Kaine said protecting the Bay is crucial to protecting tourism jobs, farmers and our local seafood industries.
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