The 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement committed the signatories to 'develop, adopt and begin implementation of a basinwide strategy to achieve a reduction of toxics, consistent with the Clean Water Act of 1987, which will ensure protection of human health and living resources.' The resultant Chesapeake Bay Basinwide Toxics Reduction Strategy, adopted by the Chesapeake Executive Council in January 1989, initiated a multi-jurisdictional effort to define the nature, extent, and magnitude of Chesapeake Bay toxics problems more accurately and initiate specific toxics reduction and prevention actions. The Chesapeake Bay Agreement signatories also committed to reevaluate the strategy during 1992. The objectives of this strategy reevaluation were to define: what we now know about the nature, extent, and magnitude of Bay toxics problems; what steps should be taken to reduce and prevent impacts from chemical contaminants; and what information is still needed to determine future actions. The Chesapeake Bay Program's Toxics Subcommittee investigated and evaluated the complex nature of the Bay's toxics problems through a two-year schedule of meetings, research workshops, and information-gathering forums. This report not only documents the findings of the two-year information gathering process of the strategy reevaluation but also recommends an approach for undertaking future toxics reduction and prevention actions in the Bay watershed.

"Printed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Chesapeake Bay Program." "September 1994." "CBP/TRS 114/94." Includes bibliographical references (pages 163-191).