Local farmers, communities with stormwater runoff problems and sewage plant owners got a clearer picture of their marching orders Wednesday from a federal government that has vowed to do what it takes to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revealed a 176-page strategy outlining an "unprecedented" and "historic" effort on how it would accomplish the feat in six bay watershed states, including Pennsylvania.

The agency promised "rigorous new regulation and enforcement" to get the job done.

Exactly a year to the day earlier, President Barrack Obama had issued an executive order to clean up what he called a "national treasure" after decades of sputtering attempts.

On Tuesday, EPA signed a legally binding agreement with time deadlines to require pollution to be reduced across the bay watershed. That agreement with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation citizens group followed a lawsuit which accused EPA of failing to restore the bay as required by the Clean Water Act.

Though Lancaster County and Pennsylvania do not border the bay, water polluted by nutrients flowing down the Susquehanna River has a big effect on the bay.

Thus, Pennsylvania — and especially heavily farmed Lancaster County — are linchpins in any successful cleanup.

"Agriculture is going to continue to be central to the strategy," Lamonte Garber, CBF's agriculture program manager and a Lancaster resident, said.

EPA has targeted southcentral Pennsylvania, the Delmarva peninsula and Virginia's Shenandoah Valley as "hotspots" for ag cleanup efforts.

Last fall, in a surprise move, EPA visited nearly two dozen Plain Sect farms along Watson Run near Intercourse. The property owners are being required to correct farm-runoff problems.

Though the hotspots will be a target for inspections and investigations, EPA said it would also focus resources in those watersheds to help farmers put in conservation measures that make a difference.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection officials have begun mapping out a plan to meet a "pollution diet" to be imposed on watersheds that drain into the Susquehanna.

Limits or targets are expected to be made for each watershed and, eventually, each county.

A key strategy that will affect farmers here is a decision by DEP to enforce soil erosion and manure runoff rules that have been on the books for decades, according to Garber.

Until now those rules have been enforced "on a complaint basis," Garber said.

For example, Garber said, any farmer who plows or tills or has livestock that gathers together will be expected to adopt an erosion control plan.

Also, farms with livestock, regardless of size, will have to have written manure management plans.

In EPA's strategy document, it's noted that smaller farms that have discharges into streams may be required to follow regulations now reserved for the largest farms in the state.

Also, EPA said it would propose more stringent regulations for applying manure.

EPA praised Pennsylvania for its early planning to meet the new bay cleanup goals.

Control of stormwater runoff has been elevated to a key strategy in helping Pennsylvania reach its pollution budget.

Just last week, EPA cited 12 municipalities here for being out of compliance with regulations that require them to keep pollutants out of storm drains, pipes and ditches, mostly after storms.

"On stormwater, Pennsylvania really has a lot of issues to address. It's a difficult issue and it's expensive and communities aren't used to paying that much attention to it," said Matt Ehrhart, executive director of the Pennsylvania office of CBF and a Lancaster County resident.

Runoff from developed areas is the only source of bay pollution that is increasing, according to CBF and EPA. Ag pollution is declining.

EPA said it could force sewage plants to adopt expensive treatment processes if a county or watershed fails to meet cleanup deadlines.

To help pay for the new cleanups, EPA said the agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture would increase funding to states and step up funding grants, especially to citizen watershed groups.

In addition, EPA said it would better establish nutrient trading markets in which farmers or other landowners who put in conservation measures would get nutrient credits. They could be sold to other entities needing to reduce their own environmental impact.

Congress is considering the Chesapeake Clean Water Act that would provide $1.5 billion toward bay cleanup measures. No less than $96 million would go for ag assistance.

acrable@lnpnews.com