The Maryland Department of the Environment enforces State and federal environmental laws to protect public health and our land, air, water, and wetlands resources.
The majority of the Department’s enforcement and compliance activities involve working with permit holders to correct any minor deficiencies with no formal enforcement action taken or financial penalties assessed. This assistance may be the most efficient method to achieve compliance. If an inspection reveals a significant violation, or if minor violations continue to recur and become a significant problem, then enhanced actions are warranted. Such action may take the form of penalties, corrective orders, the filing of injunctions, and, in some cases, criminal sanctions.
Enforcement of criminal violation of environmental laws is handled by the Environmental Crimes Unit of the Office of the Attorney General.
Below are recent enforcement actions brought to a resolution with financial penalties of $10,000 or more.
Air Pollution and Radiation Enforcement Actions
The Department of the Environment’s Air and Radiation Administration ensures that all citizens and businesses are meeting the requirements of the federal Clean Air Act as well as Maryland’s air pollution control laws. The administration oversees air pollution monitoring, planning, and control programs to improve and maintain air quality and a radiation control program to protect the public and occupational workers from unnecessary exposure to radiation from medical equipment and other devices, in conformance with federal and state law.
Bizerba Label Solutions, Inc. – Harford County
On August 5, 2024, MDE sent an administrative settlement letter to Bizerba Label Solutions Inc. for alleged violations of operating permit conditions. The company failed to obtain a Permit to Construct before installing and operating a hot melt adhesive press. The company has since obtained the required permit. Bizerba Label Solutions paid the $11,000 penalty.
Land Pollution Enforcement Actions
Composting
A composting permit assures the proper management and recycling of organics such as yard trimmings, pre-consumer and post-consumer food scraps, non-recyclable paper, department-approved animal manure and bedding, industrially produced food processing materials, animal mortalities, manufactured organic materials like waxed-corrugated cardboard, non-coated paper, and other materials that the department determines pose a low level of risk from hazardous substances and a higher level risk from physical contaminants and human pathogens.
West Coast Mushrooms, LLC – Cecil County
On October 24, 2024, MDE entered into a settlement agreement and consent order to resolve alleged violations of Maryland’s composting law. The defendants agreed to a penalty of $15,000, with $10,000 being paid in full and the remaining balance of $5,000 held in abeyance.
Water Pollution Enforcement Actions
State law prohibits the discharge of any pollutant into waters of the State, unless such discharge is in compliance with the terms, conditions, and requirements of a discharge permit. A person must hold a discharge permit issued by MDE before the person may construct, install, modify, extend, alter or operate any facility or disposal system or any other outlet or establishment if its operation could cause or increase the discharge of pollutants into waters of the State.
State law requires that, prior to performing construction activity, a person obtain and implement a Soil Conservation District-approved erosion and sediment control plan for any proposed land clearing or earth disturbance greater than 5,000 square feet that must be maintained for the life of the project. It is unlawful for any person to introduce soil or sediment into waters of the State or to place soil or sediment in a condition or location where it is likely to be washed into waters of the State.
State law requires that property owners notify MDE before conducting any work in tidal and nontidal wetlands, their buffers, and waterways of the State. MDE assesses the impact of any work on tidal and nontidal wetlands and, if appropriate, will issue a permit authorizing the work. The regulations governing wetlands were developed to protect the State’s natural resources that depend on those wetlands and minimize impacts while allowing property owners reasonable use of their property.
State law requires that any activity involving earth disturbance over one acre requires a General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activity. This permit requires the implementation of an approved erosion and sediment control plan prior to performing earth grading operations as well as self-monitoring inspections of the erosion and sediment controls.
State law requires any project that impacts waterways, including the 100 year floodplain, shall be authorized by a State Waterway Construction Permit. Construction must proceed in accordance with the permit conditions and the MDE Approved plan. The laws and regulations governing construction projects were developed to protect the State’s natural resources while allowing property owners reasonable use of their property.
WSSC Potomac Water Filtration Plant – Montgomery County
On December 10, 2024, MDE issued a $138,000 stipulated penalty to resolve alleged water pollution violations in 2023. The penalty was paid in full.
Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works – Anne Arundel County
On December 10, 2024, MDE issued a $65,726 penalty settlement to resolve sanitary sewer overflows that occurred in 2022 and 2023. The penalty has been paid in full.
Baltimore Scrap Corporation – Baltimore City
On October 21, 2024, MDE issued a $65,000 stipulated penalty to Baltimore Scrap Corporation for alleged violations of a prior settlement agreement executed for the facility’s failure to comply with the state’s general permit for industrial stormwater discharges.
Triumph Industrial Park Wastewater Treatment Plant – Cecil County
On November 19, 2024, MDE entered into a settlement agreement with Triumph Industrial Park to resolve alleged water pollution violations from October 2019 through December 2023. Triumph Industrial Park agreed to pay a $55,000 penalty.
