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List of State Officials - Martin O'Malley, Governor; Anthony Brown, Lt. Governor; Shari T. Wilson, MDE Secretary 

Volume IV, Number 3

 February 2010

eMDE is a quarterly publication of the Maryland Department of the Environment. It covers articles on current environmental issues and events in the state. 

Meetings, Announcements, and Opportunities

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MDE Seeks Volunteers to Help Fight Water Pollution, Restore Chesapeake Bay

The Maryland Department of the Environment is seeking talented, energetic, and detail-minded individuals to join its Volunteer Enforcement Corps. The program is expanding as it enters its second year of work to monitor and reduce sediment pollution carried by stormwater runoff to Maryland waterways.

The program, launched in February 2009, is a partnership of MDE and Volunteer Maryland, an Americorps program of the Governor’s Office. Past volunteers have included students and professionals seeking employment.
Volunteer Maryland is building partnerships with local high schools, whose students can count the time spent volunteering toward their service requirements, along with colleges and retirement communities.

For more information, go to Maryland Department of the Environment’s Volunteer Enforcement Corps page.

Participate in Shaping Maryland's Future PlanMaryland Public Forums

PlanMaryland is a new planning process designed to create a better and more sustainable future for Maryland. The state legislature created the authority for such a plan in the 1970s, but a broader recognition of the costs of unsustainable types of land use has grown in recent years to the point where such a plan is now urgently needed. We need to do a better job of steering development toward areas that already have roads, schools and other public infrastructure.

The Maryland Department of Planning is holding 13 PlanMaryland public forums, or meetings, throughout the state during the first half of 2010. You are invited to attend and participate in these meetings. For more information including the dates and locations, visit http://planning.maryland.gov/MDPHeadlines.shtml#PlanMDPublicForums

Seeking Participating Companies for Summer 2010 Pollution Prevention Intern Program

MDE and University of Maryland Manufacturing Assistance Program (UMMAP) have partnered to place engineering students as summer interns at businesses across Maryland since 2000. Participating companies have included metal finishers, printers, and a variety of manufacturing facilities. Engineering students work closely with UMMAP staff to identify process and equipment improvements that will save energy, reduce environmental impacts, and lower operating costs for the company.
 
MDE and UMMAP are seeking participating companies for summer 2010. To learn more about how your business can take advantage of this valuable program, contact the Maryland Department of the Environment Pollution Prevention and Sustainability Program at 410-537-4119.

Mid-Atlantic Green Business Forum -- March 26, 2010

The Mid-Atlantic Green Business Forum will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on March 26, 2010, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., at The Engineer’s Club in Baltimore. The conference will include sessions on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification, energy efficiency trends, moving your business toward sustainability, harnessing the power of lean and green, marketing and business development, and networking with Green Drinks Annapolis and Baltimore. For detailed agenda information and registration, go to www.b2bgreenforum.com

Seeking Participating Companies for Spring 2010 ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Implementation Program

The Maryland Department of the Environment, in partnership with the University of Maryland Manufacturing Assistance Program, offers free assistance to Maryland companies in developing and implementing Environmental Management Systems (EMS). The next EMS group is forming now and will start in March 2010.
 
“This program has been a tremendous help for us,” said Jerry Adams, Director, Environmental & Safety Compliance, MedStar Health. “We're now in a position to prepare a template for our other hospitals and healthcare facilities in 2010 and we couldn't have done it without this program.”

Businesses participate in four workshops held over a six-month period and complete assignments to implement procedures that assure compliance with environmental laws and regulations as well as identify and implement ways to prevent pollution while saving money. In addition to the workshops, the companies receive extensive on-site assistance in completing the assignments.

For more information on this valuable service, click this link and contact MDE Pollution Prevention Coordinator Laura Armstrong at 410-537-4119, Laura.Armstrong@maryland.gov. There is no cost to participate in this program.

NEW! MDE Regulations in Development - Now Online

Please visit our new web page for a comprehensive list of all MDE regulations that are in the process of being developed, reviewed, or revised by the Department. The web page includes information on the purpose of the regulations, the status, deadlines, and opportunities for public comment.

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Editorial Board
Maryland Department of the Environment
1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21230
http://mde.maryland.gov/
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