A series of nine amendments to the O’Malley administration’s septic bill cleared the Senate Friday evening, preserving longstanding control of septic use by local planning authorities. The administration worked on the deal with the Maryland Association of Counties, farmers, developers and builders to salvage passage of the controversial measure. Liberal Democrats opposed the compromise. [...more]
Gov. Martin O’Malley’s controversial bill to control septic systems was brought to the Senate floor Tuesday, with opponents planning to offer a series of amendments. The Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee approved the 33-page legislation Friday on a 7-4 vote, with Sen. Ed Reilly, R-Anne Arundel, calling it a move to “centralized planning.” [...more]
Maryland wants to set a gold standard for safety to drill for natural gas in western Maryland’s Marcellus shale deposits, which could start as soon as as August 2014. The House moved two drilling-related bills closer to passage Monday night. One funds an impact study and the other provides legal recourse to Marylanders if health and property are adversely affected by drilling. [...more]
Sen. E.J. Pipkin made an unsuccessful plea on the Senate floor Friday to reject two Public Service Commission nominees who lobbied for Gov. Martin O’Malley’s offshore wind proposals last year. [...more]
Gov. Martin O’Malley and Environment Secretary Robert Summers were questioned by lawmakers Tuesday on the cost for the proposed consumption-based flush tax on homes and businesses. [...more]
Eastern Shore farmers and representatives of the poultry industry told lawmakers Friday that EPA estimates on nutrient pollution from poultry production are outdated and way overstated, according to a new study from the University of Delaware. [...more]
Many homes on public water and sewer in Maryland could see their flush tax triple to over $100 a year for the Bay Restoration Fund -- much higher than homes on septic systems, which would see the fee double to a $60 cap under Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed consumption-based tax. [...more]
Environment Secretary Robert Summers told Eastern Shore lawmakers the Bay Restoration Fund needs an additional $385 million to upgrade 67 sewage treatment plants in Maryland and echoed Gov. Martin O’Malley’s call to double the flush tax to $60 a year. [...more]
A new poll found that 62% of rural respondents favored tighter regulations on septic systems, and 57% favored “limiting the number of septic systems in rural areas. ”The poll of 801 registered voters by Opinion Works in mid-December found statewide support was 72% for tighter septic regulations, and 69% for limiting the number septic systems in the state. [...more]
Doubling the flush tax to $60 a year is one of the revenue increases Gov. Martin O'Malley proposed Wednesday in his fiscal 2013 budget. Revenue from the tax goes into the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund to upgrade sewage treatment plants. Money from septic system users is also used to upgrade some of those systems and pay for cover crops. The new money is needed because the upgrades have cost more than originally estimated. [...more]
