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ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor H.B. 1588
WHEREAS, This consensus was reached between the State and the seven
Patuxent River counties to substantially reduce the flow of phosphorus and nitrogen
from sewage treatment plants to the Patuxent River; and
WHEREAS, The nutrient control policy under the Patuxent Charette Agreement
provided that all facilities discharging over 500,000 gallons a day of wastewater must
remove phosphorus to 1.0 mg/l of wastewater and plan for a possible 0.3 mg/l
phosphorus limit; and
WHEREAS, The nutrient control policy under the Patuxent Charette Agreement
provided that all facilities plan for nitrogen removal to a limit of no more than 3.0
mg/l; and
WHEREAS, After 25 years, several of the sewage treatment plants covered by the
policy are not meeting the standards envisioned by the Patuxent Charette Agreement;
and
WHEREAS, The living resources of the Patuxent River have yet to be restored due
in part to the failure to meet the standards of the Patuxent Charette Agreement; and
WHEREAS, There is new technology, called "enhanced nutrient removal," that
can reduce phosphorus and nitrogen from sewage treatment plants to levels of 0.3
mg/l of phosphorus and 3.0 mg/l of nitrogen; and
WHEREAS, In 2004, the Bay Restoration Fund was created for the purpose of
paying the costs of upgrading sewage treatment plants in the State to achieve
"enhanced nutrient removal"; and
WHEREAS, The technology and funding now exist to make the restoration of the
Patuxent River a priority; now, therefore,
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article - Environment
4-301.
(a) In this subtitle, the following words have the meanings indicated.
(b) In this subtitle the word "Watershed" means the Patuxent River
Watershed and the Severn River Watershed.
(c) The "Patuxent River Watershed" is the land and water area from which all
water drains either directly or indirectly to the Patuxent River.
(d) The "Severn River Watershed" is the land and water area from which all
water drains either directly or indirectly to the Severn River.
4-302.
(A) The General Assembly declares that the Patuxent River and the Severn
River are a great natural asset and resource to the State and the counties through
which they run. As a result of poorly treated effluent discharged from sewage disposal
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