EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz Statement on Bay Settlement
For Immediate Release
Contact: R3press@epa.gov
EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz Statement on Bay Settlement
PHILADELPHIA, (July 12, 2023) – In a court filing today, EPA and plaintiffs asked for dismissal of a 2020 lawsuit in which plaintiffs claim EPA violated the Clean Water Act by failing to hold Pennsylvania accountable for not meeting commitments to reduce pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.
On July 10, all the parties executed the final settlement agreement resolving all claims brought by the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs include five governmental parties (Delaware, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Anne Arundel Co., MD), two citizens groups (Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Maryland Watermen’s Association), and two individual plaintiffs who own livestock in Virginia (Robert Whitescarver and Jeanne Hoffman).
EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz has issued this statement:
“This settlement closes a chapter of division and allows EPA, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other parties involved to continue giving our full attention to the work needed to accelerate restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its vast watershed. We’re all in this together and, thanks to the Biden Administration, will seize the momentum we have with unprecedented funding going to Pennsylvania and other Bay states and building on the strong partnership we now have with Pennsylvania’s agricultural leaders and farming community. The opportunities in front of us set the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership up for success as we emerge stronger in this next chapter.”