Environment Maryland 2021 Legislative Agenda

Environment Maryland

Wildlife Over Waste 

Every day, Americans throw away hundreds of millions of plastic bags, containers and other single-use items. These plastic items harm our climate, our water, our air, our wildlife and our health.

Nothing we use for a few minutes should be allowed to pollute our rivers, lakes, and oceans for hundreds of years. 

• Plastic Incineration Ban 

    Bans plastic-to-fuel and feedstock infrastructure. Ensures subsidies and incentives are not available for these processes.  Delegate Sara Love – HB 21

• Producer Responsibility
  Requires producers to bear financial responsibility for recycling the products they create. Incentivizes better  product design, financial models, education, and more. Delegate Brooke Lierman – HB 36

• Plastics Bag Reduction Act
  Bans plastic bags in the state. Delegate Brooke Lierman and Senator Malcom Augustine – HB 314/SB 223

• Comprehensive Plastic Ban
  Requires hotels to stop providing single-use toiletry containers, bans plastic utensils and stirrers, and requires straws to be given upon request only.                          Delegate Sara Love – HB 69

• Right to Repair

    We generate way too much waste, and companies intentionally make things harder to repair. This bill gives consumers and small businesses access to the parts,

    tools and service information they need to repair products so we can keep things in use and reduce waste. Sen. Hester and Del. Feldmark (SB412/HB84)

Global Warming Solutions

We still have some time to stave off the worst impacts of global warming, and we know exactly what we need to do: act quickly and boldly to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  

• Climate Solutions Now Act
  Improves upon Maryland’s draft climate plan and sets more rigorous and progressive goals for reducing emissions and mitigating climate change.
  Senator Paul Pinsky and Delegate Dana Sein SB414/ HB583

• Energy and Water Standards

      Establishing minimum efficiency standards for our appliances will save energy, reduce pollution and lower utility bills. This bill strengthens Maryland’s energy and water efficiency standards.  Senator Paul Pinsky SB 418

Clean, Green, Renewable Energy

We should conserve more, use the energy we have more wisely and efficiently, and rely only on sources of energy that are clean, renewable and tread lightly on the planet.  We support concrete steps to move us closer to the world we want to live in.

• School Clean Energy Bill
  Ensures that Maryland public schools develop comprehensive school energy policies. Requires the Interagency Commission on School Construction to study and make recommendations on how to expand the Maryland Net Zero Energy School Initiative Grant program and provide additional funding for the Maryland Net Zero Energy School Initiative Grant Program.   Delegate Jared Solomon 

Clean Water and Air

Marylanders need clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.

• Veto Override – Ban Chlorpyrifos
  We support overriding the Governor’s veto of a bill banning the use of the toxic insecticide chlorpyrifos. 

• Get the Lead Out

       Lead is a potent neurotoxin that affects how our children develop, learn, and behave. Across Maryland, testing is revealing lead in the drinking water in our schools. This policy strengthens protections for lead in school drinking water. Sen. McCray and Del. Solomon SB546/HB636

• PFAS Protection Act

        PFAS chemicals are polluting drinking water across the state and country. These toxic chemicals accumulate in our bodies and have been linked to harmful health effects like cancer and other serious illnesses.  Senator Elfreth and Delegate Love HB 22/SB 195