I have been fishing recreationally (and more recently, as a means of sustenance) for about 10 years in the Potomac River, Shenandoah River, Occoquan River, Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean.  All of the aforementioned bodies of water have been contaminated by a whole host of organic and artificial pollutants.  It's easy to paint the problem as a localized issue not warranting a response from State and Federal bodies, however, when we allow that waste to creep into our streams and rivers, and eventually make its way into the Bay, and ultimately into the coastal Atlantic Ocean, wreaking havoc along the way, then there is a situation that most every citizen would take issue with. 

Construction debris and runoff has been repeatedly cited as a major problem for the aquatic ecosystem.  It leads to high nitrogen and phosphorous levels in the water which in turn leads to algae blooms.  These blooms are responsible for the ensuing dead zones that occur wherein very little fish life can exist.  With the absence of sustainable levels of baitfish, the Chesapeake Bay loses numbers of its culturally (and economically) valuable aquatic life (striped bass-aka rockfish, oysters, shad, crabs).  This is a major problem and even the Obama Administration has declared the Chesapeake Bay Watershed as a national treasure in crisis.  We are losing our Blue Crabs for heaven's sake!!  What will it be like when you cannot get a crabcake sandwich in Baltimore, or a slice of flounder in Norfolk?

The proposed legislation is one step in the right direction.  Sure, there is much more that needs to be done, but make no mistake, this legislation is an excellent place to start.  Hopefully the rest of the Delmarva (and our brothers in PA) community follows suit once this bill gets signed into law.