BALTIMORE, MD (February 8, 2010) For the second straight year, the Maryland Department of the Environment issued more enforcement actions than in any previous year, an agency report released today shows. The agency also increased the number of sites inspected.

MDE’s 13th annual Enforcement and Compliance Report shows that the number of enforcement actions in the fiscal year that began in July 2008 increased by more than 7 percent compared to the prior fiscal year -- when the Agency issued what was then the highest number of actions since reporting began. The number of enforcement actions has increased by 44 percent since Fiscal Year 2007. In early 2007, MDE launched an initiative to improve enforcement.

“Restoring a baseline of enforcement activity has been a top priority for the Department of the Environment, so I am pleased to report that our actions in this area continue to become stronger. This benefits all Marylanders -- and the regulated entities that comply with regulations,” MDE Secretary Shari T. Wilson said. “Steady and consistent enforcement is critical to ensuring compliance with the state laws, regulations, and permits and ensures a level playing field for Maryland’s regulated community.”

The newly released Enforcement and Compliance Report for Fiscal Year 2009 shows:

• 2,901 enforcement actions by MDE, an increase of 7.48 percent over the year before and an increase of 44 percent over FY 2007.
• $6,516,601 in penalties collected, including the largest state environmental penalty ever levied by MDE, a $4 million settlement with ExxonMobil Corporation for the release of more than 25,000 gallons of gasoline at a service station in the Jacksonville area of Baltimore County.
• 51,587 regulated sites inspected, a 17 percent increase from the prior year.
• 14,412 instances of compliance assistance being rendered, up by nearly 3,000 from the year before. This approach is often the most efficient way to correct a minor violation and ensure compliance.

MDE began an initiative in 2007 to prioritize resources to enhance enforcement. This included a review of ongoing enforcement actions to determine timeliness, development of a department-wide internal operating procedure, and the use of the “MDEStat” management process. MDE regulates approximately 117,000 entities.

The annual report released today includes data from MDE’s enforcement and compliance programs in the Air and Radiation Management, Land Management (formerly Waste Management), and Water Management administrations, along with the Environmental Crimes Unit of the Office of the Attorney General. The report includes a general description of each program’s responsibilities, successes, and challenges, along with a table detailing the number of inspections, violations, enforcement actions, and penalties collected. Environment Article §1-301(d), enacted in 1997, requires MDE to report annual performance results for 15 regulatory programs and the penalty dollars collected and deposited into several specific funds.

To maximize the deterrence value of every enforcement action, each month MDE releases a list of the most significant environmental enforcement actions to the media and posts the information on the agency’s website.

Visit http://mde.maryland.gov/Pages/enfcomp.aspx to view the full enforcement report, previous annual enforcement reports, and the latest information on enforcement actions and other compliance activities.

 

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