Maryland Public Television airs live forum exploring health of the Chesapeake Bay

Maryland Public Television (MPT) will focus critical attention on the Chesapeake Bay this month with a live broadcast exploration of bay health and how restoration efforts could be more effective. Award-winning journalist and former CNN correspondent Frank Sesno will anchor the 60-minute program – Chesapeake Bay Summit: Charting a Course -- in front of a studio audience. The program will air live on Tuesday, April 21 at 8 p.m.

Despite governmental spending of more than $15 billion on water quality and restoration efforts, most experts agree that Chesapeake Bay water quality has not improved markedly. In the last 30 years, North America’s largest estuary has stayed viable, but it hasn’t seen as much progress as experts had hoped while following current cleanup strategies at the federal, state and local levels.

MPT’s Chesapeake Bay Summit brings together some leading experts on the bay to discuss the lack of lasting progress and some of the bay’s other pressing environmental issues.

Experts who will join the forum include:

· Dr. Donald Boesch, president, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

· Tim Wheeler, environmental reporter, The Baltimore Sun

· Lynne Hoot, owner, Maryland Agricultural Associates

· Kim Coble, vice president, environmental protection and restoration, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

· Rena Steinzor, president, Center for Progressive Reform

· Adam Ortiz, director, Department of the Environment, Prince George’s County, MD

Topics of discussion will include enforcement of current anti-pollution regulation and laws, development, population growth, and the impact of septic systems and wastewater treatment on the bay. Experts will address the actions that government officials and the public need to take in order to ensure better progress. For more information visit: www.bayweek.mpt.org.