Marvin Mandel, Governor                         723

mediately after Section 471 thereof; and that Section 474(a) of the
same Code, title and subtitle, as last amended by Chapter 57 of the
Acts of 1966, be and the same is hereby repealed and re-enacted,
with amendments, to read as follows:

471.

[The County Commissioners may establish garbage zones in Har-
ford County and to establish schedules of service charges to be
made to each household or commercial unit for the removal of gar-
bage, ashes, trash, and other waste material. These unit service
charges shall be sufficient to defray the cost of removal of such
garbage, ashes, trash, and other waste matter in each established
garbage zone. The service charges shall be levied and collected from
the owner of real estate as county taxes are collected and shall have
the same priority rights, bear the same interest and penalties, and
in every respect be treated as county taxes. The County Commis-
sioners are further authorized to have the waste removal made by
county employees, or, after competitive bidding, to execute contracts
for such removal by an independent contractor or contractors for
such periods and upon such terms as they may establish.]

(a) The County Commissioners may establish a Division of Waste
Disposal within the Department of Public Works with the following
powers and duties:

(1)  To establish waste disposal zones in Harford County and to
adopt schedules of service charges to be made to each household,
commercial, industrial or other unit, for the removal of garbage,
ashes, trash or other waste material. These unit charges shall be
sufficient to defray the cost of removal of the waste matter in each
established zone. The service charges shall be levied and collected
from the owner of real estate as county taxes are collected and shall
have the same priority rights, bear the same interest and penalties,
and in every respect be treated as county taxes. The County Com-
missioners are further authorized to have the waste removal made
by county employees or, after competitive bidding, to execute con-
tracts for its removal by an independent contractor or contractors
for whatever periods and upon whatever terms as they may establish.

(2)   To develop a plan for the systematic collection and disposal
of litter, refuse or other solid waste for the purpose of complying
with the provisions of Section 389C of Article 43 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland.

(3)   To provide leadership and to cooperate with citizens, civic
groups, the Harford County Environmental Committee, the Mary-
land Historic Trust, the State Roads Commission, the Department
of Forests and Parks, THE STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRA-
TION, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES,
municipalities, and other governmental agencies for the purpose of
collecting and disposing of waste materials; to enter agreements
with the above parties and to provide those governmental services
necessary to achieve the objective of a clean and healthy environ-
ment.

(b) Either the County Commissioners, acting directly, or the
Division of Waste Disposal shall have the power to enter upon THE
premises and abate the nuisance whenever the person or persons in