• About
    • About Us
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
      • Meet the Board
      • Board Documents
    • 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
    • CLA’s Legal Documents
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Job Opportunities
    • Get Legal Help
  • Home
  • Guides + Reports
    • Guides + Reports
    • Maryland Violations Tracker
  • News
    • Top News
    • CLA In The News
    • CLA Publications
    • CLA News
    • BAY BRIEF Newsletter
    • Calendar
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Foundation Partners
    • Planning for the Future
    • Become A Law Firm Partner
    • Gifts Of Stocks + Securities

Contact Us | Donate

Chesapeake Legal AllianceChesapeake Legal Alliance
  • About
    • About Us
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
      • Meet the Board
      • Board Documents
    • 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
    • CLA’s Legal Documents
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Job Opportunities
    • Get Legal Help
  • Home
  • Guides + Reports
    • Guides + Reports
    • Maryland Violations Tracker
  • News
    • Top News
    • CLA In The News
    • CLA Publications
    • CLA News
    • BAY BRIEF Newsletter
    • Calendar
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Foundation Partners
    • Planning for the Future
    • Become A Law Firm Partner
    • Gifts Of Stocks + Securities
Home CLA NewsCLA Celebrates Maryland Senate’s Approval of SB0492/HB0649
CLA Celebrates Maryland Senate’s Approval of SB0492/HB0649

CLA Celebrates Maryland Senate’s Approval of SB0492/HB0649

Mar 31, 2022 | CLA News, CLA Publications, Press Release, Top News, Wins for the Bay |

Championed by CLA, the House version of a new Maryland bill has now passed the state Senate, garnering enough bi-partisan support to soon become law.   

This groundbreaking legislation requires the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to hire a significant number of new staff to supplement its enforcement division and clear the Department’s substantial backlog of administratively continued “zombie” permits by December 31, 2026.

The bill, alongside its companion Senate bill, also mandates monthly inspections for sites and facilities determined to be in significant noncompliance of applicable State or federal requirements, that those facilities submit written reports to the MDE detailing how the violations will be addressed and the timeline for addressing those violations, and establishes penalties for facilities that remain in significant noncompliance for the same condition after two consecutive months of inspections.

CLA Senior Attorney Evan Isaacson, who testified in support of the legislation, said “if fully implemented, these bills will dramatically reduce pollution of all forms reaching Maryland waterways and communities. These laws represent a generational change in the way Maryland safeguards public health and the environment from the impacts of water pollution and one of the biggest policy changes for the Chesapeake Bay in decades.”

The bill, passed during the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, marks a major and necessary step toward meeting the Chesapeake Bay Program’s goal of having practices in place to restore the Bay by 2025. If enacted, CLA will continue to track the implementation of the bills to ensure that they live up to their full potential.

Services: Legislation and Policy
Issues: Bay Cleanup + Government Transparency Environmental Justice Hazardous Waste + Toxics Municipal and Industrial Waste Water Public Health
« Previous Post
Next Post »

You also might be interested in

BAY BRIEF May 2022

BAY BRIEF May 2022

May 19, 2022

Take a look at the latest edition of our Bay[...]

Now Accepting Applications for the 2018 Summer Legal Intern Program

Now Accepting Applications for the 2018 Summer Legal Intern Program

Jan 4, 2018

We are currently accepting applications for our 2018 Summer Legal Intern Program. Applications will be accepted and evaluated on a rolling basis.

Clean Water Act Fundamentals Webinar (October 26, 2020 @ 2:00 pm EST)

Clean Water Act Fundamentals Webinar (October 26, 2020 @ 2:00 pm EST)

Oct 9, 2020

Clean Water Act Fundamentals Webinar October 26, 2020 @ 2:00[...]

News + Updates

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

Recent Posts

  • Virginia’s Menhaden Reduction Fisheries Pose Massive Threat to Bay Sport Fish and Wildlife January 25, 2023
  • Blue Water Baltimore and CLA Issue NOI Against Fleischmann’s Vinegar January 17, 2023
  • A Meaningful Win for Lothian January 17, 2023

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

Find Us on Social Media

  • 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

© 2023 Chesapeake Legal Alliance. All Rights Reserved. Website by The Downstream Project

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