Maryland has been victim to the political and fiscal upheaval occurring as a result of the federal government, and that disruption means that the Maryland General Assembly is up for a tough year. We are once again in an extreme budget deficit, when so many Marylanders need the State’s support in this cost of living crisis.
With that in mind, this year, we are tasking our Action Alert subscribers to help us decide which bills we should follow and advocate for this General Assembly (not a subscriber, you can change that HERE). As an old boss of mine used to say, if everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. We will continue to update Nature Forward subscribers on budget updates, such as protecting the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (SEIF) and other conservation funding (like Program Open Space), but the bills that you vote on will be the ones that we fight the hardest for.
Click the arrows next to the bill names below to read a short description of each bill. Please note that not all of these bills have full language or bill numbers assigned yet. The descriptions of each bill are based on conversations with our partners and legislators alike.
CHERISH Act
We believed in the CHERISH Act so much last year, and are ready to fight for it and the environmental justice it stands for again! Utilizing Environmental Justice mapping, CHERISH would evaluate the cumulative impacts of polluting facilities on their surrounding communities to ensure that underserved communities do not continue to be sited adjacent to heavy pollution burdens. The Act would modernize the permitting system to account for people’s lived experiences. In South Baltimore alone, just four pollutants from two waste incinerators cause $97 million worth of health damages every year – and they are just two out of more than 70 polluters in the area.
Affordable Solar Act aka Public Utilities – Solar Energy Generating Systems and Solar Renewable Energy Credits
We talk a lot about the need to build grid capacity, and this solar bill does just that. You may recognize this bill from last year. It would eliminate alternative compliance payments being deposited into the SEIF for Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs), and instead require the payments to go to an escrow fund to build clean energy. The escrow funds would be for buying SRECs. The reason this is critical, is because the SEIF money is often deployed for non energy related projects, like making up the budget deficit. This bill would make solar more affordable in Maryland, as well as allowing for balcony/portable solar. These plug-in units are popular in Utah, and allow renters and anyone who lives in a multifamily building to have solar power.
Bottle Bill aka the Maryland Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Program
The Maryland bottle bill would institute a deposit-refund system to reduce the burden of litter and trash on the environment and local governments. Ten other states have already enacted such systems, which are highly effective in reducing beverage-container litter in our waterways and along our roadsides, as well as lowering trash management burdens on local governments. About 5.5 billion beverage containers are sold in Maryland annually, and only a quarter are currently recycled. This legislation is designed to increase that level to 90 percent.
PFAS and Biosolids Bills
These two bills have been proposed by Potomac River Keepers Network. PFAS, sometimes called “Forever Chemicals” are chemical compounds used to alter the properties of plastics, to make them useable for more products. Studies have shown repeatedly that these are highly toxic, have widely permeated throughout our environment and water aquifers, and pose real threats to humans and animals’ health. These bills will reduce the level of toxic chemicals in our environment.
Forest Conservation Act
This Act would incentivize private landowners to conserve forest land with the highest ecological value, create a mitigation fee and fund, and define ecosystem services in Maryland law, In essence, it acknowledges that some ecosystems or natural spaces hold especially high ecological value and should be prioritized and protected.
If you are wondering, Angie, where are the data center bills? They are still here and will be moved forward through our work with the Marylanders for Data Center Reform Coalition. Through the Coalition, we are supporting the Demand Capacity Bill and Data Center Planning and Transparency Act, and many more. Stay tuned and look out for future Action Alerts to help us advocate for responsible data center development in Maryland.
Rank your priority bills:
Maryland may not have ranked choice voting, but we at Nature Forward do. Use the link below to let us know which bills you feel the most passionate about. One is the highest priority, and five is your lowest priority.
