Press Statement

Crisis underscores funding need for aging wastewater systems across the region

Concern in the D.C. area continues one month after approximately 243 million gallons of sewage spilled into the Potomac River following a pipeline breach on Jan. 19, underscoring risks from aging sewage systems across the region.

Federal and state elected leaders are expressing growing frustration around efforts to address the spill. This comes as federal funding to fix aging sewage infrastructure remains on the chopping block.

On Friday, Feb. 13, DC Water, the Maryland Department of the Environment, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, and University of Maryland gave an update to Maryland legislators on a House subcommittee about current efforts to contain the overflow and repair the failing pipe.

DC authorities have advised the public to avoid contact with the river. Now that ice has thawed, DC Water and the Maryland Department of the Environment will conduct weekly tests for E. coli bacteria and other threats. Immediate and long-term impacts to the environment are still relatively unknown.

Untreated sewage can contain toxic chemicals, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, nutrients, viruses, and bacteria. These pollutants can pose health risks to people and animals that come in contact with them. Sewage can also feed algal blooms, especially in warmer weather, which can in turn cause dead zones and fish kills.

Aging sewage infrastructure is an ongoing problem in cities around the Chesapeake Bay region and across the country. While major state and federal investments have dramatically reduced pollution from wastewater treatment plants in recent years, smaller sewage overflows and spills occur regularly in many other cities, including Alexandria, Baltimore, Richmond, and Harrisburg.

For example, in 2018 Baltimore suffered about 250 million gallons of sewage overflows over the course of the year. Combined sewer systems in some Virginia cities release sewage mixed with stormwater into the James and Potomac rivers, with the sewage portion totaling as much as 400 million gallons in 2024. Massive efforts and investment are underway to stem pollution across the region. In September 2024, a ruptured sewer line near Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania spilled nearly a million gallons of untreated sewage into a tributary of the Susquehanna River.

State and federal support for addressing this spill and avoiding future disasters is needed:

• In its Fiscal Year 2026 budget request, the Trump Administration proposed a 90% cut to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which helps cities and states pay for upgrades needed to address aging infrastructure and prevent sewage pollution.
• Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which has supported wastewater and sewage system upgrades across our region, will expire this year without action from Congress and the Trump Administration.
• The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for oversight of D.C. Water yet has not stepped up in the response. EPA representatives declined to attend the Feb. 13 meeting with Maryland legislators.
• Virginia and Maryland must continue to invest in wastewater upgrades, especially with ongoing federal uncertainty. That includes continuing payments to the Bay Restoration Fund at the current level, or increasing the fee, after the 2030 fee increase sunset. In Virginia, that includes ongoing state investment in wastewater treatment plant upgrades.
• According to EPA’s 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey, Pennsylvania faces $8.21 billion in unmet wastewater infrastructure needs, with more than half (53%) to address failing Combined Sewer Overflow systems. This significant funding gap underscores the urgency of modernizing aging infrastructure to better protect communities and waterways.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) originally issued remarks on Jan. 26 on the spill. On the one-month anniversary, CBF President & CEO Hilary Harp Falk issued the following statement:

“This environmental crisis is damaging the Potomac River, threatening our community, and undermining public faith in efforts to clean up the river and Chesapeake Bay.

“The Potomac spill draws long overdue attention to aging wastewater infrastructure that every year sends millions of gallons of raw sewage into rivers across our region, from Harrisburg to Baltimore to Washington D.C. to Richmond. Upgrades to many wastewater treatment systems have dramatically cut pollution to the Bay and its rivers. But the Potomac disaster underscores that a one-time investment is not enough. We can’t afford a repeat catastrophe.

“Now is the time to work together. In the near term, everyone must remain laser focused on repairing the pipe along the Potomac and limiting further sewage pollution. More leadership and investment must come from EPA and the Trump Administration.

“The Potomac wake-up call should spark action to fund the major, ongoing investments needed to modernize all wastewater systems across the region. If President Trump is serious about sending federal government support, he can start by directing EPA to get involved. Next, the Trump Administration must abandon efforts to slash funding for aging infrastructure. Congress and the states have shown their support for these investments. It is time the Trump Administration does as well.

