Press Release

CBF Celebrates Watershed Moment for PA Waters!

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is celebrating that $50 million in new annual funding for the Clean Streams Fund, which extends the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), is included in Pennsylvania’s General Fund budget for fiscal year 2024-25.

The $47.6 billion budget was signed by Governor Josh Shapiro on Thursday.

The legislature took the historic step of creating the Clean Streams Fund in 2022, funded initially by a comprehensive package of $220 million in federal investments from the American Rescue Plan. The fund dedicated $154 million to ACAP as investments to be passed through conservation districts to help farmers design and pay the costs of implementing conservation practices.

“We are thrilled that the Governor and legislators have made increased and sustained investments in the new budget for family farms and cleaner rivers and streams. It is a watershed moment like no other for Pennsylvania,” said Julia Krall, Pennsylvania Executive Director for CBF.

“It was a historic day when the General Assembly created the Clean Streams Fund, which invested in ACAP,” Ms. Krall added. “The extension in the new budget is momentous. Our elected leaders have shown their commitment to creating a legacy of clean water, healthy soils, and resilient communities for future generations.”

The new funding in the fiscal year 2024-25 plan extends ACAP. Otherwise, the initial historic federal investments would have been exhausted by the end of 2026.

On Tuesday, Governor Shapiro praised Pennsylvania’s progress in reducing pollution to local waters and the Chesapeake Bay as noted in a recent report. “We are seeing real results and improvement in the Chesapeake Bay,” the Governor said. “We’re not talking about fixing the Bay anymore, we are fixing the Bay, and we are making sure Pennsylvania does its fair share.”

Governor Shapiro also made it clear that the Commonwealth plans to continue its clean water work for the long haul. “You have my commitment that this work will continue,” he added. “Pennsylvania is all in.” 

The Clean Streams Fund tackles the top three sources of stream impairment in the Commonwealth: some agricultural activities, acid mine drainage, and urban/suburban stormwater runoff.  

ACAP will receive $35.75 million (71.5 percent) of the $50 million the new budget allocates for the Clean Streams Fund. Other allocations of that funding include: $6 million for the Clean Water Procurement Program; $5 million for the Nutrient Management Fund; $2 million for Stormwater grants and reimbursements; $1 million to the Acid Mine Drainage Abatement and Treatment Fund; and $250,000 to the Keystone Tree Restricted Account.

A statewide cost-share program did not exist in Pennsylvania before ACAP. The State Conservation Commission distributes ACAP funds to all 67 counties in the Commonwealth. Importantly, under ACAP, project decisions on local agricultural practices to reduce polluted runoff are made locally. 

Farmers appreciate the value and importance of keeping soil and nutrients on the land instead of running off into the water. But they cannot be expected to implement needed measures on their own.

In just over 16 months since the program was launched, more than 500 conservation projects statewide, totaling more than $73 million, are in the early stages of design because of ACAP.  

The design of the legislation that created ACAP was a collaborative effort between CBF, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, and the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. The Clean Streams Fund and ACAP were introduced by State Senator Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming).

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is seeking volunteers this summer to help maintain the Royall Woods living shoreline, located in Belle Haven on the Eastern Shore. 

This project uses natural methods to protect Eastern Shore tidal shorelines from erosion. 

 “As an Eastern Shore local, I’m excited to showcase a resiliency practice made possible through community effort and support projects that will benefit my hometown for years to come,” said Kati Grigsby, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Restoration Coordinator. “Volunteering allows CBF to implement and maintain these amazing projects. It is also a great way to get outside, work alongside your community, and help the local environment.” 

Living shorelines use natural materials, such as plants and oyster reefs, to protect tidal shorelines from erosion. However, like a garden, living shorelines require maintenance to function correctly and maintain their aesthetic value. Over four days, the volunteer work will involve adding sand, biodegradable coir logs, loose oyster shells, and planting native wetland grasses.

