Latest news with #EnvironmentalJusticeinConfinedAquaticDisposalAct
CBS News
10-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Proposed Maryland bill would prevent dredged material from being stored in overburdened communities
BALTIMORE -- Maryland lawmakers have proposed a bill that could prevent the state's port administration from storing dredged material from the Baltimore Harbor in already overburdened communities. In June 2024, Anne Arundel County residents complained about the environmental impacts of the Maryland Port Administration's planned confined aquatic disposal project. Residents say this proposed bill is needed to protect their waterways for decades. "We're very concerned about that being dumped into the water, right near our homes," said Stoney Beach resident John Garofolo. What would the proposed bill accomplish? Senate Bill 168 – the Environmental Justice in Confined Aquatic Disposal Act – aims to prevent the construction of confined aquatic disposal (CAD) cells within five miles of a residential overburdened community. "The state and other businesses keep dumping environmentally contaminated material in their area, and this would protect them from that," said Sen. Bryan Simonaire. Sen. Simonaire sponsored the bill after residents expressed concern about the port administration's plan to build a CAD cell on the Patapsco River less than a mile from their homes. "The communities that are overburdened already don't want to be the testbed for the state to see if it's going to work or what kind of adverse environmental impact it'll be," Simonaire said. If passed, the bill would go into effect on October 1, 2025. What is CAD? CAD involves digging a hole on the river floor in order to store the hazardous dredged material from the Baltimore harbor. Garofolo, and other residents, fear this would bring more contaminants to their already overburdened community, after decades of pollution from surrounding industries. Garofolo testified in favor of the bill at the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee hearing on Jan. 28. "The existing pollution has had overwhelming impacts to our health, employment and businesses, the Patapsco is not a resource to be exploited nor are its communities," Garofolo said. Life-long Pasadena resident and boater Carl Treff also testified. "As a resident, a recreationalist, an environmental steward of the Patapsco River, I cannot fathom in this era of bay restoration, how mining and destroying the bottom of our river is a good idea," Treff said. MPA provided the following statement to WJZ: "The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) is currently facilitating the state's evaluation of a dredged sediment management option known as confined aquatic disposal under the statutory framework of the state's Dredged Material Management Program created by the Maryland General Assembly." "The evaluation of contained aquatic disposal is an ongoing process that will continue to involve a comprehensive subcommittee formed by the MPA that includes outside stakeholders including local communities." "Part of this process is to fully understand the complete technical, environmental, socioeconomic, and community impacts of confined aquatic disposal. Prioritizing environmental justice is a core component of the subcommittee's focus." "We understand the concerns that have been raised and will make sure that as the process continues, it does so while continuing to be transparent and inclusive. We believe that a ban as proposed in this bill is premature, and circumvents the important work being done by the subcommittee."
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland bill seeks to stop storage of dredged material from Baltimore Harbor near overburdened communities
BALTIMORE — In the wake of public outcry about a storage option for dredged material from the Baltimore Harbor, an Anne Arundel County lawmaker is seeking to stop the construction of confined aquatic disposal cells near communities that have been overburdened by pollution. Republican Sen. Bryan Simonaire is the sole sponsor of the Environmental Justice in Confined Aquatic Disposal Act. The measure would prevent the Maryland Department of the Environment from processing or making recommendations to the Board of Public Works for applications to build confined aquatic disposal cells — underwater containment structures that store dredged material from the harbor's shipping channels in depressions at the bottom of a waterway — within 5 miles of overburdened residential communities, as well as preventing the board from approving such a project. 'I am completely supportive of our port; it's a driver of our economy, jobs. This bill has nothing to do with undermining what our port does and I appreciate their efforts,' Simonaire said at a Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Committee bill hearing this week. 'But I also appreciate communities, especially those who live in overburdened communities that have been the brunt of environmental pollution for years — for decades — and trying to protect them and come up with a balance, and that's what I think this legislation does.' Under state law, dredged material from the Baltimore Harbor must be confined and placed only in contained areas approved by MDE. According to the Maryland Port Administration, more than 1 million cubic yards of sediment are dredged from the harbor's shipping channels yearly. However, the agency does not have a definition for what confined means. At a bill hearing Tuesday, Simonaire said he asked Gov. Wes Moore's administration to define a confined area, but they preferred the flexibility of the existing language, he said. Confined aquatic disposal, also known as CAD, is a newer practice in the state. The first pilot program next to Baltimore's Masonville dredged material containment facility was completed in 2018 and has been deemed a success by state officials. However, the bill would not completely ban the use of CAD cells in Maryland. Casey Hunter, who testified on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Maryland, said the bill is a 'crucial step' toward addressing ongoing environmental injustices faced by those who live in overburdened communities. She said projects that pose risks to public health or safety have historically been placed in these communities, and residents often lack the resources to challenge siting. 'It's just a common-sense measure to ensure that the burden of risk for this type of project does not continue to fall on Maryland's already overburdened and underserved communities,' she said, urging a favorable report. Stoney Beach resident John Garofolo, a retired federal scientist who has raised concerns about the concept for over a year, said he understands the importance of shipping as the harbor expands. Still, the state must 'tread lightly' on the Patapsco River. 'The existing pollution has had significant impacts to our health, employment and businesses,' he said. 'The Patapsco is not a resource to be exploited, nor are its communities.' A lifelong Pasadena resident, Carl Treff, said the Patapsco 'is not Maryland Port Administration's landfill.' 'I cannot fathom in this era of Bay restoration, how mining and destroying the bottom of our river is a good idea,' he said. 'The MPA has yet to prove without a doubt that CAD is an environmentally safe alternative to land-based dredge storage.' Over the past few months, the port administration has been evaluating the use of CAD to manage dredged material as existing storage sites reach capacity. Last year, Anne Arundel County lawmakers proposed creating a task force to study the concept, its risks and its benefits during the legislative session. Their bills failed to advance, prompting MPA to convene its own group of state, federal and local officials to study the technical aspects, risks and benefits of using CAD. The group, known as the Bay Enhancement Working Group CAD Subcommittee, has held five meetings since September, with two more scheduled for February and March. While Sen. Mary Washington, a Democrat representing Baltimore City and Baltimore County, suggested reworking part of Simonaire's bill, she also asked whether parts of the state's environmental code should be reevaluated, noting that some portions had not been updated in more than 20 years. 'My personal opinion would be, let's keep it simple this year and pass it, and I would commit to work with you over the interim, to come up with working with the departments and revise this,' Simonaire said. 'Because I think it's complex as far as what should be there and what shouldn't be there, but I am certainly on board with working with you and would support that.' ---------
