Save the Bay. Again?

Growing up in the region, I know first hand the futility of past efforts--mostly non-enforceable voluntary incentives--to clean the Chesapeake Bay (Save the Blue Crabs dammit!).  Is it time to start over?  Some think so...

A group of scientists who study the Chesapeake Bay took on a new role -- environmental activism -- yesterday, when they made an unusual appeal to revamp the bay's government-led cleanup effort.

That effort began 25 years ago today, with an agreement signed by three governors, the mayor of Washington and the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Now, the program has spent nearly $6 billion but has failed to deliver the healthy estuary that was promised.

Yesterday, the scientists joined with environmentalists and former Maryland officials to call for a major change. They said the current effort -- which relies largely on encouraging voluntary measures, such as reimbursing farmers or septic tank owners who reduce pollution -- should be scrapped.

In its place, they proposed using tougher regulations to force the bay's polluters to clean up.

...and some don't...

Yesterday, officials in the Maryland and Virginia governments said they would consider the ideas, as did U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), who has been active on bay issues.

Jeffrey L. Lape, head of the EPA's bay program, spoke at yesterday's news conference, promising the scientists and activists that he would work to improve the cleanup.

Later, EPA spokesman Travis Loop said it would be counterproductive to scrap the bay program and start over. "It would kind of take the regional restoration effort back to square one, and that's not what's needed at this point," he said.

Hat tip:  Lonewolf