An Open Letter about the Storm Water Management Fee to 45th District Residents
I have been in the legislature a little over 55 days. I am a father, husband, electrician, and small business owner. I write to you today to express my unfavorable vote for House Bill 481 – Storm water Management – Watershed Protection and Restoration Program Repeal.
I have been assigned to the Environment and Transportation Committee. Being on this committee, I have had the ability to hear testimony from a vast amount of agencies, activist, and business about the importance of the Chesapeake Bay and the challenges we face in keeping it healthy.
Facts:
The Federal government has mandated that Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania come with in compliance of US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations by 2017 to ensure that trash and harmful run-off from storm water going into the drains being polluted in the Chesapeake Bay is decreased.
In 2012, the Maryland Legislature addressed this issue which will bring them into compliance by 2017.
There are nine counties and Baltimore City affected by this issue. They are Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Carroll, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County. The aforementioned counties were affected because they have a population over 100,000 and their proximity within the Chesapeake Bay. (Note: Places such as Cumberland in Western Maryland and Queen Anne’s on the Eastern Shore do not pay a storm water management fee.)
The legislation in 2012 is an agreement where the largest counties and Baltimore City share in the cost to address storm water concerns that pollute the bay. This ensures that we all take an equally shared responsibility in protecting the infrastructure and integrity of the Bay.
Last Year Baltimore City implemented street cleaning throughout the City. There were new machines purchased and a clear plan to show when curb side cleaning would happen on your block to remove the trash going into our sewer drain and ultimately being placed in the Chesapeake Bay. Many of my neighbors expressed their pleasure in the city’s approach to become aggressive with street cleaning. This was done because of the revenue collected from the Storm Water Management Fee, and a part of the action to meet the EPA standards.
The 2012 legislation gives rebates / waivers to property owners that already or install measures in place such as best management practices to reduce their storm water. Example can be considered rain barrels.
My Opinion / Position
I am not an expert on environmental issues. I am an electrician that understands infrastructure and a business owner that understand addressing responsibilities.
We are seeing the pipes break throughout the City of Baltimore due to an aging infrastructure, we have seen a lack of foresight by elected officials in the earlier years to tackle this issue that have left our generation to bear the extreme costs that are before of us.
I think about reading, Thursday’s Baltimore Sun issue and the front page of the paper discussed a family whom had been without water for over 2 weeks due to aging infrasture, and failed responsibility by previous elected officials to address those issues, instead our generation and future generations have to bear the cost.
As a business owner, I understand the economic power house that is the Chesapeake Bay. The city reaps untold billions of economic activity from a healthy Bay. It creates and sustains jobs, and if it is allowed to falter and fail, Baltimore’s economy will suffer.
For the aforementioned reasons, I voted unfavorable of House Bill 481. The administration attempt to repeal the Storm water Management – Watershed Protection and Restoration Program is an irresponsible way to remove a uniform standard and mitigate the pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is an economic engine which we must protect equally. We must not continue to put off tomorrow, what we can address today. If we do fail to make the tough choices, future generations will pay the cost.