It’s a chance for residents to take a break from the gym for a day or two, have fun in the sun, and help CBF improve water quality and protect shorelines through one of our many living shoreline projects.

Volunteers will have four dates to choose from to join CBF for the maintenance work:

• Monday, July 15 (10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) – Placing three coconut fiber coir logs, pushing wheelbarrows of sand to the shoreline, and grading sand using rakes.
• Tuesday, July 16 (11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) – Pushing wheelbarrows of sand to the shoreline and grading using rakes.
• Wednesday, July 17 (12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.) – Pushing wheelbarrows of sand to the shoreline, grading the sand using rakes, and placing loose oyster shells.
• RAIN DATE Thursday, July 18 (2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) 
• Friday, July 19 (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) – Planting and installing goose fencing. 

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced grants that will provide more than $14 million for on-the-ground improvements and protections for Pennsylvania waters. 

The 13 grants from the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) Program total $22.4 million  and will leverage an additional $35.3 million in matching funds to generate a total conservation impact within the Chesapeake Bay watershed of $57.7 million. 

“With these NFWF investments there will be more riparian buffers, urban tree plantings and farm restoration projects, and less polluted runoff going into local rivers and streams,” said Julia Krall, Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Executive Director for Pennsylvania. 

NFWF grants are made through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, funded primarily by the Environmental Protection Agency and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program.

About $5.1 million in INSR grant funding is targeted for specific Keystone State projects, with an additional $9 million in matching funds. 

Pennsylvania and other Bay states will receive portions of $21 million in other INSR grants and matching contributions for projects that improve manure and nutrient management, restore forest buffers, implement stream restoration plans, and more.

Lancaster County will have nearly $7.5 million in a grant and matching funds for Lancaster Clean Water Partners to advance the Countywide Action Plan, reduce harmful sediment, and diversify and expand the pool of contractors who will do the work on local watershed restoration projects.

“The grant for Lancaster County will boost the collaborative progress being made by the Lancaster Clean Water Partners as they continue their great work toward reducing sediment and nutrient runoff in local streams and waterways,” Krall added.

The Chesapeake Conservancy, and state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources also received INSR grants targeting projects specific to Pennsylvania.

The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District received a grant for work in Pennsylvania and New York to implement stream restoration plans, offer education opportunities for underserved landowners, and engage 200 volunteers.

Krall said the NFWF grants come at an opportune time for Pennsylvania, as its General Assembly and Governor are considering the final General Fund budget for fiscal year 2024-25. 

“CBF is calling on our elected leaders to step up to the plate and include sustained and increased funding for the Clean Streams Fund and Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) in the next budget,” Krall said. “ACAP supports Pennsylvania farmers, who would rather keep nutrients on their land instead of in the water, with financial and vital technical resources.”

Krall added that, “Continued investments at the federal and state levels are crucial to ensuring that Pennsylvania meets its Chesapeake Bay Blueprint goals.”

A complete list of the 2024 Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grants recipients is available here. 

Reports Signal Importance of Climate Resiliency, Tree Conservation, and Clean Water Restoration

As a heat wave hits Virginia this week, twin challenges fueled by climate change could also send the state deadly and damaging weather that increases pollution to waterways, according to two recently released reports. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its May hurricane forecast, predicting 8 to 13 hurricanes this season in the Atlantic. This marks the most aggressive May outlook ever produced by NOAA.  

At the same time, Climate Central reports that a warming planet will send extreme rainfall across Virginia, raising risks of floods and threatening efforts to repair key waterways across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

The Climate Central report details how much more rainfall is likely to fall in each Virginia city or county during severe storms if the climate warms by 3.6 °F (2 °C). That includes Charlottesville, 21.7 percent; Norfolk, 12.8 percent; Petersburg, 17.9 percent; Fredericksburg, 22 percent; Alexandria, 20 percent; Richmond, 17.6 percent; Roanoke City, 19.7 percent; and Virginia Beach, 17.4 percent. 

