Commitment and Concerns

Unless your abode is beneath a rock, the EPA’s mandate and its effects on Virginia are no surprise. Here is a review. Beginning in 2010, the federal government mandated that states take measurable steps to reduce the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, and other substances identified as pollutants entering the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers. The reductions are encapsulated as TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads) and are essentially a pollution diet for the Bay. The goal is to have all pollution reduction measures in place by 2025. Two reduction plans have already been implemented. The third, known as WIP 3 (Watershed Implementation Plan Three) takes effect in 2020. Localities and top state officials are very concerned about the costs and associated difficulties implementing this final mandate. Governor Northam even mentioned it in a recent speech.

Anticipating the impact of this latest mandate on our industry, several of us traveled to Richmond to meet with the Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources and the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. We expressed our commitment to a clean environment and our concerns about possible restrictions that benefit neither the environment nor the turfgrass and landscape industries. Our concerns were received and we were given some perspective about pressures the federal government is placing on Virginia and other Bay states.

Arduous and costly are two terms I’ve heard to describe the policies and procedures which will be mandated by WIP III . The initial draft of WIP III was released in early April. Great news! It highlights the importance of existing state fertilization regulations. We are now in a public comment period before the document is finalized and sent to the EPA.

What next? The need to continue our proper care of turfgrass and landscapes is critical. Praises frequently come from persons who recognize the good work being done by our industry. We do intend to increase our education to key decision makers in the General Assembly, regulatory agencies, and local jurisdictions. Looking forward to 2025, I envision a cleaner Chesapeake Bay and an industry praised for continually doing the right thing for sports fields, golf courses, lawns, and landscapes.

Tom Tracy, Ph.D.

VTC Executive Director

Congratulations to TruGreen, our first Diamond Member. Details in the next issue.

Tom Tracy, Ph.D., VTC Executive Director