May 13, 2009

Obama steps up Chesapeake Bay cleanup


MOUNT VERNON, Va. (AP) - Calling it "a national treasure," President Barack Obama on Tuesday issued an executive order dedicated to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, putting the federal government at the head of efforts previously led by the states.
The executive order establishes a Federal Leadership Committee, led by the Environmental Protection Agency to oversee restoration programs and orders the EPA to research its authority under the Clean Water Act to restore the Bay.
At a press conference Tuesday on George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate overlooking the Potomac River, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said the bay's poor health requires an urgent federal effort in partnership with the states. Continued

Photo: Concord Point Lighthouse

0 comments: