Is EPA committed to restoring Chesapeake Bay?

• Scott LaMar/WITF
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

Airdate: Thursday, January 27, 2022

Pennsylvania is in danger of not meeting its 2025 nutrient reduction goals for the Chesapeake Bay restoration. In fact, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and others sued the federal Environmental Protection Agency for not forcing Pennsylvania to comply. The Bay Foundation added that Pennsylvania is more than $300 million behind in funding the effort annually.

However, Pennsylvania submitted a new plan at the end of last month the state says will meet the goals.

Meanwhile, the Biden Administration’s EPA appears to be committed to the cleanup. There were proposals during the Trump Administration to eliminate funding for the Bay project. That didn’t happen but the administration called the 2025 goals “aspirational” rather than goals to be achieved.

We’ll learn more about the federal role in the Chesapeake Bay restoration on Thursday’s Smart Talk from Adam Ortiz, EPA’s administrator for the mid-Atlantic region.

The Associated Press and WITF’s democracy reporter Jordan Wilkie are partnering to tell stories about how Pennsylvania elections work, and to debunk misinformation surrounding elections. 

Read the stories here