Smart Talk Monday: EPA sued over Pa. not meeting Chesapeake cleanup goals; Five counties and the coronavirus

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and others are suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency saying EPA failed to require Pennsylvania and New York to develop plans to reduce pollution in the bay under two agreements.

According to CBF, Pennsylvania’s plan to meet the 2025 goals in the Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint contains improvements over past plans. However, it says the state will meet less than 75 percent of its 31 million-pound nitrogen-reduction commitment, and the plan is underfunded by more than $300 million dollars a year.

The Susquehanna River that runs through Pennsylvania is the largest source of fresh water that empties into the bay.

Appearing on Monday’s Smart Talk to explain the court action is Chesapeake Bay foundation President William Baker.

Also on Smart Talk, even though we all have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, every county, city, and town have had their own unique challenges over the last six months.

PennLive is profiling five counties in a series called The State of the Coronvirus. Reporter Wallace McKelvey describes what he found on Monday’s Smart Talk.

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