Take Howard County's Climate Change Survey!
Howard County is working to reduce the impacts of climate change by reducing energy use, using renewable energy, and more. But even with these efforts on the local level, we are expecting more extreme heatwaves, cold snaps, and extreme storms. The county wants to make sure that county residents have what they need to handle these changes and challenges.
Testimony for SB229, On-Farm Composting
SB229: Environment – On–Farm Composting Facilities – Permit Exemption
House Environment and Transportation Committee
March 30, 2022
Positon: Favorable
Dear Chairman Barve and Members of the Committee,
Clean Water Action supports SB229 to expand the footprint of on-farm compost facilities, and we appreciate the amendments that Senator Gallion and Delegate Shetty agreed to which strengthen the entire on-farm compost permit.
Say No to a New M-83 Highway
M83 is an outdated solution to our traffic and development problems, yet it is still a part of Montgomery County's Master Plan of Highways and Transitways. Two other parallel highways exist - instead of investing in yet another highway Montgomery County should invest in transit and other transportation alternatives. Bus rapid transit, expanding Ride-On services, and investing in problematic intersections should be pursued before plowing through hundreds of acres of forest and preserve.
Justice 40 principles in Maryland
Testimony for HB1033
House Appropriations Committee
March 15, 2022
Position: FAVORABLE
Dear Chair McIntosh and Members of the Committee,
HB566: Zero Waste infrastructure in schools!
Today, the House Appropriations Committee held its hearing on HB566, legislation to bring Maryland one step further down the path to Zero Waste by ensuring that new schools are built with facilities to separate recycling and compost from the trash in place. What a great idea! Read our testimony for more:
HB566: School Construction – Design Documents – Waste Disposal Infrastructure
House Appropriations Committee
February 17, 2022
Testimony on Septic Systems
HB318 - On-Site Wastewater Services - Regulation
House Environment and Transportation Committee
February 9, 2022
Position: Favorable
Dear Chairman Barve and Members of the Committee,
Testimony for SB229/HB184: On-Farm Composting
Small, local composting operations are a big part of the Zero Waste solution! That's why we're so excited to support SB229/HB184, to promote the development of on-farm compost facilities. In collaboration with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Shore Rivers, we're also supporting amendments to make sure that these compost operations don't have unintended environmental consequences.
Testimony for SB124: Grant Program to Reduce and Compost School Waste
Today, we testified in favor of SB124, legislation to create a grants program for public schools to divert food waste and develop composting infrastructure! Check out the public hearing here, read a recap here, and click here to email your representatives!
Another year for clean water
If I had to summarize 2021 in one word, I’d use adaptation to describe how our offices across the country and in Maryland took to the hurdles and challenges of the last two years of the pandemic and transformed them into a totally new way of organizing, outreach, and policy change.
How Salt Gets in the Environment
We usually associate saltwater with the ocean, which gets its distinctive flavor from naturally occurring minerals. Such minerals are also found in freshwater systems in lower concentrations, and natural salt levels vary with local geology. However, human inputs of salt increase concentrations far beyond naturally occurring levels, threatening ecosystem balance. Therefore, it is important to understand how humans cause salt pollution. In this section, we will reveal the human activities responsible for salt pollution and the extent of their impacts.