“We are immensely grateful for the leadership of local watershed organizations, including the Potomac Conservancy and Potomac Riverkeeper Network. We will continue to work with our partners across the region—nonprofits, governments, and businesses alike—to address threats to the Potomac and the Bay while advocating for ongoing investment in failing wastewater systems. By working together and across the aisle, we can deliver on the promise of clean water.”

A spill at a Huntington Ingalls facility in Newport News sent an estimated 4,722* gallons of jet fuel into the James River on Feb. 13 during refueling for an aircraft carrier.

Fuel odor and sheen were reported over a large area at the mouth of the James River in Newport News and Hampton. Huntington Ingalls and partners worked to contain the spilled fuel using booms, boats, and vacuum trucks.

Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality has urged people to avoid parts of the river that smell like fuel. The odor and fumes can cause headaches, nausea, and other health problems.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) works closely with communities across Newport News and Hampton, from restoring oysters in the Hampton River to taking local students and leaders on the water for hands-on learning about waterways.

*This figure has been updated from an earlier estimate provided by DEQ.

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

“This major fuel spill is a not only a threat to people, but also a danger to the health of the river. Jet Fuel is acutely toxic and can kill fish, crabs, and oysters and harm underwater grass beds. Fuel spills, even after they are cleaned up, can continue to disrupt wildlife communities for many years.

“We have already heard from watermen who have been directly affected by the incident, and we’re still learning more about the extent of this spill and how much it has impacted the river. Federal, state, and local officials must ensure that the spill is cleaned up quickly, thoroughly, and completely, and hold all parties involved accountable. We will continue to closely monitor the situation moving forward.”

The Trump Administration today announced that it has completed its repeal of the landmark finding that greenhouse gases and climate change pose a threat to the public.

The Obama Administration implemented the endangerment finding in 2009, which has supported regulations that protect the air we breathe, address pollution that dirties waterways, and fight climate change.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) opposed the Trump Administration’s repeal of the endangerment finding, submitting comments in September urging the Administration to withdraw its action.

Extreme heat exacerbated by climate change harms people, plants, and animals across our region. Unpredictable temperatures lead to harsher conditions for the region’s farmers. Sea level rise and flooding from increasingly intense storms threatens homes and businesses in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.

Climate change also contributes to pollution in the Bay. Heavy storms increase erosion, sewer overflows, flooding, and polluted runoff. This dumps more nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment into rivers and the Bay, contributing to dead zones and algal blooms. Warmer water holds less oxygen, increasing stress to aquatic life.

CBF Senior Vice President for Programs Alison Hooper Prost issued the following statement.

“Climate change not only threatens our health, it also threatens the Chesapeake Bay. We’re already feeling the effects around our region—flooded streets in Annapolis and Norfolk, disappearing wetlands and forests as seas rise, and striped bass and other species under stress from warmer temperatures that lead to lower oxygen. Increasingly intense storms send more pollution to the Bay.

“By abandoning climate change protections, the Trump Administration is washing its hands of our basic rights to clean air and clean water. We urge states across the region to continue to step up and address threats from climate change.”

While a broadly supported pause on the industrial fishery in the Bay is no longer on the table this session, hope remains for menhaden research and reform in Virginia after a House subcommittee advanced a key proposal yesterday.

Menhaden are small fish that are a key food for larger species. They are also the target of a major extraction fishery concentrated around the Chesapeake Bay. Warning signs are growing around menhaden, including starving osprey chicks and plummeting catches by small-scale watermen.

Yesterday afternoon the House Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources – Chesapeake Subcommittee reported out an amended version of Del. Betsy Carr’s H.B. 1049. The bill would require fisheries observers and set different menhaden harvest levels at different points of the year to better protect menhaden and many other species that depend on them for food. CBF expects this bill will be further refined as it moves through the General Assembly.

However, a separate bill that would move the fishery out of the Bay while research occurs (H.B. 1048) was tabled at the subcommittee hearing, pulling it from consideration this session.

Research into menhaden specific to the Chesapeake Bay remains “woefully inadequate,” according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. A budget amendment by Del. Carr under consideration would invest in menhaden science in the Bay. This comes after a bill that aimed to establish a menhaden science fund failed to clear the Senate Finance Committee last week (S.B. 474, patroned by Senator David Marsden).

