Van Hollen Statement of Support for Maryland, Bay Partners’ Lawsuit against EPA

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the decision by Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia as well as Chesapeake Bay advocacy groups to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their lack of enforcement of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) pollution reduction targets. 

“A healthy Chesapeake Bay is crucial to both the health of Maryland’s economy and our environment. To protect and restore the Bay, the EPA must use its authority to enforce the Total Maximum Daily Load pollution reduction standards and ensure everyone is doing their part. We know that some of our regional partners are falling behind, and yet the EPA has failed to bring them into compliance. Given the EPA’s lack of effective action, this lawsuit is necessary to hold both the EPA and other states accountable to meeting their obligations to protect the Bay. I will continue fighting to provide federal resources for the Bay and to push EPA to do its job.” 

Senator Van Hollen has repeatedly urged the EPA to enforce the TMDL limits, including at hearings before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in both January and March.