SAG Utilities LLC t/a ECHO Realty – Calvert County
On October 30, 2024, MDE issued a $44,737 penalty settlement to resolve alleged effluent and discharge permit violations at the Shoppes at Apple Green Wastewater Treatment Plant from March 2020 through June 2024.
Johnson’s Retreat – Wicomico County
On December 16, 2024, MDE issued a $32,500 penalty settlement to D.R. Horton to resolve alleged sediment and erosion control and stormwater violations at the Johnson’s Retreat construction site in Salisbury from July 2023 through September 2023.
Public Storage – Baltimore County
On October 29, 2024, MDE issued a $31,003 penalty settlement to Public Storage to resolve unauthorized discharges of untreated sewage at the Public Storage facility in Nottingham through June 14, 2024. This penalty has been paid in full.
Beaver Run Mobile Home Park – Dorchester County
On May 23, 2024, MDE and Beaver Run Mobile Home Park entered into a settlement agreement and consent order regarding alleged water pollution violations and a schedule for wastewater treatment plant upgrades at the Beaver Run Mobile Home Park in Linkwood. The Consent Decree includes a $30,787 penalty. The penalty was paid in full.
City of Baltimore – Baltimore City
On October 11, 2024, MDE issued $30,750 in stipulated penalties for alleged permit violations and unauthorized discharges at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant and Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant from February 16, 2024, through May 15, 2024. The stipulated penalties, which were issued in accordance with a consent decree between MDE and Baltimore City, were paid in full.
A-Flush-Away, LLC – Baltimore County
On December 4, 2024, MDE issued a $30,000 settlement agreement to resolve alleged water pollution violations at or from properties in Reisterstown Rosedale in June 2021. The penalty was paid in full.
Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association – Howard County
On October 21, 2024, MDE issued a $30,000 penalty settlement to resolve alleged effluent and stormwater violations at the association’s Howard County facility from September 2020 through December 2023. The penalty has been paid.
Town of Pittsville Wastewater Treatment Plant – Wicomico County
On November 4, 2024, MDE issued a $29,000 penalty settlement to resolve alleged discharge permit violations from June 19, 2019, through December 2023. The penalty was paid in full.
Hogan Companies, Predrock Partners LLC – Frederick County
On December 3, 2024, MDE issued a $28,892 penalty settlement to resolve alleged stormwater permit violations from December 2023 through July 2024 at Belle Air Farm. The penalty has been paid in full.
Kemira Water Solutions – Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County
On November 4, 2024, MDE issued a $27,410 penalty settlement to Kemira Water Solutions to resolve exceedances of permitted limits and unauthorized discharges from June 2021 through March 2024 at Kemira Water Solutions in Baltimore. The penalty has been paid in full.
Chesapeake City North and South Wastewater Treatment Plant – Cecil County
On November 4, 2024, MDE issued a $24,000 penalty settlement to resolve alleged effluent violations and sanitary sewer overflows at the town’s wastewater treatment plant and throughout the town’s sanitary sewer collection system from January 2018 through October 2023. The Town has agreed to pay the penalty over eight consecutive quarters.
Gillis Gilkerson – Wicomico County
On October 11, 2024, MDE issued an $18,667 administrative penalty to resolve the unauthorized discharge of concrete-laden water and concrete slurry that entered the Town of Ocean City’s storm sewer system as a result of improper implementation of erosion and sediment controls at a construction project. The penalty has been paid in full.
City of Baltimore – Baltimore City
On November 1, 2024, MDE issued $14,250 in stipulated penalties to the City of Baltimore for alleged permit violations and unauthorized discharges at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant and Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant from May 16, 2024, through August 15, 2024. The stipulated penalties were issued in accordance with a consent decree between MDE and Baltimore City.
Maryland Water Service Inc. – Allegany County
On October 29, 2024, MDE issued a $10,457 penalty to Maryland Water Service to resolve alleged effluent violations at the Pinto Wastewater Treatment Plant from March 2020 through June 2024. The penalty was paid in full.
D.W. Burt Concrete Construction Inc. – Worcester County
On December 20, 2024, MDE entered into a settlement agreement with DW Burt Concrete Construction, Inc. (DW Burt) to resolve alleged water pollution violations at a construction project in Ocean City. DW Burt has agreed to pay a $10,000 penalty. The penalty has been paid in full.
Tall Timbers Development Company – St. Mary’s County
On October 21, 2024, MDE issued a $10,000 penalty settlement for unpermitted operations from October 2023 through June 2024 at the Tall Timbers Marina. The penalty is to be paid in full by October 2025.
ALove Point Ventures Inc. – Talbot County
On October 8, 2024, MDE issued a $10,000 penalty settlement to resolve alleged violations of sediment and erosion control, sediment and stormwater pollution violations at the Elliott Road Apartments site. The penalty was paid in full.
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