Annapolis, MD – Kim Coble, Vice President of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), issued this statement following the release of the Bay Baromoter 2013-2014 Report by the Chesapeake Bay Program office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
”Pollution has crippled the Bay for decades. The good news is the amount of pollution entering the tributary creeks, rivers and the Bay itself has been reduced.
”Unfortunately, the Bay will take time to recover. The signs are positive. But it is still a system out of balance. It took many years of pollution to hurt the ecological productivity of the Bay, and it likely will take years to restore it to a semblance of its former vigor. But fortunately, the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, when fully implemented, will ensure we will ultimately see a clean Bay and rivers.
”Everyone has a stake in the Bay’s progress. Economically, full implementation of the Bay blueprint will mean $129 billion in economic benefits a year to the region. Successful implementation of the plan also will mean clean, healthy water for our children and grandchildren. We urge federal, state, and local leaders to ensure we accelerate pollution reductions.”