





On Saturday, June 7, 2014, the Chesapeake Bay will undergo a massive cleaning by thousands of volunteers from all over Virginia. By land and boat, volunteers–from elected officials and churches to large corporations and families–will participate in the 26th annual Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s “Clean the Bay Day.” In 2013, an estimated 6,000 volunteers participated in the event and cleaned up more than 135,000 pounds of toxic debris and litter from more than 200 sites, spanning 500 miles of contaminated waters. The Clean the Bay Day is an annual eco-victory for conserving the environmental integrity of the largest estuary in the U.S.
So, how can you help?
Despite the triumphant efforts of community service cleanups, the Chesapeake Bay is still an environmental crisis in survival mode. For years, farming, industrial and housing development pollution has severely threatened the Bay’s ecosystem and marine life. Poor oxygen levels can’t support wildlife, and states can’t meet pollution-reduction deadlines, says John Light, a contributor for BillMoyers.com.
In 2000, states surrounding the Bay were required to reduce pollution by 2010 under the Clean Water Act. Seven years later, the Chesapeake Executive Council announced that the states failed to meet these water quality goals. As a result, the Bay remained on the EPA’s impaired waters list. Then in 2009, the EPA established the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, a provision of the Clean Water Act enforced by the Obama administration. The Blueprint set a “Total Maximum Daily Load” for how much toxin (nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment pollutants) can pollute the bay per day. If watershed states (including Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as Washington DC) don’t achieve TMDL deadlines by 2025, the states will face actionable consequences by the EPA.
If only cleaning up the Bay was so easy and supported. Politically driven groups, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Association of Home Builders and US Poultry & Egg Association, fought the EPA’s efforts in court and subsequently filed an appeal after a federal judge ruled in favor of the EPA.
Why the opposition? For one, dangerous implications for farmers and agriculture groups, according to Fox News. Keep in mind, farm runoff (when animal waste and fertilizer get swept into streams and rivers by watering or rainfall) is the largest pollution source for the Bay. In fear of future regulations on other watersheds, 21 state attorneys general joined the fight, sharing the sentiments of anti-TMDL groups. The next hearing takes place this July.
As the battle over the Bay unfolds, surrounding communities don’t have to feel helpless. Register for the 2014 Clean the Bay Day on cbf.org or email ctbd@cbf.org to host a cleanup in your area. Citizens can also become Bay stewards and help save the estuary with these eco-friendly practices.
2100 Marina Shores Drive
Virginia Beach, VA, 23451
Phone: 757.496.7000
Fax: 757.496.3287
E-Mail: info@marinashores.com
GPS location
Latitude = 36.9054, Longitude = -76.0658
Lat = 36 degrees, 54.3 minutes North
Long = 76 degrees, 3.9 minutes West
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM : MON – FRI
CLOSED ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS
Memorial Day thru Labor Day
10:00 AM – 7:00 PM : MON – SUN (weather permitting)