Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Environmental Quality
 
Board
State Water Control Board
 
chapter
General Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) Watershed Permit Regulation for Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus Discharges and Nutrient Trading in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in Virginia [9 VAC 25 ‑ 820]
Action Reissue and Amend the General Permit
Stage NOIRA
Comment Period Ended on 10/14/2009
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Back to List of Comments
9/29/09  9:40 am
Commenter: Andrew D Mueller, US FIsh and Wildlife Service

Get it done!
 

It only takes a trip to the grocery store to see how degraded our "National Treasure" has become.  The Chesapeake Bay used to support a hardy ecosystem capable of pumping out bushel upon bushel of blue crabs, crates of oysters, and clams enough to rival a New England clam bake.  Not anymore.  Look at how tiny our blue crabs are.  They are increasingly rare to boot.  Oysters?  Gone.  Clams?  Not many left.  Clearly, we need to address the problem.  Regulating nutrient flow will address the problem of algae blooms which choke out the breeding grasses that help crabs early in their lifecycle.  With proper balance of oxygen, the crabs will grow larger and stronger as well.  The O2 levels will also support the dwindling oyster population, which will in turn help filter the bay of other pollutants...giving the clams and fish populations a chance to rebuild themselves.

 

CommentID: 9974