IMPROVING WATER QUALITY OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to remove unnecessary administrative costs and direct federal resources for the Chesapeake Bay toward projects that improve water quality, promoting a more efficient, accountable, and results-driven effort to improve the Chesapeake Bay. The Order rescinds the outdated and misguided Obama Administration 2009 Executive Order 13508, withdrawing its vague and confusing federal requirements that have been leveraged in support of stormwater management fees, or “rain taxes,” imposed by States or localities that unnecessarily raise costs for American households.
The Order directs the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of War, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to focus resources provided for the health of the Chesapeake Bay away from activities that do not create measurable progress towards the stated goals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, and towards direct, on-the-ground projects, in areas of highest need that would result in the most impactful water quality improvements.
The Order directs the Environmental Protection Agency to coordinate with the jurisdictions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to assess the financial burdens placed on their residents and take measures to encourage these jurisdictions to effectuate this Executive Order and promote the environmental health of the Chesapeake Bay without increasing costs on individual residents of these jurisdictions. The Order ensures taxpayer dollars are used efficiently by consolidating and cutting unnecessary administrative costs while improving the work toward Chesapeake Bay Restoration goals.
SUPPORTING CLEAN WATER WITHOUT INCREASED COSTS: The Trump Administration is committed to supporting a healthy Chesapeake Bay without burdensome and costly “rain taxes. ” The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and serves a critically important economic purpose to the communities…