Latest news with #MarylandDepartmentofAgriculture
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maryland begins first-ever inspection program for EV chargers
An EV charger in Columbia is tagged by the Maryland Department of Agriculture with a "Stop-use warning." (Photo courtesy Lanny Hartmann) The little-known team of 18 Maryland Department of Agriculture inspectors that typically checks equipment such as gas pumps and grocery store scales for accuracy has a new target: electric vehicle chargers. In recent weeks, the department has begun dispatching the 'weights and measures' inspectors to public EV charging stations around the state for the first time, including some inspections that were in response to customer complaints, said Alison Wilkinson, the agency's chief of weights and measures. It might come as a relief for EV drivers, including Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks, who said he sometimes struggles to find reliable chargers for his state-issued electric car. 'It's become more important, obviously, as I can't get back from someplace, because I go to three different places, and I spend an hour sitting there … And it's not charging,' Atticks said in a recent interview. Wilkinson said the weights and measures team won't police chargers for their 'uptime,' or how often they work for motorists, instead making sure that each charger gives an accurate accounting of the electricity it is dispensing, and charges consumers accordingly. But if an inspector visits an inoperable charger, Wilkinson said her agency would take action, notifying the operator and requiring fixes. 'We do not oversee uptime. That does not fall under Weights and Measures authority. However, under Weights and Measures authority, it does specify that the device owner is required by Maryland law to maintain their devices in an accurate working state for the consumer,' Wilkinson said. Already, inspectors have temporarily shut down a 'handful' of EV chargers for violations, Wilkinson said, mostly for illegally charging customers by the hour, rather than by kilowatt-hour, potentially penalizing customers for slower charging. Moore issues executive order that could delay EV sales penalties The inspection program comes as the electric vehicle industry faces an uncertain future, with the new presidential administration reneging on support for EVs and rescinding significant funding for charging infrastructure, including the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula program, which was expected to fund dozens of chargers along highways in Maryland. 'The industry as a whole is facing strong headwinds coming out of Washington, D.C., so it does pose a question for a state like Maryland that has bold EV goals,' said Josh Cohen, head of policy for SWTCH charging company. 'Is now the time to impose unwieldy regulations on chargers while the industry is still just getting off the ground?' But some legislators say the problem is significant enough to warrant inspections. Aside from Tesla chargers, which have a reputation for reliability, 'the record is not tremendous,' said state Sen. Shelly Hettleman (D-Baltimore County). That frustrates existing EV drivers and could stymie future purchases, all while the state is trying to encourage EV purchases to meet climate goals, she said. 'The last thing we want is for people who have made the investment in an EV to throw up their hands and go back to a gas guzzler,' Hettleman said. She introduced Senate Bill 913, that would have codified the Agriculture Department's authority to inspect EV chargers and called on it to develop and enforce new reliability requirements for chargers, which would have to be operational about 97% of the time. The bill failed, in part because it had a high cost of implementation during an incredibly tight year for the state budget. But the Agriculture Department determined that it could begin inspections without a new law, using its existing authority over weights and measures. That's because the department follows a national weights and measures policy — the National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 44 — that has already been updated to include assessments for EV chargers. Lanny Hartmann, a Maryland EV driver and blogger focused on charging, participated in a survey of charging infrastructure around the state in late 2024 and early 2025. It found that about half of the state's chargers were owned by electric vehicle manufacturers Tesla and Rivian, and those ports were 99% operational. But the remaining chargers were inoperable 31% of the time, Hartmann said in testimony on Hettleman's bill. He said many of those chargers are funded by public dollars, or were installed by electric utilities using ratepayer funds, under a program run by the Maryland Public Service Commission that is currently under evaluation. But Hartmann said he is 'not convinced that the solution is to appoint the government as the EV charging station police.' He worries that if the state places new inspection costs on charging companies, that cost would be passed onto consumers. 