Hogan proposes curbs on farm pollution

A month after blocking hotly disputed environmental regulations drawn up by his predecessor, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday that he is putting out his own rules to curb Chesapeake Bay pollution from farms — including an immediate ban on spreading poultry manure on some Eastern Shore fields where the water-quality threat is greatest.

But Hogan also vowed to look out for poultry and grain growers, saying he's more slowly phasing in the restrictions on farmers' use of animal manure as fertilizer so that the costs of compliance won't put them out of business.

Flanked by aides, Hogan outlined what he described as a "fair and balanced" plan for tackling runoff from farms that for years have overfertilized their crops with poultry manure rich in bay-fouling phosphorus. He said his approach should bring together environmentalists and farmers, who've been at loggerheads over the issue.

Hogan's announcement drew guarded praise from environmentalists, who had sharply criticized his earlier move to stop the O'Malley administration's rules.

"We're happy that they're taking the problem seriously," said Alison Proust, Maryland director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. But she and other environmentalists said they needed to review the details of his proposal to decide whether it's strong enough.

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