Recognizing the level of concern around the issue, Congress passed legislation last month that included funding for NOAA to support menhaden research in the Bay. As timing for federally-supported research remains uncertain, state investment is urgently needed to boost these efforts.

According to recent bipartisan polling, 92 percent of Virginia voters want to leave more menhaden in Chesapeake Bay, while 79 percent support ending large-scale commercial menhaden fishing in the Bay until there is more science.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Forage Campaign Manager Will Poston issued the following statement on menhaden legislation in the Virginia General Assembly.

“The menhaden industry’s well-oiled lobbyists ensured there was not political will this session to move industrial menhaden fishing out of the Bay until science can show it’s not causing harm. That’s a frustrating blow.

“Thanks to Delegate Carr’s leadership, two options remain this session to protect menhaden. The Chesapeake Subcommittee advanced one proposal to better manage the menhaden fishery in the Bay. In addition, Delegate Carr’s budget amendment would invest in sorely-needed research specific to menhaden in the Bay.

“We must not prioritize the short-term interests of a single corporation over the long-term interests of all the Commonwealth and the Chesapeake Bay. Bipartisan polling shows Virginians overwhelmingly support conservation-minded menhaden reforms.

“A menhaden study has been delayed for years amid industry concerns. While the Bay continues showing signs of stress, osprey starve and bait catches plummet. We can’t afford to keep kicking this down the road. We urge legislators to support Delegate Carr’s legislation and budget amendment.

“The safest approach remains to pause menhaden reduction fishing inside the Chesapeake Bay until the science is finalized and shows what level of industrial menhaden extraction is sustainable in the Bay. We’ll continue to advocate at all levels to save menhaden in the Bay.”

Excess road salt that washes into rivers and streams can threaten wildlife and drinking water

This winter season, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) urges Maryland agencies, community associations, and residents to use road salt sparingly when treating ice and snow.

Road salt is an unpurified version of table salt, sodium chloride. Though it’s useful for melting ice off our roadways, it can be dangerous for our waterways—and it’s often over-applied. After application, salt accumulates on streets, sidewalks, and cars, and eventually flows into the nearest river or stream when the snow melts or it rains.

Rapid spikes in salinity levels from road treatment can harm or kill freshwater fish and other aquatic species, and contaminate our region’s drinking water sources.

While there are no perfect replacements for road salt, some less harmful alternatives exist, such as calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), sand, or even kitty litter. Residents can also be sure to shovel early and often, or reuse excess road salt that may have accumulated in their neighborhoods.

Maryland Department of the Environment has been working to implement a new training program meant to reduce road salt usage. The program would benefit the state’s streams, drinking water reservoirs, and wildlife. 

However, as precipitation patterns become increasingly unpredictable in the face of climate change, it’s critical that the agency and other road-salt applicators remain vigilant.

Gussie Maguire, Maryland Staff Scientist at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said in a statement:

“Heavy ice and snow do not need heavy salt application. A little goes a long way.

“This winter, let’s go light on the road salt—and encourage your neighbors, HOAs, and county and state officials to do the same. Our local waterways and wildlife will thank you.

“Snow is a key ingredient to a healthy Bay. Our brackish Bay needs balance between fresh and salt water—and snowmelt, just like rainfall, is an important freshwater input. Let’s not counteract that harmony with harmful chemicals and heavy-handed salt usage.”

Last week, a major sewer line collapse caused millions of gallons of untreated wastewater to spill into the Potomac River just north of Washington, D.C. in Montgomery County, Maryland. The responsible water authority, D.C. Water, is currently working to contain the sewage overflow and limit contamination from entering drinking water supplies and the Chesapeake Bay.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Staff Scientist Gussie Maguire issued the following statement:

“Any amount of untreated sewage in our rivers and streams is unacceptable, but the volume of this spill is alarming. We are closely monitoring this incident and D.C. Water’s cleanup efforts – especially given additional challenges from snow, ice, and subfreezing temperatures.

“The Potomac River is one of the Chesapeake Bay’s largest tributaries and is the only source of drinking water for people in the D.C. area. Untreated sewage can contain toxic chemicals, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, excess nutrients, viruses, and bacteria. These pollutants can pose health risks to people and animals who come in contact with or ingest untreated water. Additionally, excess polluted nutrients that will be carried into the Chesapeake Bay can feed algal blooms, which in turn cause dead zones and fish kills.

“Maryland, D.C., and Virginia have made significant investments in recent years towards reducing wastewater pollution. However, this incident proves that consistent pipe and infrastructure maintenance, and continued diligence, are still needed to protect our drinking water and wildlife across the region.”

Virginia lawmakers this month are considering a suite of bills that could provide much-needed Chesapeake Bay menhaden science and overhaul the industrial menhaden fishery in the Commonwealth.

Those include separate proposals to better distribute menhaden catches in the Chesapeake Bay, implement a robust observer program to ensure compliance with regulations, and institute a pause on industrial-scale menhaden fishing in the Bay while the Commonwealth undertakes research.

These legislative efforts are the result of escalating concerns about the impact of climate change on the region’s fisheries and the menhaden extraction industry’s concentrated harvest in and around the Chesapeake Bay.

Osprey chicks are starving at unprecedented levels in parts of the Bay where they traditionally depend on menhaden for food. Small-scale watermen on the Bay who catch menhaden for bait have seen their catches plummet. In Virginia, small-scale bait harvest dropped from 5.4 million pounds in 2019 to less than 1 million pounds in 2024, according to data from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

Menhaden are a key to the Bay’s food web. These small fish are a nutritious staple for many larger animals, including striped bass, redfish, osprey, dolphins, and humpback whales.

One industry with a processing plant in Virginia is responsible for the harvest of more than 100 million pounds of menhaden in the Bay each year. Omega Protein and their partner Ocean Harvesters extract about 70 percent of menhaden caught along the East Coast. Much of the fishery is concentrated inside the Chesapeake Bay, a sensitive nursery area for hundreds of species.

Science specific to menhaden in the Bay is lacking. But a new assessment by fisheries experts shows far fewer menhaden than previously thought along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida. In previous years, bills to launch a Chesapeake-specific menhaden study have failed amidst concerns by Omega Protein’s lobbyists.

Legislation under consideration this session would provide much-needed accountability and additional conservation and protection. That includes:

• Approving a pause on industrial menhaden fishing inside the Chesapeake Bay until comprehensive research shows it is not harming the ecosystem. The industry could still fish in the Atlantic Ocean, as they already do regularly, and would not experience an overall reduction in their harvest quota. (HB1048, patroned by Delegate Betsy Carr).
• Establishing a Menhaden Science Fund led by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (SB474, patroned by Senator David Marsden).
• Reducing the harm of the industrial menhaden industry by setting different harvest limits at different points in the year, as well as requiring fisheries observers on industrial menhaden fishing trips to collect data and ensure compliance (HB1049, patroned by Delegate Betsy Carr).

Virginians overwhelmingly support reform. According to recent bipartisan polling, 92 percent of Virginia voters want to leave more menhaden in Chesapeake Bay, while 79 percent support ending large-scale commercial menhaden fishing in the Bay until there is more science.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Forage Campaign Manager Will Poston issued the following statement:

“Virginia is facing a crisis. All the warning signs point towards very real problems with the Bay’s menhaden population.

“Omega Protein’s industrial-scale menhaden extraction risks causing long-term harm to the cherished Chesapeake Bay estuary. It’s common sense to pause industrial menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay until science can show whether it’s sustainable.

“Directly and indirectly, menhaden are essential to the livelihoods of countless Virginia small businesses, families, and communities. Responsibly managing the fishery protects the menhaden industry’s own workers, who have the most to lose if the fishery collapses.

“Polls show Virginians overwhelmingly support menhaden fishery reform. It’s long past time that the Commonwealth more conservatively manages the menhaden fishery for all that rely on this public resource.”

“We look forward to working with legislators and the Spanberger Administration to chart a sustainable, productive future for the Bay’s fisheries and the Commonwealth’s coastal communities.”

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Urges Governor and Legislators to Work Together to Pass a Budget That Protects the Chesapeake Bay

Amid calls by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) to preserve funding for a healthy environment, today Maryland Governor Wes Moore released his preliminary budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2027.

Maryland is at a critical point for the Chesapeake Bay, seeking to continue progress on Bay restoration amid historic budget challenges, changes to key legislative leadership roles, and the impacts of policy and funding decisions made at the federal level.

