O'Malley Plans to More Than Double Bay Cleanup Fund

During gloomy times, here's a glint of light.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley is proposing to more than double the amount of money in a state fund designed to reduce polluted runoff into the Chesapeake Bay.

In his budget for the year starting July 1, which was released today, O’Malley is planning to provide $20 million for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, up from $8 million this year. The money will help pay for planting trees along streams on farms, improve urban stormwater control systems, and take other steps to reduce runoff of pollution into waterways.

This money is critically important for cleaning up the Bay. And O’Malley deserves praise for boosting this fund during a recession and time of budget cuts. 

After the Bay area states and EPA missed two deadlines, in 2000 and 2010, for restoring the Chesapeake’s water quality, Maryland and the other states promised to improve their performance.

The states must now meet new two year pollution reduction goals.  This $20 million is the backbone of Maryland’s plan to comply with the new targets.  Now that O’Malley has offered this money, the General Assembly should support the governor’s proposal and help the state keep its promise to the Bay.  If the state fails, we’ll all fail to see a healthy Chesapeake. Worse, federal penalties may well kick in. EPA for the first time is saying it will penalize states that fail to meet their goals.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund, created in 2007 by the governor and General Assembly at the urging of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, was designed to receive $50 million a year in a dedicated revenue stream from taxes on rental cars and fuels. But then the economic downturn slammed in, and budget cuts took a toll. Last year, O’Malley tried to appropriate $25 million for the fund, but the General Assembly cut it to $10 million, before the governor and state Board of Public Works cut it again to $8 million.

Memo to lawmakers: Don’t slash this fund again this year. Please back O’Malley in his effort to breathe life into this clean water program.

Comments

[John Koontz]

We will see. I have little faith that Maryland's elected offical will put up the money. They would rather talk about saving the Bay rather than actualy do it.

[Douglas Edwards]

I see that the Guv just bought endorsement of MLCV w/tax $ he does't have.Hope the General Assembly defunds this Democrat slush fund or at least halves it.