The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday reported Pennsylvania is “substantially off track” in meeting its nitrogen and sediment reduction milestones for agriculture and urban/ suburban stormwater, two of the state’s biggest sectors.

More ominously, EPA said Pennsylvania is at “backstop action levels” for these same sectors, meaning EPA has more than enough justification to develop its own plan for meeting Chesapeake Bay milestone requirements in the state.

Wastewater treatment plants in Pennsylvania, in contrast, are on track to meet permit limits and their nitrogen and phosphorus reductions.

EPA also said Pennsylvania will have to finalize changes to its Nutrient Credit Trading to resolve objections from EPA.

These conclusions are part of an interim assessment state progress in meeting the 2014-15 milestones and implementation of Pennsylvania’s Watershed Implementation Plan.

For more details and the complete report, visit EPA’s Chesapeake Bay TMDL webpage.

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Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

6/15/2015