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Chesapeake Bay TMDL

Chesapeake Bay Milestones

Overview

This image shows someone planting vegetation in a rain garden. Rain gardens are just one example of the best management practices used by the jurisdictions to help reduce pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.Planting rain gardens is just one of many best management practices (BMPs) included in two-year milestones to restore the Chesapeake Bay.
 
EPA and the Bay jurisdictions have adopted extensive measures to ensure accountability for reducing pollution and meeting target dates for progress under the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Bay jurisdictions include Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. The TMDL is being implemented using an accountability that guides restoration efforts.

As part of this accountability framework, EPA and the Bay jurisdictions agreed to develop short-term goals, called milestones, to increase restoration work and ensure progress. The two-year milestones represent key check-in points on the way to having all pollution reduction measures in place by 2025 to restore the Bay and its tidal rivers. By 2017, controls should be in place that would achieve 60 percent of the necessary pollutant reductions.


In the past, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership had set one overall pollution reduction goal for cleaning up the Bay a decade or more in the future. The CBP partnership found these long term goals difficult to meet and decided to identify short term goals needed to make steady progress. Two-year milestones provide greater specificity of load reductions, more rigorous assurances that load reductions will be achieved, and more transparent reporting to the public.

In January 2012, the jurisdictions submitted their first set of two-year milestones as part of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL accountability framework.  These milestones covered the 2012-2013 timeframe.  The jurisdictions will develop subsequent milestones every two years.  The jurisdictions did develop milestones in 2009 prior to the issuance of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL.

In addition, federal agencies contribute to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed through implementation of the federal strategy called for in Executive Order 13508. Federal agencies, including EPA, set two-year milestones with the specific charge of taking actions that directly support the jurisdictions in restoring water quality.

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2020-2021 Milestones

On June 1, 2020, EPA expects to receive the final 2020-2021 milestones from the Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions.  Additionally, six federal agencies, including EPA, will issue final 2020-2021 milestones to support the jurisdictions in meeting their milestone goals.

The jurisdictions have until June 15, 2020 to post their milestones on their respective websites (links provided below for reference). 

Over the coming weeks, EPA will be evaluating these 2020-2021 milestones and the jurisdictions and federal agencies' progress on meeting the 2018-2019 milestones. When those reviews are complete, they will be posted at the EPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page, no later than July 31.

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2018-2019 Milestones

Click on the links below to view the 2018-2019 milestone goals and reported progress during the milestone period for the jurisdictions and federal agencies. To view EPA's evaluation of the 2018-2019 milestones, go to the EPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

2016-2017 Milestones

Click on the links below to view the 2016-2017 milestone goals and reported progress during the milestone period for the jurisdictions and federal agencies. To view EPA's evaluation of the 2016-2017 milestones, go to the EPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

2014-2015 Milestones

Click on the links below to view the 2014-2015 milestone goals and reported progress during the milestone period for the jurisdictions and federal agencies. To view EPA's evaluation of the 2014-2015 milestones, go to the EPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

2012-2013 Milestones

Click the links below to view the 2012-2013 milestones for the jurisdictions and federal agencies.  To view EPA's evaluations of the 2012-2013 milestones, go to our EPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.


2009-2011 Milestones

Click the link below to view the 2009-2011 milestones for the jurisdictions and federal agencies.  To view EPA's evaluations of the 2009-2011 milestones, go to our EPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

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Jurisdiction Contacts

Please contact one of the jurisdiction staff members below if you have any questions regarding the development of the Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs).

Name Jurisdiction Affiliation Email Address Phone Number
Brittany Sturgis Delaware Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) brittany.sturgis@state.de.us 302-739-9939
Chris Brosch Delaware Delaware Department of Agriculture chris.brosch@state.de.us 302-698-4555
Ed Dunne District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) ed.dunne@dc.gov 202-535-2990
George Onyullo District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) george.onyullo@dc.gov 202-727-6529
Lee Currey Maryland Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) lee.currey@maryland.gov 410-537-3913
Dinorah Dalmasy Maryland Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) dinorah.dalmasy@maryland.gov 410-537-3699
Ken Kosinski New York New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) kenneth.kosinski@dec.ny.gov 518-402-8110
Lauren Townley New York New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) lauren.townley@dec.ny.gov 518-402-8283
Jill Whitcomb Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) jiwhitcomb@pa.gov 717-783-5205
Kristen Wolf Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) kwolf@state.pa.us 717-772-1675
James Martin Virginia Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ) james.martin@deq.virginia.gov 804-698-4298
Teresa Koon West Virginia West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) teresa.m.koon@wv.gov 304-926-0499 ext. 1020
Dave Montali West Virginia Tetra Tech/West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) dave.montali@tetratech.com 304-414-0054

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