Bay cleanup to warrant greatly expanded effort Role of other states, air pollutants eyed

For instance, they will have to decide whether to get more FTC pollution cuts by bringing other states into the cleanup effort, going for more stringent controls on cars or some other new technology -- or all three.

In addition, they will be provided with a massive amount of new information -- generated over the next six months -- about how to clean up the bay's tributaries. For instance, they may be told that the cheapest way to clean up the Susquehanna is to put more stringent controls on farmers, but that the Patuxent is best cleansed through sewage treatment.

While that information might help the governors decide how to get the most for their money, it could suggest that one state needs to do more than another, a politically difficult proposition.

However, the time may have come for states to begin sharing money for pollution controls, said Ann Pesiri Swanson, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

"The relationship between the states is solid and cooperative. There is no better time for representatives from those states to tackle tough issues like this," she said.