Last year, CBF and its members spoke out and helped ensure environmental priorities were protected as the Governor and General Assembly closed a budget deficit of over $3 billion. The FY’ 27 preliminary budget addresses a projected $1.5 billion shortfall.

During the 2026 General Assembly session, CBF will be urging legislators to prioritize environmental efforts that are long-lasting, cost-effective, and directly confront climate change. To achieve this goal, Maryland must:

• Invest in capacity for state agencies that protect clean water and air, including the Departments of the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture, as well as the Maryland Energy Administration;
• Secure funds that support clean water and healthy habitats, supporting long-term resilience, jobs, economies, food sources, and recreational benefits;
• Protect land preservation programs that have secured hundreds of thousands of acres of open space in every corner of the state;
• Sustain funding that will help Maryland achieve its ambitious clean energy and climate resiliency goals.

CBF is closely reviewing Gov. Moore’s proposed budget and will continue to advocate for investments in these vital programs.

CBF Maryland Executive Director Allison Colden issued the following statement:

“Investing in the environment is an investment in Maryland’s future. With continued uncertainty at the federal level, Maryland’s leadership is more important than ever to sustain our progress for Marylanders and the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland’s investments in healthier, more resilient waterways are not just good for the Bay, but also support jobs, improve human health, and provide numerous other benefits.”

“We appreciate Governor Moore’s leadership and the many difficult decisions made by him and his team to balance their preliminary budget plan. We urge the Governor and General Assembly leaders to prioritize the Bay as they finalize the Maryland budget.”

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has announced her picks for several state positions key to Virginia’s environment and the Chesapeake Bay.

They include Maribel Castaneda as Deputy Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, Mike Rolband as Director of Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality, Nikki Rovner as Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Sarah Spota as Deputy Director of Conservation and Recreation.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore issued the following statement.

“With this team, the Spanberger Administration will be well-positioned to protect Virginia’s environment. We thank Governor Spanberger for her thoughtful nominations and look forward to working with her Administration to ensure a healthy environment for all Virginians.”

EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program gets slight funding bump

Important programs that fund Chesapeake Bay clean up were spared in a minibus spending bill passed by the U.S. House yesterday by a 397-28 vote. The Senate is expected to vote on the minibus package next week.

The House budget defends key environmental agencies and programs from heinous cuts proposed by the Trump Administration. These dollars go directly to oyster restoration, land preservation, and scientific research across the country and Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The House’s package also provided an increase of $1 million to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program more than its current funding level of $92 million, which was requested by the Trump Administration.

Additionally, it provides essential funding for key agencies and programs that protect clean water and the Chesapeake Bay that were under greater threat, including:

• Funding for multiple Chesapeake Bay initiatives at the Department of the Interior, including the Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) grants at $8 million. These grants support community-led initiatives that restore and conserve fish and wildlife habitat. The House’s budget also continues funding for U.S. Geological Survey activities in the Chesapeake Bay, which provide Bay states and other restoration partners with unbiased scientific information to help manage the watershed’s lands, waterways, fish, and wildlife. $3 million was also budgeted for the National Park Service’s Chesapeake Gateway and Water Trails. President Trump’s budget request had suggested zeroing out these programs.
• $57.685 million for habitat conservation and restoration, with $3.2 million specifically for Chesapeake Bay oyster restoration—the largest oyster restoration effort in the world. $8.7 million was provided for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Bay watershed education and training program, which gets students and teachers outside learning about nature here in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and across the nation. Trump’s FY26 budget had attempted to zero out Bay-related NOAA initiatives.

The minibus’s bipartisan support from Democrats and Republicans in the House demonstrates that these investments in the Bay are worth saving. If the bill passes in the Senate and is signed by the president, it will ensure funding for agencies through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 and avoid another near-term government shutdown.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Senior Policy Director Keisha Sedlacek issued the following statement:

“We are thankful that members of Congress are fighting for the federal investments needed to provide clean water and air to benefit communities across the Chesapeake Bay watershed and local economies across our region.

“Bipartisan support for these investments shows that protecting clean water and the Chesapeake Bay truly is an issue that benefits us all. We’re grateful to House members for once again sticking up for our environment and the Chesapeake Bay, and urge the Senate to swiftly pass this minibus bill.”