'Every penny that the price goes up … adds up, and there's already been a disturbing trend of the price of public charging creeping up,' Hartmann said. The Agriculture Department in January began registering service technicians, who install, repair and calibrate EV chargers. The registration fee is $200 per agency, $50 per technician and an additional $25 for a required test. The department will begin requiring registrations for every consumer-facing charging device next, Wilkinson said, with regulations being drafted now that could take effect this fall or winter. She said costs of the program will be covered by annual registration fees, which haven't been determined yet. The cost per device will depend on 'the amount of time and effort that would be put into it,' the number of workers needed and the overall cost of equipment for the program, Wilkinson said. In order to conduct the inspections, the department still needs to purchase large testing equipment known as a standard. Each machine costs more than $100,000, and the department will also need vehicles to transport them, and training for staff, Wilkinson said. She said the department will likely need two or three more staff members to handle the EV charger inspections. The state will be aiming to visit all Maryland chargers every few years. Inspecting EV chargers could present challenges that inspecting gas pumps don't, Wilkinson said. Unlike gas stations, some EV charging stations are inside parking garages, meaning inspectors might have to pay just to access them. Then, they will need to pay for the power at each station — at a gas station, inspectors can just return any fuel they pump without incurring a charge, Wilkinson said. And slower EV chargers might be in use for hours at a time, increasing the chances that inspectors would have to leave and return later for testing. 'We have a pretty good idea how we're going to move forward, but there will still be some hurdles to address along the way, just as there is with any new emerging technology,' Wilkinson said. Cohen, of SWTCH, said his company supports the meter accuracy rules, but that states must enforce those rules thoughtfully, or risk placing onerous requirements on a nascent industry. He added that he hasn't seen much evidence that there are wide-scale problems with electric meter inaccuracy on chargers. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'You could potentially have chargers being tagged by a field inspector as being out of service, just based on some network glitch that is able to be remotely fixed, and then require a field inspector to go back out again to retest it,' Cohen said. 'It's all needless delays and downtime for chargers that drivers are trying to charge at.' In mid-April, Hartmann said he found a charger in Columbia blocked off by signs stating it had been 'condemned' by the Agriculture Department. This week, the charger was still closed. When it comes to EV charger reliability, Cohen said he sees a need for 'more carrots and less sticks.' He thinks that charger manufacturers have an intrinsic motivation to keep their chargers running, and compete with titans like Tesla. 'I understand that legislators are responding to constituent frustration about some chargers that don't provide the experience that we want them to,' Cohen said. 'The industry itself is evolving, and competing to improve its products and services and address those concerns.' State legislators said they plan to return to the drawing board next year — and they have a plan for trimming the bill's fiscal note. This year's bill called for a website that would publish chargers' functionality in real time, which added a $2 million cost to the bill's fiscal note. Hettleman said that database was 'aspirational,' and may not be included when the bill is revived for the next legislative session. Del. Nick Allen (D- Baltimore County), who sponsored a companion bill to Hettleman's in the House, said he's optimistic that an amended bill would pass next session, particularly given the importance of EV adoption for the state's climate goals. 'Right now, it's kind of a Wild West,' Allen said. 'If we want to reach our goals of so many zero-emission vehicles being sold in Maryland — if we want to reach all these ambitious climate and emissions related goals, we need to make sure that when people pull off to charge their EV they have the same confidence that they do pulling into a gas station.'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Will there be cicadas in Maryland this year? Your guess is as good as ours.
The red-eyed menace known as the 'periodical cicada' has local scientists confidently predicting that the flying insects will definitely appear in Maryland this year. And that they definitely won't. But, if the flying insect does venture into the Free State in 2025, scientists believe it will be confined to the westernmost portions of Maryland bordering Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Or, the bugs will pop up in your Baltimore backyard. OK, but those 17-year cicadas — if there are any — will be part of Brood XIV. Or possibly stragglers from Brood X. The experts disagree. And the bugs themselves aren't granting interviews. 'They all look the same, and unfortunately they don't put numbers on their wings,' cicada expert Gene Kritsky said cheerfully. 'Cicadas are complicated. It's how I got tenure.' Kritsky and Mike Raupp, a.k.a. 'The Bug Guy' and a professor emeritus of entomology from the University of Maryland, suspect that Brood XIV will likely surface in Garrett and Allegany counties, with possibly a few sightings in Prince George's County. But they aren't certain. 'We'll have to wait and see,' said Kritsky, professor emeritus of biology at Mount Saint Joseph University in Cincinnati, and who has studied cicadas for 42 years. 'Historically, there have been Brood XIV cicadas in all of these places,' he said. 'One of the things we're interested in doing this year is attempting to verify what is really going on.' Gaye Williams, an entomologist with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, is confident that the Brood XIV bugs will bypass Maryland this year. The closest they will be found, she said, is in portions of central Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The three experts all know and respect one another. Williams chalked up the discrepancy to 'different ways of interpreting the data' and added: 'There are different definitions of 'stragglers.' Some people think that three or four cicadas count. But, I think there has to be a critical mass.' U.S. Department of Agriculture records provided by Kritsky appear to confirm that Brood XIV hasn't been spotted in Maryland since 1940. That was 85 years ago. 'That just means that Brood XIV cicadas haven't been counted since then,' he said. 'That doesn't mean the cicadas aren't there. In 2021, I discovered a brood in Ohio that had been missed for two centuries.' And yet, it's also not unheard of for even previously well-established cicada populations to disappear, vanquished by deforestation and habitat destruction. In 1954, Kritsky said, all of Brood XI went extinct. Complicating matters, scientists suspect that climate change is accelerating what has long been a 17-year-cycle. Cicadas are exceedingly sensitive to temperature, Kritsky said, appearing as soon as the soil has warmed to 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit, and typically after a soaking rain. And it has been known for a long time that a small amount of brood 'stragglers' may pop up four years after the main event, like revelers arriving late to a party. So, it's possible that any cicadas found inside state borders won't be representatives of Brood XIV but laggards from Brood X, which descended on Maryland en masse in 2021. 'They won't be as widespread as they were in 2021,' Kritsky said. He predicted that the largest concentrations will be found in northwestern Maryland, but wouldn't rule out the bugs occasionally startling pedestrians in the Baltimore region. Kritsky is urging Marylanders who spot a red-eyed cicada to snap a photo of the bug and to upload it to Cicada Safari, the free app he's developed. Kritsky said he received more than 500,000 photographs nationwide in 2021, creating a goldmine of useful data. 'Even if the cicadas don't appear anywhere in Maryland, that's important information for us to know,' he said. Have a news tip? Contact Mary Carole McCauley at mmccauley@ and 410-332-6704.
CBS News
12-03-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Maryland reports new case of bird flu from backyard flock in Anne Arundel County
The highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, or bird flu, was detected in a backyard flock in Anne Arundel County, according to the Maryland Department of Agriculture. State agriculture officials said all impacted areas are quarantined and the birds on the properties are being depopulated to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease. The birds in this flock will not enter the food system, officials say. Backyard flock owners are required to register their flocks with the Maryland Department of Agriculture to assist in protecting Maryland's poultry industries from diseases, according to agriculture officials. How bird flu spreads Bird flu spreads through their waste during wild bird migration, according to Maryland's Department of Agriculture, and when this contaminated waste comes in contact with farm animals, they can get sick. "The weakest link for us is this wildlife. We can't implement biosecurity measures on the flyway, so the farms are doing their best," said Dr. Jennifer Trout, the state's veterinarian at the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Bird flu can be