Maryland’s Supreme Court Issues Decision in Assateague Coastal Trust v. MDE
In a disappointing setback for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays, the Maryland Supreme Court today reversed the decision of a lower court that found that the state’s Department of the Environment (MDE) must reduce ammonia pollution emitted from industrial animal agriculture. The Supreme Court upheld the MDE Clean Water Act permit for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) even though the evidence clearly shows that it is incapable of regulating the high levels of ammonia gasses that pollute nearby waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.
Assateague Coastal Trust brought this challenge, represented by Chesapeake Legal Alliance, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to protect and restore clean water and promote healthy, resilient ecosystems for communities across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Read our full press release below: