FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE
A Clean
Chesapeake
Bay: It’s the
‘How,’ not the
‘What’
Lynne Finnerty
How would you feel if someone looked at your
financial situation and not only told you that you
needed to spend less, save more and lower your debt,
but also dictated how and when you must do so. This
person would hover over you, not allowing you to buy
anything unless he or she approved the purchase.
decisions yourself, based on what works for you and
your family.
State and local governments are in a similar
situation to the one described above. The
Environmental Protection Agency has told them that
we need to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, and no
one disagrees. In fact, states, counties and farmers
are already doing a lot to reduce Bay pollution. But
EPA didn’t stop at the “what.” It’s also dictating the
“how” and “when.” The agency is implementing a
Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan that strips states of
their rights to make land-use decisions.
Want to bring in a factory for economic development
and job creation? Want to build homes to accommodate
the workers at that factory and create construction
jobs? Sorry. And, oh yeah, you need to upgrade your
wastewater treatment plant, even if it means raising
taxes or having to divert funds from other programs the
state has determined are more important to its citizens.
We all want clean water, but we still have to follow
the law. The Clean Water Act, passed by Congress
in 1974, gave the federal government the limited
authority to set the “total” part of total maximum
daily load water standards for interstate waters. It did
not, however, give it the right to tell states and local
governments how to meet those standards.
The American Farm Bureau Federation has
appealed a court ruling that allows EPA to go forward
with its Chesapeake Bay rules. Several counties in
the Bay region and 21 state attorneys general have
filed “friend of the court” briefs in support of Farm
Bureau’s position. They know that if EPA gets away
Paying tuition to put your kid through college? with usurping the Bay states’ rights to make the
Stop. You can’t afford it, no matter how important decisions that are best for their economies and citizens,
it may be to you and your family. You would be the agency will do it again elsewhere.
required to take a second job to make more money,
even if it meant sacrificing other goals such as caring
Unfortunately, in cases like this, it’s easy to paint
for an elderly parent. You would be forced to sell the picture as black and white—for or against the
your home and rent a smaller one, even if it would environment. The truth is rarely that simple.
not accommodate your needs.
We all want a clean Chesapeake Bay. This isn’t
While the changes might benefit your overall about the what. It’s about the how.
budget, they may not be the right solutions for you.
If you’re like most people, you would welcome
Lynne Finnerty is project management director for
the advice, but you would prefer to make the tough the American Farm Bureau Federation.
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 19