Pardon us if we wax a little more skepticism on the latest round of federal rhetoric about cracking down on polluters of the Chesapeake Bay. But will this really be the time the federal government's bite is worse than its bark?

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a new directive last week that was intended to signal a stronger promise that the feds would crack down on runoff from farms and stormwater - two of the major sources of pollution.

J. Charles Fox, a special adviser to EPA and formerly Maryland's secretary for Natural Resources, expressed frustration at missed deadlines for cleaning up the bay and said...