Maryland League of Conservation Voters - 2007 Environmental Legislative Wrap-Up

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In Their Words …

“They are very well-organized, and they are a well-thought-out group of individuals who are going to make sure their concerns are heard”

House Speaker Michael E. Busch

2007 Environmental Legislative Wrap-Up

The 423rd session of the Maryland General Assembly ended April 9 and it was a great year for the environment. What a difference an election can make!

The General Assembly passed two major pieces of legislation that will reduce pollution from vehicles and control stormwater runoff, as well as a number of other important bills to increase the state's use of solar energy and eliminate phosphorus.

While campaigning last year, legislators heard that Marylanders wanted solutions to global warming. This year, they acted swiftly and passed the Clean Cars Act within the first six weeks of session! This bill is a significant step and moves Maryland toward becoming a national leader in the fight against global warming. Addtionally, they passed the Stormwater Management Act--the nation's strongest stormwater legislation--that requires developers to use environmental site design to manage stormwater.

Unfortunately, some important legislation failed to pass this year--like the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Green Fund and the Global Warming Solutions Act--but we made great strides in educating legislators and the public. The Maryland League of Conservation Voters will be back next year to pick up where we left off. We hope we can count on you to join us!

Press Release: 2007 Session Great for the Environment (23.92 KB)

Print Edition: 2007 MDLCV Environmental Legislative Wrap-Up

Clean Cars
Air pollution from vehicles is a significant source of the nitrogen pollution harming the Chesapeake Bay. Under the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement, Maryland has committed to reduce nitrogen pollution from all sources. The Clean Cars Act (SB 103/HB 131) helps the state reach that goal by strengthening Maryland’s auto emissions standards to require a small percentage of new cars sold in Maryland to meet more effective emissions standards starting in the 2011 model year. The Clean Cars Act reduces carbon dioxide, the main global warming pollutant by 4.4 million tons per year by 2020. The bill also reduces benzene and other cancer-causing pollutants by 2,100 tons per year and nitrogen pollution by 1,500 tons per year by 2027.

The Clean Cars Act passed both houses and will now go to Governor O’Malley for his signature.

Stormwater
Development is one of the biggest threats facing the Chesapeake Bay and its source waters. Under current development practices, the ground is not able to absorb water effectively and polluted runoff enters our waterways. The cost of cleaning up the problems that have already occurred is high, but the cost of addressing stormwater management before a project is built is low. SB 784/HB 786 decreases the amount of runoff by mandating environmental site design (ESD) techniques--stopping the problem before it happens. ESD techniques--which are currently encouraged, but not required--are effective and relatively inexpensive for developers to implement. Some developers use ESD techniques already, making the switch to mandatory use easier. It also requires cities and counties to update archaic zoning codes.

The Stormwater Management Act passed through both chambers and will now go to Governor O’Malley for his signature.

Green Fund
SB 901/HB 1220 would create a dedicated funding source to clean up Maryland waterways through a fee on new development of impervious surfaces. This money would allow Maryland to significantly increase the implementation of actions outlined in the Tributary Strategies.

HB 1220 passed the House with a vote of 96-41, but neither bill was voted on by the Senate committee.

Global Warming
The challenges of global warming are difficult to overcome, but the Global Warming Solutions Act (SB 409/HB 890) would take a significant steps to reduce emissions of global warming pollutants. This bill would require reductions of global warming pollution by 1990 levels by the year 2020 and calls for a greater reliance on clean, renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. It would direct state agencies to design programs to achieve reductions in global warming pollution. It would also provide companies flexibility in meeting the pollution-reduction goals through a “cap-and-trade” program.

Neither SB 409 or HB 890 were voted out of committee.

Solar Energy
SB 595/HB 1016 adds solar energy to the Renewable Portfolio Standard, making Maryland's solar energy requirement third highest in the nation. Under current law, solar companies are met with many obstacles in their efforts to bring more solar projects into Maryland. Maryland should be a leader in the use and development of clean, renewable energy sources. A greater reliance on solar energy is critical for the health of Maryland’s environment.

SB 595/HB 1016 passed both chambers and will now go to Governor O’Malley for his signature.

Full Funding for Program Open Space
The budget proposed by Governor O’Malley and passed by the legislature includes full funding for Program Open Space in FY2008. Between 2002 and 2006, $480 million was taken from this dedicated fund.

Closing the Loophole for Open Space
SB 616/HB 475 would close the loophole that allows limited liability corporations (LLC) to transfer real estate without paying the real estate transfer tax-that goes to Program Open Space for land conservation. This bill is critical as the state currently loses countless sums of money each year due to this loophole.

HB 475 passed the House with a vote of 101-35. Unfortunately, the bills were not voted on in the Senate Committee.

Energy Efficiency
Public health and environmental quality in Maryland remain at risk from emissions resulting from energy consumption. One of the best ways to reduce air pollution and combat global warming is to use energy more efficiently. There were three major initiatives on energy efficiency during the 2007 session:

Utility Efficiency Programs
SB 562/HB 631 would restore energy efficiency programs for electric utility customers in Maryland.

The House bill passed the House with a vote of 136-0, but both bills were killed in the Senate committee.

Product Efficiency Standards
As introduced, SB 674/HB 909 would set minimum energy efficiency standards for 10 products sold in the state beginning in 2009, thereby saving Maryland consumers a projected $1 billion while and protecting the environment. The legislation would also ensure that electric utilities will purchase energy-efficient transformers for use on their electric distribution systems. After much debate, the bill was amended to remove two residential products.

SB 674 passed both chambers and now goes to the governor for his signature.

Heating/Cooling Incentives
SB 615/HB 595 would provide tax incentives to individuals who install high efficiency heating and cooling equipment.

SB 615 was never heard by committee and HB 595 was given an unfavorable report by committee.

Other Important Bills

Green Buildings
Legislation addressing high performance buildings, which save taxpayer dollars, are healthier for employees and better for our natural resources, passed in the 2007 session. HB 942 creates the “Maryland Green Building Council” and instructs it to evaluate existing high performance building technology and make recommendations on how the state can best build high performance state facilities.

HB 942 passed both chambers and now goes to the governor for his signature.

Solar Grant Program
Many bills were introduced during the 2007 session to expand the size and scope of the Solar Energy grant program as well as provide greater incentives for installing photovoltaic systems. We were pleased to see such bipartisan, geographically diverse support for this issue.

Ultimately, HB 590 passed both chambers and now goes to the governor for his signature. We look forward to working with the legislature again on refining the grant program.

Phosphorous-Free Dish Detergent
SB 766/HB 1131 makes major strides in eliminating phosphorus pollution in Maryland waterways by banning the sale of dishwashing detergent containing phosphorous. The Maryland General Assembly banned the use of laundry detergents containing phosphorus in 1985, resulting in significant decreases in phosphorus pollution in Maryland's waterways.

Both of these bills passed and are now in front of the Governor for his signature.