Maryland Department of the Environment

Media Contacts

Julie Oberg
(410) 537-3003

Robert Ballinger
(410) 537-3012

MDE Secretary Wilson Statement: MDE Announces Results of 30-Day Enforcement Cases Review

BALTIMORE, MD (May 4, 2007) – “The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has completed its 30-day review of all open complaints and notices of violation to determine whether there are outstanding enforcement actions that are not being actively pursued.

MDE reviewed 1,056 open complaints and notices of violations in its 23 regulatory enforcement programs. The Department determined that the majority (94 percent) of cases are being pursued in a timely manner according to existing program process. The review also identified 63 cases that are not being pursued in a timely manner and require further investigation or referral to the Attorney General’s office. MDE is accelerating enforcement on these 63 cases, prioritizing by violations with the greatest public health and environmental impact.

This review also highlighted the need to develop and implement department-wide internal operating procedures for enforcement activities. We began that process in February and expect to have new internal procedures in place by October 1, 2007. MDE pursues an average of 1,500 enforcement actions each year. MDE has and continues to take steps to communicate enforcement activities more clearly including a new website about enforcement that highlights MDE enforcement activities: www.mde.state.md.us/AboutMDE/enfcomp.asp.

Concurrently, the Department has started a fiscal analysis project, which will analyze revenues, expenditures and staff resource allocation and needs, including enforcement. This project is expected to be complete by this September. This analysis will enable MDE to assess priorities according to the current greatest public health and environmental needs and determine whether it is necessary to realign resources and to what extent that can be accomplished under current laws and funding requirements. Additional information about the fiscal project is available on our website at: www.mde.state.md.us/AboutMDE/mde2007fap.asp.

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