RICHMOND, Va. (AP)- Gov. Bob McDonnell says Virginia is outpacing its commitments to reduce pollution into the Chesapeake Bay from wastewater treatment plants.
McDonnell said Friday that significant reductions of nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater put the state on track to meet pollution reduction milestones to clean the bay.
Virginia is among six states and the District of Columbia that are part of a 64,000-square-mile initiative to clean up the bay after years of neglect. Virginia's secretary of natural resources, Doug Domenech, says the progress to date "clearly shows that a restored bay is possible."
McDonnell pointed to four key accomplishments on the wastewater front in 2011, including the prevention of 2.5 million pounds of nitrogen from entering streams and lakes that fed the bay.
The Environmental Protection Agency is the lead agency.
