Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Provides Meaningful Water Quality Improvements Through Collaboration and Oversight of Federal Support

Summary: This White House release announces an executive order aimed at redirecting federal Chesapeake Bay restoration funding toward direct water-quality projects while addressing cost concerns for residents. Key provisions: Rescinds the 2009 Obama-era Executive Order 13508, which the release says had vague requirements that states and localities used to justify stormwater management fees ("rain taxes") on households. Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Interior, War, and the EPA Administrator to shift resources toward direct, on-the-ground projects in high-need areas rather than activities not showing measurable progress toward Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement goals. Directs the EPA to work with Chesapeake Bay watershed jurisdictions to assess financial burdens on residents and encourage compliance without raising costs. Aims to consolidate administrative spending and increase efficiency in restoration funding. Supporting claims cited: In FY2026, EPA streamlined the Chesapeake Bay Program, cutting annual administrative spending by nearly $1 million while increasing funding to the six watershed states and D.C. by $2.7 million compared to FY2025. References other administration cost-reduction actions: resetting CAFE fuel economy standards (December 2025), revoking the "Endangerment Finding" (February 2026, described as saving $1.3 trillion), and guidance expanding the right to repair for farm and vehicle equipment. Note: This is an administration-authored release presenting its own framing of the policy rationale and prior actions; the characterization of the 2009 order and its link to "rain taxes" reflects the administration's interpretation rather than a neutral legal assessment.