In today's newspaper, I have a story about the Chesapeake Bay Commission seeking federal funds to upgrade Blue Plains.

Blue Plains is the largest sewage treatment plant in the region, and one of the largest in the world. It serves two million people, stretching from Montgomery COunty all the way to Loudoun County and Leesburg. It impacts the Chesapeake Bay more than any other single sewage plant in the watershed, so it's a good thing that bay advocates consider the plant, run by the District's water and sewer authority, to be well-managed. Indeed, Blue Plains was the only plant in the region to meet previously set goals for bay cleanup a few years ago.

But now, the EPA is mandating Blue Plains reduce nutrients even more, an upgrade that will cost about $800 million. Add to that the $2.2 BILLION that district residents are already paying, and it represents a lot of out-of-pocket costs for DC residents. They are already paying water bills that are way higher than most of ours -- about $140 a month, according to one person.

So the Chesapeake Bay Commission will be lobbying the Congressional delegation to help DC get the money to pay for its share -- yes, Maryland and Virginia will be trying to help the District pay its part. Maryland already has the resources to pay its part through the flush tax, and Virginia also has resources through a similar program.

Is it a bit unusual for Maryland and Virginia officials to lobby to help the District, when they could be using their precious capital to help their own constituents? Yes, said commission executive director Ann Swanson, and yet it was not a hard decision, because MD and VA will not meet cleanup goals without the help of Blue Plains. They need the biggest plant to make the reductions not only to propel them toward goals, but to show eveyone that, if the huge and complex Blue Plains can upgrade, anyone can.

Will Congress help? Rep. Chris Van Hollen said he'd push for the money. And today, we hear this from Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, whose district includes some Blue Plains customers:

"Very, very important objective for the Maryland delegation. I know the two senators will be very focused on that, as I am, as Chris Van Hollen and Al Wynn will be very focused on it, as the entire delegation will be because of the impact that Blue Plains has on the Chesapeake Bay – on the Potomac River and on the Chesapeake Bay. Blue Plains is one of the larger sewage treatment plants certainly in our region and the investment in Blue Plains is very important to continue a quality of effluent from Blue Plains that is of the level that we want as we try to protect the bay and the river itself."

I called Rep. Roscoe Bartlett's staff yesterday, and they said the Congressman wasn't aware of the efforts.