WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor Ch. 306

SECTION 4. 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 2
of this Act shall take effect June 1, 1987.

SECTION 6. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 3 of
this Act shall take effect July 1, 1987.

Approved May 14, 1987.

CHAPTER 306

(Senate Bill 671)

AN ACT concerning

Reorganization of State Government -
Environmental Area

FOR the purpose of creating in the Executive Branch of Maryland
government a new department to be known as the Department of
the Environment; consolidating existing environmental
regulatory programs into a single cabinet level agency;
providing for the appointment of a Secretary of the
Environment; providing that the Secretary shall be
responsible for the operation and administration of the new
department; providing for the appointment of a Deputy
Secretary and other staff personnel as may be necessary to
carry out the transferred functions; transferring certain
environmental regulatory functions from the Department of
Natural Resources and the Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene to the new Department of the Environment; providing
that the new department shall be responsible for certain
programs involving sediment control, stormwater management,
oil pollution control, well drilling, radiation control,
hazardous and solid waste management, and air and water
quality control; transferring certain environmental boards,
commissions, and councils from the Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene to the Department of the Environment; making
certain technical changes; making provisions of this Act
severable; providing certain employees with the option to
transfer to certain other positions in State service;
requiring the Executive Branch to submit a certain report to
certain committees of the General Assembly; setting forth a
certain intent of the General Assembly for the placement
consideration of certain programs within the Department of
the Environment; requiring the development of a certain
policy towards the pesticide regulation and education;
providing that the allocation of certain funds shall not be
affected by certain delegations of duties and

responsibilities to certain local officials; requiring

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