Nov 2, 2009 6:29 pm US/Eastern
Government Puts $50M Toward Cleaning Up The Bay
WASHINGTON (WJZ) ―
After sitting on the sidelines for most of the past two decades, there's another sign the government is getting serious about saving the Chesapeake Bay.
Alex DeMetrick reports Congress is authorizing $50 million and legislation is in the works for a lot more.
Autumn may be gracing the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, but soon $2 million will be cast upon the waters. Another $500,000 will be coming to expand Maryland's water trails as Congress ups the ante to restore the Chesapeake.
"What we saw this year was a total of $50 million, which equates to $19 million more dollars going to the bay program," said Kim Coble, Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
The money will be divided by the six states that make up the Chesapeake's watershed. That could mean money for programs to keep animal waste from entering streams and better control of sewage and stormwater runoff, all of which feed the algae blooms that leave dead zones in the bay.
Another $1.5 billion for that job is in a bill sponsored by Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, who also wants stronger pollution enforcement.
Among recent federal action was an executive order signed by President Obama making restoration of the Chesapeake Bay a national priority.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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