Governor Warner Announces Historic Measures to Reduce Nutrient Pollution in Chesapeake Bay

Governor Warner Announces Historic Measures to Reduce Nutrient Pollution in Chesapeake Bay

— Most stringent water quality standards in nation adopted; significant funding pledged —

Governor Mark R. Warner today announced final adoption of the most protective nutrient reduction regulations in the nation. The new standards will accelerate water quality improvements in Virginia's portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The nutrient reduction regulations for the James and York Rivers, proposed by Governor Warner in 2003 and adopted in final form by the State Water Control Board earlier today, follow already adopted standards for the Potomac, Rappahannock, and the Eastern Shore tributaries watersheds. Together, they will set the most protective limits to date on the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus discharged through wastewater by municipal sewage treatment plants and industrial facilities. The Governor announced the new regulations and budget commitment at an event overlooking the James River in downtown Richmond.

"These new regulations are the most strict in the nation - and coupled with historic investments this year, and significant new funding I will announce in the coming weeks - establish Virginia as the national leader in the effort to restore the Bay and improve overall water quality by the agreed-upon deadline of 2010," said Governor Warner. "Clearly, significant challenges remain, and I continue to urge members of Congress from Virginia and our other Bay state partners to work with us to help make Chesapeake Bay restoration a national priority."

The final two-year budget the Governor will submit to the General Assembly on December 16th will include significant additional investment in the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund, which makes grants to municipal wastewater treatment plants, farmers, local governments and others to institute nutrient reduction practices.

Governor Warner was joined at the announcement by Secretary of Natural Resources W. Tayloe Murphy, Jr., Donald S. Welsh, Region III Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Ann Jennings of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and members of the State Water Control Board, the Virginia Board of Soil and Water Conservation, and the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board.

"The Chesapeake Bay Foundation congratulates the State Water Control Board, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Warner administration for the far-reaching actions taken today and over the course of the past year," said Ann Jennings, Virginia Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "These regulations and their resulting nutrient limits will result in dramatic pollution reductions, cleaner rivers and a healthier Chesapeake Bay."

"Virginia's been a good partner and a leader among the Bay states in restoring the Chesapeake Bay," said Donald S. Welsh, Region III Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The announcement came on the heels of other significant achievements in Bay restoration and water supply and quality improvement since Governor Warner took office in 2002:

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In March of 2005, Virginia made a record investment of $80 million in the Water Quality Improvement Fund for Chesapeake Bay restoration.
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In July, the Water Control Board created a statewide water supply planning process, the first ever comprehensive state water supply plan to ensure localities have adequate water supply in times of drought or emergency.
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Earlier this month, Governor Warner announced that his goal of connecting an additional 25,000 Virginians with clean and reliable public water within five years had been met and surpassed well ahead of schedule. Nearly 70,000 more Virginians have received access to quality public water in the past for years.
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In 2003, Governor Warner called for a strategy to ensure an additional 450 currently impaired streams meet water quality standards by 2010. As of today, 260 impaired water bodies have been removed from the EPA list.

http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Press_Policy/Releases/2005/Nov05/1121.htm