The predictions underscore the urgency of Virginia’s investment in flood protection, wastewater upgrades, tree conservation and efforts to clean up polluted waters. These forecasts come after Virginia’s governor pulled the state out of two major efforts to reduce the effects of climate change impacts including the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and clean car standards approved by the General Assembly, which mandated a gradual shift to electric vehicles. 

Warmer ocean waters serve as a key ingredient for hurricanes, and scientists expect the lingering above-average temperatures in the Atlantic to increase the intensity and frequency of one of nature’s deadliest storms this hurricane season. Experts attribute these record-breaking temperatures to the ocean’s absorption of heat caused by increases in fossil fuel emissions.  

Further inland, the increasing frequency of heat waves within rivers threatens plants and animals like trout and salmon, in addition to accelerating the creation of toxic algal blooms. 

A warming planet also means heavier and increased rainfall. For every 1°F of warming, the air can hold an extra 4 percent of moisture, according to Climate Central’s report called “Extreme Precipitation in a Warming Climate.”

As a result, heavy downpours, flooding, and stormwater runoff that overwhelms overburdened sewer systems, erodes backyard streams, and pollutes local waters will increase. One inch of rain falling on an acre of hardened surface, such as streets and parking lots, produces 27,000 gallons of runoff, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). Stormwater passing over such surfaces often picks up oil, grease, dirt, and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and flows into nearby waterways.  

The state’s most recent “Dirty Waters” list declared more than 75 percent of Virginia’s estuaries and tidal rivers and 86 percent of Virginia’s lakes impaired. 

It’s a new chapter in a continuing trend. Between 1958 and 2021, Climate Central noted, the heaviest storms now drop 60 percent more rain in the Northeast (including Pennsylvania, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New York, and West Virginia) and 37 percent more in the Southeast (including Virginia).  

This increases the chances of heavier downpours that contribute to flash floods like those that killed an 85-year-old woman in Buchanan County in August 2021.  

Climate Central reported that flood damage costs in Virginia totaled roughly $855 million in 2020 and that figure could exceed $1 billion by 2050 as global temperatures continue to rise.  

Joe Wood, CBF Virginia Senior Scientist, issued the following statement:  

“Virginians experience climate change threats in many ways. As we head into what is forecasted to be another abnormally warm summer, Virginians must also contend with heavier downpours, damaging floods, and dangerous hurricanes.  

“More rainfall across Virginia has ripple effects across the Bay watershed, not to mention homes and businesses. The increasing frequency of severe storms causes more dangerous and costly flooding, overburdening sewer systems as well as local waterways that receive more polluted stormwater. Runoff from sweltering impervious surfaces is laden with pollutants which degrade Bay species, and lead to algal blooms that choke underwater life. Heat waves in rivers pose similar threats to plants and animals who depend on cooler, cleaner water to thrive.” 

“It’s critical to support local and state efforts to preserve and expand the state’s trees, which are natural sponges that soak up rainfall and pollutants. Trees alongside streams and streets, particularly city streets devoid of shade within what are known as urban heat islands, come with environmental benefits and benefits for communities disproportionately impacted by climate change. It’s also urgent to continue efforts to control emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases.” 

Advocates are calling on Maryland to take stronger action to reduce polluted runoff from state highways as the public comment period opens for a major stormwater management permit. Stormwater runoff is the fastest growing source of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Later this summer, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) will issue a new Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)’s State Highway Administration (SHA). This permit will work to mitigate the harmful effects of oil, gas, and other pollutants that rainfall washes off highways into local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.

The permit, which is designed to control pollution on the state’s extensive highway system, will be crucial for preserving water quality. MDOT SHA manages nearly 15,000 lane miles and roughly 2,600 bridges. Maryland’s section of the Capital Beltway (I-495) and Baltimore Beltway (I-695) alone see volumes of over 220,000 vehicles per day, according to MDOT data. 

Given the immense surface area covered by this permit, it will mark a pivotal opportunity to effectively implement Maryland’s municipal stormwater program.

“As development in the Bay watershed grows and rainfall frequency and intensity increases from climate change, robust stormwater management will be more essential than ever,” said Allison Colden, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Maryland Executive Director. “This permit has the potential to greatly enhance stormwater management, but it must include comprehensive and forward-thinking measures.”

In many cases, Maryland’s MS4 permits have fallen short for water quality improvements by relying on outdated rainfall data and prioritizing “check-the-box” practices that do little for habitat preservation and fail to sufficiently reduce pollution. SHA heavily depends on stream restoration to control pollution under its current permit, even though the practice is under fire for its questionable effectiveness. In 2023, the agency reported over 4,700 acres were treated via stream restoration, the most utilized mitigation practice by far. The second highest was outfall stabilization, or repairing erosion below storm drain pipes, at 700 acres treated.

“Some of the stormwater mitigation projects that have been proposed and are taking place in my community do more harm than good,” said Sharon Boies with Columbia-based grassroots organization, Protect Our Streams. “Stream restoration projects that receive MS4 credits too often allow environmental degradation like deforestation and, in the case of mitigation credits, allow the development of sensitive areas in additional locations as well. These shortcomings must be fixed by MDE statewide.”

Stormwater runoff is the fastest growing source of pollution in the Bay watershed, leading to erosion, habitat destruction, elevated levels of nutrient and chemical contaminants, and increased sedimentation.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other environmental advocates are calling on MDE to incorporate the following critical enhancements into MDOT SHA’s new permit:

• Ensure the permit accounts for increased storm intensity and other impacts of climate change;
• Require a range of effective practices to mitigate stormwater pollution, such as riparian plantings, “green infrastructure” infiltration structures, and removal of unused impervious surfaces, to reduce reliance on in-stream projects;
• Expand monitoring requirements to include temperature changes and impacts to wildlife and their habitats from polluted runoff; and
• Track and address pollutants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and ‘forever chemicals’ such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

These measures are vital for protecting our waterways and communities from the damaging effects of stormwater runoff. Maryland residents can learn more about the Highway Authority’s MS4 permit and get involved here. MDE’s public comment period ends July 18.

MIA’s Program, Minorities on Course, Provides Support for the Next Generation of Black Maritime Captains

Minorities in Aquaculture (MIA), a non-profit organization founded by Chestertown native Imani Black in July 2020, has been making waves in the aquaculture industry by offering the underrepresented demographics, specifically women of color, invaluable professional development opportunities, hands-on job experiences, and access to critical maritime technical skills. One of its flagship programs, Minorities on Course (MOC), launched in 2021, is dedicated to empowering the next generation of African Americans who aspire to build a maritime career of various kinds by providing scholarships, and impactful maritime instruction to obtain a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Captain’s License and other applicable maritime certifications.

The number of Black commercial captains has declined significantly during the past decade as older captains leave the industry without a younger generation in place to take the helm. A recent Chesapeake Quarterly report estimated only 10 remaining black headboat captains are operating out of Kent Narrows, with more than half of the captains over 70 years old. The MOC Program aims to reverse the declining number of licensed Black headboat captains on the Chesapeake Bay while alleviating historical barriers by covering instructional course costs and providing essential knowledge and practical experience. Since the inaugural year, MIA has graduated 11 African American men and women with their USCG 100-ton Captain’s License while also overhauling the program’s structure, forging new partnerships, and enhancing resources to boost maritime engagement within the Chesapeake Bay.

“This program is not just about getting more Black people on the water,” said Imani Black, Founder and CEO of Minorities in Aquaculture. “This is about career development skills and honoring the Chesapeake’s traditional commercial fisheries legacy through actively preserving the Black maritime presence and heritage as an avenue to do that. We aim to equip and amplify the next generation of African American watermen, boat captains, and industry influencers with the tools to forge sustainable careers on their own terms while honoring the legacy of the influential maritime leaders, especially those from historic Black fishing communities who have made the Chesapeake Bay a cherished natural resource and thriving commercial fisheries that we all known and love today.”