deadly for poultry and is largely being blamed for the egg shortage and price hikes. Maryland reported its first case of bird flu this year on Jan. 10, after a routine sample at a Caroline County farm. At the time, it was the third reported case at a commercial operation in the Delmarva region, Department of Agriculture officials said. Knowing the symptoms Avian Influenza can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers. This virus affects chickens, ducks, and turkeys, along with some wild bird species such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors. Bird Flu can cause outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said birds can show the following symptoms when infected: Nasal discharge, coughing and sneezing Misshapen eggs or decreased egg production Sudden death without clinical signs Lack of energy and appetite What to know about Maryland's bird flu Maryland's state's agriculture department requires testing and other mitigation strategies to avoid spreading diseases like bird flu. Any lactating cows that are coming into the state need to be tested before entry. After a new order by the MDA, milk tank samples from every farm across Maryland are being tested, according to Dr. Trout. She also says poultry and birds are tested before they harvest eggs, which is routine to make sure flocks are safe and infected birds are not entering the food chain. Dr. Trout says poultry experience the worst symptoms and can die from contracting the disease. As for dairy cows, she says they can seem off, lethargic, and produce less milk, but it is not lethal. They are typically isolated from the herd until they recover. Dairy products from Maryland farms usually stay local. Dr. Trout says because the state has no cattle cases of bird flu, milk and other dairy product prices should not rise. "We're not going to necessarily experience a price increase like people in California would because we don't have it in the area, so we are solid. Everyone is still producing the same amount of milk," Dr. Trout explained. Farmers are encouraged to used strict biosecurity measures, such as wearing PPE to avoid contracting the virus themselves. Other biosecurity practices include limiting guests on the farm, wearing different shoes in each animal area, foot baths before exiting or entering a barn or house, and limiting the farm animals' exposure to other wildlife, according to Dr. Trout. Farms can also spray down external vehicles that enter the property to avoid tracking waste onto the farm. Is bird flu raising egg prices? More than 148 million birds have been euthanized since the H5N1 strain of bird flu reached the U.S. in 2022, CBS News reported. The USDA's culling policy has already taken a toll on the availability and price of eggs. Across the nation, bird flu is being blamed for soaring egg prices at grocery stores and restaurants, but in Maryland, most farms produce meat rather than eggs, Maryland Veterinarian Jennifer Trout told WJZ. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price for a dozen large eggs reached $4.15 in December 2024, up 14% from $3.65 in November. The USDA is predicting the price of eggs will rise by 20% in 2025. Studying bird flu Scientists at the University of Maryland are researching the science behind avian influenza, or bird flu. Dr. Andrew Broadbent, a researcher and professor at the University of Maryland, says the best way to stop outbreaks is to understand how the virus mutates and spreads. "We're looking to see how those strains evolve, what mutations can they accumulate? How do those mutations affect the virus replication?" Broadbent said.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
It's a red-eyed false alarm. The newest influx of cicadas will bypass MD this year
Talk about killing the buzz. Despite some news reports to the contrary, the newest influx of periodic cicadas — the red-eyed, at times comically clumsy aggravation with wings — will not descend upon Maryland in 2025. The source of the misunderstanding appears to be a map in the 2025 Old Farmer's Almanac that incorrectly states that Maryland can expect an onslaught of Brood XIV [14] cicadas this year. 'I'm trying to stay calm about this,' Gaye Williams, an entomologist with the Maryland Department of Agriculture said after reluctantly picking up the phone, 'but Brood 14 is not in Maryland. It never has been. It never will be.' For proof, she pointed to the website which she described as the definitive source on cicada populations in the U.S. And sure enough, the Mid-Atlantic Brood Map, which tracks cicada populations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, shows Brood 14 utterly bypassing the Free State. 'Maryland has Broods 2, 5, 10 and 19,' Williams said. 