• About
    • About Us
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
      • Meet the Board
      • Board Portal
    • Annual Report
    • Board of Advisors
    • Contact Us
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Our Work
    • Wins for the Bay
    • Bay Issues
    • Pro Bono Projects
    • Services Provided
    • Get Legal Help
    • CLA Testimonials
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Job Opportunities
    • Get Legal Help
  • Home
  • Guides + Reports
    • Guides + Reports
    • Maryland Violations Tracker
  • News
    • Top News
    • CLA Publications
    • CLA News
    • BAY BRIEF Newsletter
    • Calendar
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Foundation Partners
    • Planning for the Future
    • Become A Business Sponsor
    • Gifts Of Stocks + Securities

Contact Us | Donate

Chesapeake Legal AllianceChesapeake Legal Alliance
  • About
    • About Us
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
      • Meet the Board
      • Board Portal
    • Annual Report
    • Board of Advisors
    • Contact Us
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Our Work
    • Wins for the Bay
    • Bay Issues
    • Pro Bono Projects
    • Services Provided
    • Get Legal Help
    • CLA Testimonials
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Job Opportunities
    • Get Legal Help
  • Home
  • Guides + Reports
    • Guides + Reports
    • Maryland Violations Tracker
  • News
    • Top News
    • CLA Publications
    • CLA News
    • BAY BRIEF Newsletter
    • Calendar
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Foundation Partners
    • Planning for the Future
    • Become A Business Sponsor
    • Gifts Of Stocks + Securities
Home CLA NewsA Clear Win: Codified Transparency
A Clear Win: Codified Transparency

A Clear Win: Codified Transparency

Apr 19, 2021 | CLA News, Top News, Wins for the Bay |

By: Angela Haren, Senior Attorney, Director of Legal Innovation

A powerful part of many environmental laws is the ability for the public to step in and enforce against polluters when the government fails to do so. The vast number of pollution violations coupled with government agency funding constraints or unwillingness to enforce, means that many polluters simply get away with putting harmful contaminants into our air, land, and water. Congress anticipated this reality and included provisions in laws to protect our environment and public health (such as the Clean Water Act) that allow anyone who is potentially harmed by the pollution to step in and take a polluter to court for their violations. Congress intended for the public to help government agencies to hold polluters accountable and abate pollution. 

In order to exercise this enforcement right, the public needs access to information about pollution violations. But how does anyone know if a polluter is contaminating your water illegally? In many states around the country, and in the Bay region, this information is available online. In fact, until now, Maryland was the only state in the Bay region that did not post this information online. Instead, interested members of the public had to file a request to the agency – called a Public Information Act request – and go through an archaic paper process that was both time intensive and often costly. 

Chesapeake Legal Alliance (CLA) helps individuals and groups across the Bay Region hold polluters accountable and exercise their enforcement right. For many years this effort was strained in Maryland due to lack of access to information. But, thanks to a new Transparency and Accountability bill that passed the Maryland General Assembly in 2021, Marylanders will now get the information they need to enforce their rights at the click of a button. CLA was proud to work with sponsors Delegate Brook Lierman and Senator Sarah Elfreth on HB 204/SB 324.

It might seem hard to get excited about the words often used to describe this bill, such as “transparency” and “accountability”; admittedly the bill language itself can be a bit dense and hard to decipher. But –  Don’t let the wonkiness fool you! This new law is exciting and will make a significant difference in the effort to clean up Maryland’s waters and the Chesapeake Bay! 

HB 204/SB 324 brings Maryland into the 21st century. It improves public access to information regarding pollution violations that impact our water quality and public health. And will save the agencies time and money.

Specifically the new law requires that Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) post online information about water, air, and some land pollution issues including:

  • The number of pollution complaints it receives and the number of those complaints that have been investigated – which will demonstrate to the public whether MDE is fulfilling its duty to follow up on pollution complaints. 
  • A list of facilities inspected and copies of inspection reports when an MDE representative inspects a facility. 
  • Copies of finalized enforcement settlement agreements.
  • A list of any penalties imposed for pollution violations.
  • A list of every sewage overflow in the state. 

This law also requires Maryland Department of Natural Resources to post online information regarding the enforcement of state conservation laws including: 

  • Number of inspections relating to commercial and recreation fishing, crabs, oysters, game and wildlife, and boating. 
  • Number of oyster citations and warnings issued. 

MDE has already posted the framework for this new system online. In the next year, more information will come online. Stay tuned for upcoming training workshops from CLA on how to use this new system. 

« Previous Post
Next Post »

You also might be interested in

CLA ED Jackie Guild Announces Her Resignation

Apr 19, 2018

Jackie Guild Resigns as Executive Director of CLA to work with the Office[...]

Success for Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Enforcement!

Apr 24, 2017

Maryland General Assembly Sets Aside Funding for Clean Water Enforcement[...]

CLA Helps Eastern Shore Groups Build Regional Program Through Merger

CLA Helps Eastern Shore Groups Build Regional Program Through Merger

Feb 1, 2018

Congratulations to Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy, Sassafras River Association, and the[...]

News + Updates

  • CLA News
  • CLA Publications
  • Wins for the Bay
  • BAY BRIEF Newsletter
  • Annual Report
  • All News

Recent Posts

  • Learning Land Use Series – Workshop #1 (June 2, 2022 @ 12:00 pm EST) May 11, 2022
  • A Look Back at the Battle for Turtle Run May 11, 2022
  • Health Advisory Warns the Back River is Unsafe for Recreational Contact April 22, 2022

Contact Us

We're currently offline. Send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Send Message
Need legal assistance? We Can Help

About Us

The Chesapeake Legal Alliance provides free legal services for those seeking to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and its communities.  

More About Us
Volunteer With Us

  • Newsletter

Contact Us

Chesapeake Legal Alliance
501 6th Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21403

P: (410) 216-9441
F: (410) 216-7077

Charity Navigator
Strategic Plan
Annual Report

© 2022 Chesapeake Legal Alliance. All Rights Reserved. Website by The Downstream Project

  • Bay Issues
  • Pro Bono Projects
  • Services Provided
  • Get Legal Help
  • CLA Testimonials
Prev Next