“Living on the Chesapeake Bay and observing the watermen, I have taken great interest in being on the water,” said Rupert Walters, 2022 Cohort Participant and 100-ton Master Captain. “I have also taken notice of the dwindling population of minorities on the Bay and thought this was the time to further my interest and pursue my passion.”

In 2024, MIA has added new MOC partners to achieve their mission by collaborating with esteemed maritime professionals like Captain Michael McQueen, owner of Reel Altitude Fishing Charter and son to Captain Sonny McQueen of Solomon’s Island, the oldest living Black captain on the Chesapeake Bay today, Captain Bill Tynall of R&D Boat Supply in Cambridge, MD, Mahogany Yacht Charters, a Black female-owned luxury charter business in Washington, D.C. These partnerships additionally extend to field gear and in-kind sponsorships with business such as XTRATUF Boot Company and The Jetty Rock Foundation to provide the necessary supplies to participants among all MIA programs. These new alliances complement ongoing partnerships with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), providing program participants access to CBF educational vessels to obtain their USCG-required sea time and well-rounded maritime education.

“Making a career on the water shouldn’t be limited to those with family or personal connections to people already working on the Bay,” said Tom Ackerman, CBF’s Vice President of Education. “At CBF, we know that to protect the Chesapeake Bay, we must ensure everyone can access and enjoy it, whether they come from the city, the suburbs, or the countryside. Growing a diverse workforce on the water to match the diversity of the watershed will ensure that happens. We’re proud to partner with Minorities In Aquaculture and Founder Imani Black on this effort to train a diverse new generation of Chesapeake Bay captains.”

MIA’s primary functions are to bridge engagement, education, and advocacy between the demographics it serves and the workforce development of the global aquaculture and maritime industries. Alongside the MOC Program, MIA also offers an aquaculture internship program throughout the year, partnering with over 30 businesses, institutions, and operations nationwide to foster future industry professionals with the ultimate goal of continually cultivating a motivated network of over 400 members globally through mentoring, job boards, and networking opportunities.

Looking ahead, Minorities In Aquaculture is preparing for its third cohort of Minorites On Course participants this Fall 2024, raising $25,000 to support six new commercial Black captains on the Chesapeake Bay. Contributions come in many forms, from financial donations to essential gear, with companies like XTRATUF and Jetty Rock already providing significant support.

For more information on how to contribute, become a program participant and/or support Minorities In Aquaculture further as an organization, please visit the Minorities In Aquaculture website and/or contact the MIA team at resources@mianpo.org.

A free, family-friendly event presented by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) on June 12 at Historic Poole Forge, will celebrate the Upper Conestoga River in Lancaster County and a restoration plan to clean and protect it.

“Experience the Upper Conestoga: Connecting with Our River,” from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Historic Poole Forge, 1940 Main St., in Narvon, is among Lancaster Water Week activities between June 7 and 15.

At 6:30 p.m. on June 12, a presentation in the main pavilion on the restoration plan to restore the health of the Upper Conestoga River will be given by Brian Gish, CBF Pennsylvania Senior Watershed Planner.

“For a lot of people, the Upper Conestoga River is there, but not something they engage or interact with,” Gish said. “This event will give the Upper Conestoga real presence in their lives.”

The family-friendly event on June 12 will include free demonstrations by Upper Conestoga River Conservation Partners of fly fishing, water safety, water ecology presentations, stream restoration information, soil health simulations, pollinator garden exploration, and raptor rehabilitation. Free food, beverages, and giveaways will also be available.

Because of pollution, the Upper Conestoga River does not meet water quality standards. Gish said the goal of the restoration plan is incremental progress toward cleaner waters that people can enjoy. “The plan focuses on aquatic life, as it really struggles there,” Gish said. “The goal is to make the waterways and farms work in harmony.”

