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Pollution Is a Factor in Crab Decline
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"We know precisely what needs to be done," Baker told reporters. "It's simply a matter of enforcing the law and following the rule of science."
The EPA declined immediate comment Monday before evaluating the report.
While the continued "politics of postponement" of essential conservation steps have harmed the bay, Baker said proper enforcement of current laws and help from a federal economic stimulus package under consideration could turn things around.
"We think if the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act are enforced you could see water quality improvements within five years," Baker said.
In September, the federal officials made a disaster declaration for the bay's blue crab fishery, making watermen in Maryland and Virginia eligible for up to $20 million. For the second year, Maryland has announced plans to limit the number of caught female crabs to 34 percent.
Gov. Martin O'Malley and members of Maryland's congressional delegation have been working to identify infrastructure projects that could receive a jump start, if federal money aimed at pumping new life into the economy becomes available. Maryland has more than 100 water and wastewater infrastructure projects with a total estimated cost of nearly $1 billion, many of them of benefit to the health of the Chesapeake Bay by reducing pollution, according to a letter written by O'Malley earlier this month.
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On the Net:
Chesapeake Bay Foundation report, http://cbf.org/badwater2008
AP-ES-12-29-08 1354EST
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