By Christina Catanese
This fall, EPA will travel all around the Chesapeake Bay watershed to hold 18 public meetings to discuss the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), or the strict “pollution diet” to restore the Bay and its network of local rivers, streams and creeks. After EPA issues the draft TMDL on September 24th, the agency will go on the road for the 45-day public comment period to get your feedback. So pack some snacks in the car and throw on your favorite driving music, and join in the Chesapeake Bay public meetings road trip!
From the southeastern coast of Virginia all the way up to New York State, citizens in the watershed will have a chance to hear more about the new nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment limits for the watershed. Starting at the National Zoo in Washington DC on September 29 and ending in Romney, WV in early November, public meetings will be held in each of the six states and D.C. that are part of the Chesapeake Bay’s far-reaching watershed. One meeting in each state will also be broadcast online via webinar for those unable to attend in person.
Do you live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed? Are you interested in learning about the Bay TMDL and how it will help improve waters in your area as well as the nation’s largest estuary? EPA wants to hear your suggestions as it seeks to protect human health and the environment by improving water quality in the bay and its vast drainage area. And check out the Bay TMDL web site () for information on how to submit formal comments to EPA on the Bay TMDL.