Your article “Farmers fear bay cleanup costs” outlined concerns that farm families have, but fell short on explaining the process.
EPA is under a court order to develop a science- based pollution budget for the region and is already moving to utilize their existing enforcement authority. Pennsylvania has one final chance to decide how to meet the pollution reduction goals and develop a strategy that fits the commonwealth. I urge everyone to make sure their voice is heard in that process.
Everyone will have to do more.
Legislation pending in Congress is critically important. The Chesapeake Clean Water Act would provide significant new funding to address urban and suburban runoff, as well as providing up to $96 million in technical assistance to farmers to address the Chesapeake and more than 7,000 miles of Pennsylvania’s impaired streams. In addition, it would initiate an interstate trading program that could bring more than $100 million annually in new revenue to Pennsylvania farms. Once a farm has met and exceeded environmental requirements, the farmer is eligible to sell credits for additional pollution reduction on the farm. Reducing pollution from agriculture is generally more cost effective than from other sources, so farmers will be able to sell the credits for significantly less than what a local government would pay to reduce the same amount of pollution from stormwater. Urban centers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, or Virginia could fund conservation efforts on Pennsylvania farms that improve local streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
Clean water for all Pennsylvanians will only be achieved when accountability is coupled with resources. The Chesapeake Clean Water Act achieves this. Senator Specter is on the committee that will vote on this legislation, and the Commonwealth needs his support to help fund the cost of the pollution reductions that will soon be mandated.
Matt Ehrhart,
Harrisburg
--Matt Ehrhart is Pennsylvania executive director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Letters
Clean water
- Letters
-
-
Pay for home care
NetSummary
-
Public investment
Public investment? Pennsylvania's funding of our local schools is a crying shame. Sure, times are tough, but the state managed to come up with $10 million for Bucknell University, a private school, to have a new bookstore in downtown Lewisburg. I'm still not sure how Bucknell wrangled that deal or why a private university is entitled to public funding.
-
Ill-conceived measure
Ill-conceived plan. It is imperative that motorists drive safely and courteously when approaching bicyclists. The only problem with the new bicyclist law requiring motorists to allow four feet of distance between their cars and the bicyclists is that this will place the car in the opposing travel lane or require it to cross the yellow line in a no-passing zone.
-
Heroic workers
I was astounded when I saw Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011's headline "Workers tackle robber over $603".
-
Cell phone ban
Last week I was reading "Cell ban tough to enforce" in The Daily Item and it was very controversial.
-
Worth $603?
The article on Dec. 20 in the edition of The Daily Item about the Dollar Tree robber caught my interest.
-
Alarming ailment
In the Dec. 20, 2011 issue of The Daily Item, I read the article "Childhood disorder bolsters research."
-
Public obligation
As part of her argument for home schooling, "Studying in Pajamas", Jan. 20, Joanna Wert dismisses public schools and "the majority of American workers" with a few condescending generalizations. She goes on to extol her own children's virtues and accomplishments, and then lists famous people whom she claims were home-schooled.
-
More perfect union?
As I have listened to the many speeches by those who aspire to become the next president of the United State of America, I am appalled at the number of times I have heard referenced to our "rights". And how seldom I've heard talk about responsibilities.
-
School closings
I would like to discuss the Midd-West School District and their plan to close two area schools. What I wish they would do is listen to our voice as the parents and taxpayers, but it seems their minds are already made up. I plan to attend the meeting scheduled for Feb. 13 to "discuss' options, however, I feel that this is all for naught as I think they already have their minds made up.
- More Letters Headlines
-
Pay for home care