The plan is built on equal parts scientific analysis and community input. Once approved, the Upper Conestoga plan will make restoration projects in the watershed eligible for millions of dollars in public and private grants.

Gish coordinated a restoration plan for the Pequea Creek Watershed that became eligible for federal funding. Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) also secured $2.18 million for the Pequea plan.

“At the end of the day, this is the community’s river, and the choices are theirs to make,” Gish said. “We need to find solutions that work for them and ways that serve their broader needs, not just those of the river. No plan is going to work unless the community feels a sense of ownership.”

Now in its 8th year, Lancaster Water Week features 60 events to celebrate the 1,400 miles of rivers and streams in Lancaster County.

CBF and the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership will be participating in other Lancaster Water Week events:

• First Friday at Penn Square, downtown Lancaster, June 7, 4-8:30 p.m.;
• Summer Music Series at Longs Park, June 9, 4-9:30 p.m.; and
• Concert in the Park at Greenfield Park, June 13, 5:30-9:30 p.m.

“Partners in Lancaster County have been doing some impactful work for the resiliency of local rivers and streams, and CBF is proud to be part of this important effort,” said Julia Krall, CBF Executive Director in Pennsylvania. “CBF appreciates Lancaster Water Week as a time for exploring, learning, volunteering, and taking action.”

Historic Poole Forge has partnered on numerous environmental projects to improve the beauty of the facilities and downstream. To learn more about current and future projects at Poole Forge, contact Executive Director Dr. Dawn Rise Ekdahl at hpf1940@gmail.com, or call 484 797-5302.

To learn more about Lancaster Water Week and for a schedule of events, visit www.lancasterconservancy.org/water-week.

More than 100,000 pounds of litter will not flow into Virginia’s waterways thanks to thousands of volunteers who participated Saturday in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) annual Clean the Bay Day, Virginia’s largest and longest-running litter and shoreline cleanup.  

On June 1, 4,470 volunteers and more than 60 CBF partners gathered at more than 200 sites in Richmond, Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore, Northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, and at Virginia State Parks. Totals show more than 100,000 pounds of litter and debris were removed from beaches, parks, shorelines, streams, rivers, and lakes.  

Since 1989, this Virginia tradition has engaged more than 168,375 volunteers who have removed approximately 7 million pounds of debris from more than 8,200 miles of shoreline.    

“What began as a discussion among four residents sitting around a kitchen table is now Virginia’s largest cleanup event. And that was clear across Virginia Saturday. Volunteers cleaned up their communities, experiencing that unique connection from coming together for that common goal of restoring the Bay,” said CBF Grassroots Coordinator Lisa Renee Jennings.    

As in previous years, the most common items found during this year’s cleanup were plastic and glass bottles, plastic wrappers, plastic bags, and cigarette butts. But volunteers recovered many larger items, including a mattress, toilet, car bumper, and the carpeted floor of boats. Unusual items included the skull of a dog and toadfish, a gun safe, an empty R-22 refrigerant canister, and a bird cage. Volunteers also rescued a box turtle entrapped in a pile of Styrofoam. 

Among the volunteers were many elected officials, other community leaders, service members, small businesses, large corporations, and thousands of other Virginians.  

Fines Levied Against Darling Ingredients, Owner of the Valley Proteins Facility

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has levied $15,000 in fines against Darling Ingredients, owner of the Dorchester County Valley Proteins animal waste rendering plant, for repeated violations that could pollute waterways. 

The plant processes poultry byproducts, including dead birds, feathers, bone, meat, fat, blood, and other poultry parts.

The fines are linked to 51 recent violations of a requirement to leave at least two feet of empty capacity in wastewater lagoons. The empty space, called freeboard, is needed to prevent overflows and spills during heavy rains or other conditions that could cause pollution to be washed into rivers and streams. 

