State Telephone Directory Organization Section Alphabetical Section Protecting the Bay from Toxics Our pledge to protect the Bay from toxics is one of the key commitments of the 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement. Maryland is working to reduce the Bay's toxics loads from such point sources as industries and wastewater treatment plants, and from such non-point sources as agricultural and urban runoff. Toxics are substances that can poison aquatic life and adversely affect the quality of the drinking water and fish we consume. Though difficult to see or smell, toxics can severely harm the Bay's aquatic life.
Many different sources add to the Bay's toxics load.
On the point-source side, industries discharging wastewater tainted with chemicals and metals are one major source. Wastewater treatment plants that receive toxics from their industrial and residential users are another. On the nonpoint-source side, urban and agricultural runoff contribute significantly to toxic pollution in the Bay. The permits impose limits on a variety of pollutants, including nutrients and toxics. They also require regular water-quality monitoring by the discharger.