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.
Perdue AgriBusiness, LLC – Wicomico County
On February 18, 2025, Perdue AgriBusiness, LLC signed a settlement agreement that included a $16,500 penalty to resolve alleged air pollution violations at its Salisbury soybean facility. The company failed to conduct and record visible emission observations 11 times between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.
Land Pollution Enforcement Actions
Solid Waste
Solid waste acceptance facilities must ensure the proper disposal of solid waste in an environmentally acceptable manner while protecting the public health and the environment, including surface and groundwater. A Refuse Disposal Permit is required for the installation, alteration, or extension of a solid waste acceptance facility. The Permit regulates the design, construction, operation, and monitoring of such facilities to minimize the impact on public health and the environment. Municipal, rubble, and some industrial waste landfills are required to have liners and leachate collection systems that facilitate the collection of leachate and prevent migration of pollutants out of the landfill to adjacent subsurface soil, groundwater, and surface water. With some exceptions, processing and transfer activities are required to be conducted in an enclosed building to control odor, dust, and noise.
James Roberts, Tricia Roberts and John Baran – Howard County
On January 8, 2025, MDE entered into a settlement agreement and consent order to resolve alleged violations of Maryland’s solid waste law. The defendants agreed to a $60,000 penalty, which has been paid.
The Goode Companies, Inc. (Recycle One) – Prince George’s County
On February 20, 2025, MDE entered into a settlement agreement and consent order to resolve alleged violations of Maryland’s refuse disposal law. The defendants agreed to a $10,000 penalty, which has been paid.
Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste generators must arrange for shipment of their hazardous waste to a facility permitted to accept it or, with the appropriate permits, treat it themselves. A person who ships hazardous waste off-site must use a hauler certified by the Department and the waste must be accompanied by a document that tracks it from generation to disposal (the hazardous waste manifest). A person must comply with regulations on the storage of the waste and must follow specified procedures to prevent the occurrence of circumstances that would threaten human health or the environment
Lockheed Martin Corporation – St. Mary’s County
On January 24, 2025, MDE issued a notice of violation requiring compliance with Maryland’s controlled hazardous substance regulations. A $10,000 penalty was paid.
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.
Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation – Baltimore County
On March 28, 2025, MDE issued a stipulated penalty of $292,812.50 to resolve sanitary sewer overflows from Baltimore County’s collection system from 2016 through 2022, in accordance with a consent decree between MDE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Baltimore County.
Stewart A. Anderson Property - Anne Arundel County
On February 25, 2025, MDE and Stewart A. Anderson entered into a settlement agreement and consent order to resolve alleged water pollution violations for the unauthorized placement of fill in nontidal wetlands and an unnamed intermittent stream channel of Fishing Creek in Annapolis. The settlement agreement and consent order includes an administrative penalty of $47,000, with $43,000 on hold to be required only if the defendant does not fulfill requirements in the consent order.
Renditions Golf Course – Anne Arundel County
On February 27, 2025, MDE issued a $40,000 penalty settlement to resolve alleged discharge permit violations from June 2019 through September 2024. The penalty has been paid in full.
Eastern Sanitation Yard – Baltimore City
On January 17, 2025, MDE issued a $24,468 penalty settlement to resolve alleged discharge permit violations at the site from February 2020 through August 2024. The penalty was paid in full.
Fallston High and Middle School wastewater treatment plant – Harford County
On February 11, 2025, MDE issued a $20,591 penalty settlement to Harford County Public Schools to resolve the facility’s operation without appropriate permit coverage from October 2019 through June 2024. The penalty was paid in full.
Dorsey Run Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant – Anne Arundel County
On February 25, 2025, MDE issued a $20,000 penalty to the Maryland Environmental Service to resolve alleged violations at the Dorsey Run Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant from April 2020 through May 2023. The penalty was paid in full.
Atlantic Contracting and Materials Inc – Talbot County
On February 28, 2025, MDE issued a $20,000 penalty settlement to resolve violations of Maryland erosion control and stormwater management law at the Easton Airport from August 2024 through November of 2024. The penalty was paid in full.
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative – Calvert County
On March 6, 2025, MDE issued an $18,898 penalty settlement to resolve alleged water pollution violations at the SMECO right-of-way in Huntingtown from October 2023 through August 2024. The penalty was paid in full.
Caroline Acres Estates LLC – Caroline County
On January 9, 2025, MDE issued an $18,000 penalty settlement to resolve alleged discharge permit violations at the Caroline Acres Estates Mobile Home Park wastewater treatment plant facility from March 2022 through December 2022. The penalty is to be paid by October of 2025.
Farm and Home Service, Inc. – Carroll County
On March 3, 2025, MDE and Farm and Home Service, Inc., entered into a settlement agreement and consent order to resolve alleged water pollution violations concerning the company’s operation in Sykesville, Maryland from July 2022 to April 2024. The settlement agreement and consent order includes a $16,715 penalty, which has been paid in full.
Sparrows Point Country Club wastewater treatment plant – Baltimore County
On January 17, 2025, MDE issued a $15,000 penalty settlement to alleged discharge permit violations at the facility from February 2021 through August 2023. The penalty is to be paid in full by October of 2025.
Aggregate Transport Corporation – Anne Arundel County
On February 11, 2025, MDE issued a $10,491 penalty settlement to resolve the discharge permit violations from September 2017 through September 2021. The penalty was paid in full.
Command Technology, Inc. – Anne Arundel County
On March 18, 2025, MDE issued a $10,000 penalty settlement to resolve alleged discharge permit violations from December 2019 through April 2024. The penalty is to be paid in full by July 2025.
The Dee Corporation – Anne Arundel County
On March 18, 2025, MDE issued a $10,000 penalty settlement to resolve alleged violations of nontidal wetlands law for the unauthorized clearing of forest and for impacting the stream and nontidal wetlands along the Paulowina Branch from 2017 through 2022. The penalty has been paid in full.
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