Virginia’s local governments, through the Planning District Commissions (PDCs), are in the process of providing information to DCR for the Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan for the Chesapeake Bay TMDL by the February 1, 2012 deadline. The information includes a review of the modeling data used to evaluate cleanup of the Bay, an inventory of BMPs currently in place, and additional BMPs, strategies and resources needed to meet the 2025 level of implementation (60% reductions) required by the TMDL.
The following article outlines the concerns facing Gloucester County as well as many other local governments including potential increased federal regulation if cleanup progress is not sufficient, reliance on the modeling results to make that determination, and the impact of wildlife on potential progress. Given the continued struggling economy, local governments will likely have difficulty finding the resources, both monetary and personnel, to meet the required reductions.
