The 1999 Session of the Maryland General Assembly did not produce great results for our environment. We won some. And we lost some.
 The new chapter Legislative Committee did well in its first year of existence. Next year will be better. Below appears a look at some of the legislation that the Maryland Chapter testified on OR was following, but not involved with.Agricultural
HB 67 Department of Agriculture - Cost Sharing for Water Pollution Control
Altering the maximum dollar amount available for certain projects under the Maryland Cost-Share Program for Water Pollution Control from $50,000 to $75,000.
Sierra Club supported--passed through both houses. SB 227 Agriculture - Organically Produced Commodities
Exempting certified organic farmers from using a practice or pesticide prohibited under the federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 or under a regulation on land that grows organically produced commodities; mandating the Department of Agriculture to require producers of organic commodities to comply with the standards of the federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990; etc. Sierra Club supported --Withdrawn.
HB 675 Washington Cnty. - Right to Farm
Authorizing the County Commissioners of Washington County to adopt an ordinance or regulation or take other action to protect a person's right to farm or engage in agricultural or forestry operations; and requiring the County Commissioners to hold a public hearing and provide reasonable notice of the hearing under certain circumstances. Sierra Club opposed--Passed House. Before Senate.
HB 1106 Animal Waste Technology Fund - Phytase Projects
Eligibility Providing that projects to add phytase or other similar enzyme to chicken feed which commenced on or after July 1, 1997, are eligible for funding from the Animal Waste Technology Fund. For your information--Passed House in Senate committee
HB 706 MDA - Soil Conservation and Water Quality Plans
Use of Information Requiring the supervisors of a soil conservation district to provide the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Environment with information in a soil conservation and water quality plan for specified purposes; authorizing the Department of Agriculture to use the information for statistical purposes and to release the information to the Department of the Environment for a specified compliance or enforcement purpose; requiring the Department of Agriculture and the supervisors to maintain the information Sierra
Club opposed--Passed House --awaiting action in Senate HB 887 Food Labeling and Synthetic Bovine Growth Hormone Prohibition
Prohibiting the use of synthetic BGH or any growth hormone in livestock intended for production or used to produce milk for sale; and requiring food containing engineered or reengineered genetic material to be labeled with specified language. FYI Unfavorable from Environmental Matters committee
HB 906 Sunday Hunting Deer
Allowing a person to hunt deer on certain Sundays under certain circumstances requiring the Department to study and make recommendations on the implementation of Sunday hunting of deer; etc. Sierra Club opposed --Passed House with amendments --killed in Senate committee
Transportation SB 360/HB 636 Commuter Choice Tax
Credit Offers Maryland employers a corporate tax credit for 50% of employer provided transit and ridesharing benefits for employees, upto $30 per month per employee. Sierra Club supported--House passed . --Senate amended to remove carpools due to enforcement problems and passed.
HB 310 Sidewalk Construction Projects State's Share of Costs
Repeal of Limitation Repealing a $2 million limitation on the State's share of the costs of sidewalk construction and reconstruction projects that may be paid in each fiscal year through fiscal year 2001 from special funds from the Transportation Trust Fund. Sierra Club supported. House passed.
SB 254 Environment - Air
Requiring State and regional transportation plans and capital improvement programs to provide for the improvement of air quality and reduction of traffic congestion by attaining a performance objective of limiting the statewide average of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita to the statewide per capita VMT level reached in the year 2000; requiring that each transportation plan and capital improvement program be reviewed and evaluated for consistency with the performance objective; etc. Sierra Club supported (Action alert)--voted down in Senate by a vote of 15- 32.
Drege Spoils
The State of Maryland and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers propose to dump 18 million cubic yards of dredge spoil in the open Chesapeake Bay between Sandy Point State Park and Kent Island, just north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, in a location known as Site 104. Bills concerning this were offered.
HB 622 Environment--Kent Island Citizens Oversight Committee Sierra Club supported. Passed House and Senate. HJ 14 Aberdeen Proving Ground as a Dredge Spoil Disposal Site
Sierra Club supported--Passed both House and Senate
The rest of the bills were held up in committee. HB 624 Dumping of Dredge Spoil - Prohibitions HB 756 /SB 325 Dredge Spoil Open Water Dumping - Prohibition HB 954 Dumping of Dredge Spoil - Prohibition HB 910 /SB 465 Redeposit of Dredge Spoil - Artificial Islands and Contained Areas HB 911 Redeposit of Dredge Spoil Conditions for Redeposit on Farm or Agricultural Use Land
Other Chesapeake Bay Legislation
HB 665 Critical Area Impervious Surfaces Exemption Unfavorable Report by Environmental Matters HB 606 Sewage Sludge Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Prohibiting the Department of the Environment from issuing a sewage sludge utilization permit for use on land in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area unless the applicable local governing bodies have reviewed and approved the proposed permit and any conditions or restrictions placed on the permit. Unfavorable Report by Environmental Matters Committee.
HB 732 Natural Resources Marine Sanitation
Requiring the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to conduct a survey of pumpout stations and waste reception facilities, and of recreational vessels and the waters of the State in which the vessels congregate, by a specified date; requiring DNR to identify sensitive waters of the State by a specified date using specified criteria; requiring DNR to ensure that marine sanitation facilities are reasonably available for use in sensitive areas by a specified date; requiring DNR to submit a specified report by January 1, 2000; etc. Sierra Club supported--Passed House and Senate The big story of the session was the De-Regulation of Electricity Production. It is a complicated and important story, which will be reviewed in depth in the next issue of The Chesapeake. If you have questions or comments or if you want to get involved in the Legislative Committee's work, please call me at 410-757-5913. |
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