EPA commits $40M in federal money to Chesapeake Bay restoration effort

The EPA has announced a $40 million investment to restore the Chesapeake Bay through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Chesapeake Bay will receive $238 million in BIL funding for restoration and improvement projects over the next five years.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to address Coastal Virginia’s most pressing transportation and environmental needs,” said Rep. Luria (D-VA-02). “This investment will support the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, which plays a crucial role in the economy and way of life throughout the region. A restored Bay and its surrounding habitats will significantly boost economic and tourism opportunities for Hampton Roads.”

Of the $40 million EPA investment, Virginia will receive more than $3 million to work with farms to protect local rivers and streams that flow into the Chesapeake Bay.

In 2019, Rep. Luria introduced the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act, which would authorize more funding for crucial EPA cleanup efforts in the Bay watershed.

On Oct. 30, 2020, President Donald Trump signed the bill into law as part of the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act.