Press Statement

Amid challenging weather conditions and steep market competition, Governor Wes Moore and Maryland’s Congressional Delegation requested federal disaster relief funding for Maryland’s oyster fishery late last week.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Fishery Resource Disaster Assistance program can aid local fishing communities that have experienced unexpected losses. Maryland oystermen have battled an exceptionally challenging season due to extreme cold, icy conditions, and market competition. These issues have been compounded by the recent Potomac River sewage spill and consumer concerns, although oysters remain safe to eat in parts of the Bay open to harvest.

These challenges have severely limited oyster harvests despite a robust oyster population, as estimated by Maryland’s 2025 oyster stock assessment. Prior to 2025, oyster harvests had been steadily on the rise, reaching levels in 2024 not seen since the 1980s.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Executive Director Allison Colden issued the following statement:

“Despite a growing oyster population, Maryland’s watermen are feeling the pinch of extreme weather and market competition. We urge NOAA to approve these relief funds that will support working waterfront communities and invest in the future of clean water in the Chesapeake Bay.

“Between the public fishery and a growing aquaculture industry, people can enjoy Maryland oysters year-round. Oyster lovers should keep eating local and recycle your oyster shells—which we use to grow more oysters and restore the Bay.”

Virginia lawmakers on Sunday rolled out competing proposals for the Commonwealth’s two-year budget starting July 1 that shortchange key investments in wastewater facilities and programs aimed at cutting water pollution at a time when the region can least afford it.

Local leaders are still grappling with the fallout just over a month after approximately 243 million gallons of sewage spilled into the Potomac River following a pipeline breach, underscoring risks from aging sewage systems across the region.

The proposals approved by the House and Senate money committees, respectively, fall short of the state’s own assessments of what is needed to cut pollution in Virginia waters and provide residents with the resources to develop climate-smart initiatives and programs that would help shore up the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Wastewater Facilities

Investments in wastewater plants and combined sewage systems help update aging infrastructure, preventing spills like the recent one in the Potomac River and other pollution.

House lawmakers added almost $189 million in wastewater funding to take investments up to $329.5 million for the state share of wastewater treatment plant improvements. The Senate version proposed an additional $200 million for wastewater treatment facilities. Unfortunately, both proposals fall short of the funding needed to fully upgrade our wastewater systems. The ongoing modernization of these plants has greatly helped cut pollution to the Bay.

The House and Senate versions also include $50 million for the city of Richmond’s combined sewer overflow project aimed at cutting pollution into the James River. Delegate Betsy Carr had offered a budget amendment that would have provided $200 million over the next two years for that effort.

Pollution

The House budget plan reduces funding for the Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share Program, which helps farmers install projects that reduce pollution to local waterways.

The House and Senate budget proposals do not include language for the Pay-for-Outcomes program, which incentivizes innovation in restoration efforts by paying only for verified pollution reductions. CBF has called on lawmakers to fully fund the program and make it permanent.

House lawmakers included $2 million and Senate legislators $8 million for the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program, which helps private property owners and community groups install nature-based projects that cut stormwater pollution. CBF had advocated to increase funding for the program to at least $8 million over the biennium.

Climate Resilience

The House and Senate are both pushing budget language to get Virginia back in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state program the Commonwealth withdrew from in 2023 that cuts carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

House and Senate lawmakers included $43.5 million for the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund, which provides grants for stormwater design with an eye toward cutting water pollution. CBF had advocated for $50 million.

Menhaden

House Appropriations Committee lawmakers included $2 million to fund menhaden research in the Bay, which would help fill critical data gaps into research as timing for federally supported research remains uncertain. Del. Carr has championed this effort as a way to get much-needed science on the health of the menhaden population in the Bay.

Atlantic menhaden, a critical forage fish in the Bay, serve as a food source for striped bass, redfish, humpback whales, and birds like osprey and bald eagles. Their abundance directly affects commercial and recreational fisheries, tourism, and coastal communities.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Policy Manager Jay Ford released the following statement:

“The budget proposals legislators unveiled this week fall short of the commitment Virginia just made in December under the revised Bay Agreement. The Commonwealth’s own assessments call for more robust clean water investments in Virginia farmers and wastewater infrastructure.

“At a time when everybody is rightfully concerned about the ongoing aftermath of the Potomac River spill, we should be focused on investing in clean water programs. This budget comes up short.

“We are grateful to lawmakers of both houses for reinstating the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program and for investing the staffing and resources needed to begin addressing PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, in the Commonwealth.

“Given the lack of action on much-needed menhaden legislation thus far, we are grateful that the needed science funding is proposed in the House budget. The long-overdue effort is the only way we can ensure not only a robust ecosystem but also a healthy economic outlook for all of those that depend on a thriving population of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay for their livelihood.

“Governor Spanberger and the legislature have a historic opportunity to set the Commonwealth up for success in the coming years when it comes to protecting our natural resources. As the budget process moves forward, we urge lawmakers to increase their clean water investments.”

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore issued the following statement in response to the passing of Delegate Barry Knight:

“The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Delegate Barry Knight.

“Delegate Knight was a passionate legislator. We’re grateful for his tireless work raising awareness about the importance of menhaden, advocating for wastewater treatment facility upgrades, promoting land conservation in the Commonwealth, and other policies benefiting the Chesapeake Bay.

“Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time. He will be greatly missed.”

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.”