MDE inspections revealed violations occurring between August 2023 and March 2024, as detailed in a May 24 enforcement letter that MDE sent to the company. Recent MDE inspections have found dozens of other pollution violations not listed in the letter. Darling Ingredients has fourteen days to respond to MDE’s letter.

Due to violations in previous years, the plant has been under a consent decree since October 2022 with MDE, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), ShoreRivers, and Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth. That agreement ordered the facility’s owners to pay $540,000 in civil penalties to the state of Maryland to partially account for more than 40 violations to a state-issued discharge permit.

MDE’s action this week is for new violations observed since the consent decree went into effect. The consent decree, approved by Dorchester County Circuit Court, authorizes MDE to order financial penalties for failures to comply with the agreement’s terms. 

In a separate matter, in February 2023, CBF, Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth (DCPG), Friends of the Nanticoke River, ShoreRivers, and Wicomico Environmental Trust challenged the renewed wastewater discharge permit that MDE issued for the facility. The suit filed in Dorchester County Circuit Court states the permit is not sufficiently stringent to protect water quality in the downstream Transquaking River, Higgins Mill Pond, and Chesapeake Bay.

CBF Maryland Advocacy Director Alan Girard issued the following statement. 

“Time and again, the Darling Ingredients plant has committed violations that could cause harm to Eastern Shore waterways. We’re grateful that the Maryland Department of the Environment is stepping up to levy fines and enforce the terms of the consent decree. The Bay’s health depends on consistent and timely enforcement of laws and regulations designed to protect our environment.”

May 30 Visit Convenes Federal, State, and Local Officials to Confront Sea Level Rise and Erosion Challenges

Seeking solutions for Tangier Island, one of the country’s communities most at risk from sea level rise, federal, state, and local officials met on Tangier Island on May 30 with Tangier community leaders and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).  

The officials visited sites by boat where land is being lost due to sea level rise and erosion, followed by a discussion that explored challenges and solutions for the island. Tangier Island has lost about two-thirds of its land since the 1850s, and research finds that much of the rest of the island could be lost within 50 years.  

At this meeting, partners discussed working with the Tangier community to develop a state-certified resilience plan for the Tangier Island system, including neighboring Port Isobel Island. The plan would help the community secure funding and implement projects to protect this unique place. An existing partnership between CBF and Old Dominion University’s Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience can support Tangier in pursuing this plan.  

“Nowhere is the ever-present threat of climate change felt more strongly than on Tangier Island,” said CBF President Hilary Harp Falk. “Now is the time to stand with Tangier and all the coastal communities along the Chesapeake Bay facing unimaginable change.”  

The Tangier visit included representatives from Tangier, the Virginia state government, the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, and academic institutions and nonprofit organizations. 

“I’m very encouraged,” Tangier Mayor James Eskridge said following the meeting. “To accomplish something, it’s vital to get different groups working together on the same page.” 

Next steps for the future of Tangier could encompass the following:  

• Working with the Tangier community to develop a certified resilience plan; 
• Identifying federal, state and private funding opportunities for projects to protect the island; 
• Investing in an engineering study for mitigation and resiliency strategies for Tangier Island; 
• Beginning implementation while community infrastructure on Tangier can still be saved; 
• Assessing the viability of using beneficial dredge spoils to protect the island; 
• Including nature-based coastal adaptation strategies, including living shorelines of marsh grasses and oysters that protect shorelines from erosion while creating wildlife habitat and reducing pollution; 
• Sharing strategies and outcomes with other coastal communities throughout the watershed and across the country. 

Work on Tangier Island can serve as a model for nature-based practices for climate change mitigation and adaptation along the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.  

“With a clear plan and the right investment, we can preserve Tangier and neighboring Smith Island for at least another generation,” said Harp Falk. “These islands are a fantastic place to demonstrate solutions for what responsible climate adaptation can look like.” 

With a CBF environmental education center near Tangier on Port Isobel Island, this living laboratory would also provide the opportunity to educate the next generation about innovative, large-scale restoration efforts to protect the Bay and its communities in the face of climate change.