'That's it.' And Brood 19, she added, barely qualifies as a local bug. It surfaces every 13 years in just a tiny part of southern Maryland, but Williams refuses to divulge the specific location in the interests of protecting the nymphs from people inclined to dig them up. Brood 19 surfaced last summer, and is now enjoying a long rest before emerging again in 2037. Cicada groupies — people fascinated by the critters, who travel around the country to trace the emergence of each new brood and who experiment with cicada cuisine and jam along to the cicadas call with their own musical instruments — will have to visit central Pennsylvania or southern West Virginia to experience Brood 14 this summer. The other brood expected to emerge this year, the relatively small Brood I, can be encountered in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and West Virginia, as well as in parts of Tennessee and Long Island, New York. Maryland's last influx of the periodic cicadas was in 2021, when the prolific Brood X emerged, looking lost and confused as they weighed down branches of young trees, became tangled in people's hair, and served as an all-you-can-eat buffet for the state's population of delighted robins. But while Williams wishes that people would stop calling to ask her about cicadas — she has plenty of other work to do — she offers this consolation to the bugs' many fans: While Maryland won't see any of the periodic cicadas this year, the annual cicadas are another story. The so-called 'dog-day cicadas' are a bit larger than their long-slumbering cousins, though visually less flashy, with brown or green eyes and the distinctively lacy wings. They make their presence felt later in the summer, surfacing in June and embarking on their throaty mating thrum in August. Williams wishes that the cicada-phobic would just chill out. She pointed out that neither the annual nor periodic cicadas sting or bite. They do not carry diseases harmful to humans or pets. 'If you see 100 bugs,' Williams said, '95 of them could care less about you. They are doing their thing or actually helping people by pollinating plants. 'But somehow, we're sure that the bugs are all out to get us.' Have a news tip? Contact Mary Carole McCauley at mmccauley@ and 410-332-6704.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
It's a red-eyed false alarm. The newest influx of cicadas will bypass MD this year
Talk about killing the buzz. Despite some news reports to the contrary, the newest influx of periodic cicadas — the red-eyed, at times comically clumsy aggravation with wings — will not descend upon Maryland in 2025. The source of the misunderstanding appears to be a map in the 2025 Old Farmer's Almanac that incorrectly states that Maryland can expect an onslaught of Brood XIV [14] cicadas this year. 'I'm trying to stay calm about this,' Gaye Williams, an entomologist with the Maryland Department of Agriculture said after reluctantly picking up the phone, 'but Brood 14 is not in Maryland. It never has been. It never will be.' For proof, she pointed to the website which she described as the definitive source on cicada populations in the U.S. And sure enough, the Mid-Atlantic Brood Map, which tracks cicada populations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, shows Brood 14 utterly bypassing the Free State. 'Maryland has Broods 2, 5, 10 and 19,' Williams said. 'That's it.' And Brood 19, she added, barely qualifies as a local bug. It surfaces every 13 years in just a tiny part of southern Maryland, but Williams refuses to divulge the specific location in the interests of protecting the nymphs from people inclined to dig them up. Brood 19 surfaced last summer, and is now enjoying a long rest before emerging again in 2037. Cicada groupies — people fascinated by the critters, who travel around the country to trace the emergence of each new brood and who experiment with cicada cuisine and jam along to the cicadas call with their own musical instruments — will have to visit central Pennsylvania or southern West Virginia to experience Brood 14 this summer. The other brood expected to emerge this year, the relatively small Brood I, can be encountered in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and West Virginia, as well as in parts of Tennessee and Long Island, New York. Maryland's last influx of the periodic cicadas was in 2021, when the prolific Brood X emerged, looking lost and confused as they weighed down branches of young trees, became tangled in people's hair, and served as an all-you-can-eat buffet for the state's population of delighted robins. But while Williams wishes that people would stop calling to ask her about cicadas — she has plenty of other work to do — she offers this consolation to the bugs' many fans: While Maryland won't see any of the periodic cicadas this year, the annual cicadas are another story. The so-called 'dog-day cicadas' are a bit larger than their long-slumbering cousins, though visually less flashy, with brown or green eyes and the distinctively lacy wings. They make their presence felt later in the summer, surfacing in June and embarking on their throaty mating thrum in August. Williams wishes that the cicada-phobic would just chill out. She pointed out that neither the annual nor periodic cicadas sting or bite. They do not carry diseases harmful to humans or pets. 'If you see 100 bugs,' Williams said, '95 of them could care less about you. They are doing their thing or actually helping people by pollinating plants. 'But somehow, we're sure that the bugs are all out to get us.' Have a news tip? Contact Mary Carole McCauley at mmccauley@ and 410-332-6704.
