Category Archives: Maryland

TAKE ACTION: Review and comment on the Montgomery County Climate Action Plan

Picture Available from: Montgomery County Climate Action Plan and One Montgomery Green.

In the fall/ winter of 2019, the Montgomery County Executive formed six community climate workgroups to work on recommendations for the County’s Climate Action Plan, a stategic plan to reach our climate and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals. The workgroups covered the following climate areas: Transportation, Buildings, Carbon Sequestration, Clean Energy, Climate Adaptation, and Public Engagement & Education (ANS participated in the Transportation Workgroup). These recommendations along with the technical consultant groups will help craft and create the guidelines, recommendations and pathways to reach the county’s 2017 Climate Emergency Resolution GHG reduction goals which are:

reduce 80% of GHG emissions by the year 2027 and
reduce 100% of GHG emissions by the year 2035.

[one_third padding="0 5px 0 0"]Currently, we are in phase II and phase III of the Climate Action Plan (See the diagram to the right). Now that the workgroups have finalized phase II, the county residents can now read, comment and fill out a survey on the recommendations presented by the six workgroups. Read: Recommendations website, Summary of recommendations, Consolidated list of all 850 recommendations. The County Executive's staff estimates that the draft Climate Action Plan will come to the County Council by this fall and might be implemented early next year.[/one_third]

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Graph from Climate Workgroup Recommendations Overview Presentation. Available from: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/green/climate/climate-workgroup-recommendations.htm

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TAKE ACTION: Give feedback on any or all of the 850 workgroup recommendations: https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/409/Issue_8239

TAKE ACTION: Survey on all workgroup recommendations: https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/409/Issue_8290

TAKE ACTION: Register to Vote Now!

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A poster nailed to a telephone pole. The poster reads, "VOTE" with an American flag in the upper left corner and a large blue arrow pointing to the left.

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons

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We are in the middle of the 2020 election season, and it's as important now as ever to make sure that you are registered to vote. Voting for people who represent your values and will take action to protect the environment is one of the most powerful ways you can fight climate change. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many elections in the region have been postponed. Make sure you know when your state’s elections are and what the deadline to register to vote is:[/one_half_last]

Maryland:

The presidential and congressional primary elections have been postponed to June 2^nd, 2020. The deadline to register to vote is May 12^th, 2020. Early voting runs from May 21^st-28^th. Mail-in voting is available. Same-day registration on June 2^nd is also available. Check your registration status here and register to vote here.
There is a special general election for Maryland’s 7^th Congressional District, which will be held on April 28^th, 2020. The registration deadline for this election is April 7^th.

Virginia:

The presidential primary election was held on March 3^rd, 2020.
The primary election for one Senate Seat will be held on June 9^th, 2020. The deadline to register to vote is May 18^th, 2020.
Many local elections for city council and mayor will be held on May 5^th, 2020. The deadline to register to vote for these elections is April 13^th, 2020.
Mail-in/absentee voting is available with restrictions. Check your registration status here and register to vote here.

Washington, D.C.:

The presidential, congressional, and D.C. Council primary elections will be held on June 2^nd, 2020. The deadline to register to vote is May 12^th, 2020. Early voting at the D.C. Board of Elections runs from May 16^th-29^th. Ward-specific early voting runs from May 21^st-29^th. Mail-in voting is available. Same-day registration on June 2^nd is also available.
A special election for Ward 2 Councilmember will be held on June 16^th, 2020.
Check your registration status here and register to vote here.

Voting by mail is crucial in making sure that elections still happen during this pandemic, but it isn't allowed in many states.

TAKE ACTION: Sign this petition to demand that vote by mail must be available to voters all over the country!

MD General Assembly 2020 Wrap Up

MD Senate Offices. Photo Credit: ANS (2020).

Dear ANS Friends,

The 2020 Maryland General Assembly session adjourned early on March 18th, 2020 due to Covid-19. Originally, the Assembly would have ended on April 6th. There is a possibility that the Assembly will reconvene in late May. Many of the bills we were supporting were making great progress this session but unfortunately at the end just ran out of time to make it through to final vote. I wanted to personally thank you all for supporting ANS and our partnering organizations this year’s General Assembly. Thank you for fighting for a healthier and more sustainable Maryland by supporting bills in areas such as transit, climate change, education, and protection of our Bay. Thank you for coming to rallies, testifying, writing comment letters, and keeping up to date with General Assembly updates via our Action Alerts and Blog Posts. The fight is not over, we will be back better and stronger!

Here is a summary of the bills ANS supported and their final status.

Thank you all,

Denisse

Win

Win (HB911, SB808) - Oyster Recovery

Our Chesapeake Bay's oyster sanctuaries will be restored and protected!

Win (HB229, SB300) - Pesticides – Use of Chlorpyrifos – Prohibition

At last the harmful Chloropyrifos are finally banned in MD!

Loss

Loss (HB368, SB424) - The Transit and Investment Act / MTA Funding Bill

This bill would have provided an increases funding of $123 million for MTA to run and operate its transportation system for the next 6 years. Currently, MTA is facing a $2 billion budget shortfall for the next decade as revealed in the agency’s 2019 Capital Needs Inventory. ANS provided testimony to both house and senate hearings and attend rallies. This bill passed the house but not the senate.

Loss (HB1465, SB955) - Federal Clean Water Act - Authority of State

This bill would have prevented Maryland from waiving a Water Quality Certification for the Conowingo Dam 50-year federal license. ANS signed on to Waterkeepers Chesapeake support letter on SB955. This bill did not pass committee.

Loss (HB1543, SB912) - Environment- Climate Crisis and Education Act (CCEA)

This bill would have placed a fee on fossil fuels entering the state to fund climate education via the Kirwan Fund as well as fund green infrastructure projects to mitigate the effects of climate change. CCEA would have created a fund to help for low income households transition into a green economy. ANS provided written testimony to both house and senate hearings. The bill only had house and senate hearings but did not pass committees.

Loss (HB292, SB229) - Toll Roads, Highways and Bridges – County Government Consent Requirement Expansion

The county consent bill would have prohibited any toll, highway or bridge project to continue without the consent of the majority of Maryland eastern-shore counties (but which could be extended to other counties in MD). ANS as part of MAST Collation submitted testimony in support of County Consent Bill. This bill did not pass committee.

Loss (HB1424) - Public- Private- Partnerships- Process and Oversight

The bill would have provided oversight on P3 contracts by assuring the Board of Public Works would wait on the release of the environmental impact statement before moving forward with soliciting contractors. The bill passed the house but not the senate (Same as in 2019 - Read our 2019 General Assembly Blog Post).

Loss (HB192, SB299) - Maryland Sustainable Buildings Act of 2020

Last year’s legislative session passed the Energy-efficient and Bird-safe Building Standards bill but had amendments that weren’t reconciled in time to go into effect. This year the new reconciled bill was seeking support for passage. This bill passed the house but not the senate.

Loss (HB209, SB313)- Plastics and Packaging Reduction Act

This bill would have placed a statewide ban on all plastic bags. This bill passed the house but not the senate.

Loss (HB1526) - Transportation Carbon Reduction Fund Act

The TCI Bill seeks to implement an equitable and inclusive, transit orientated mechanism to closely monitor and prepare the funds distribution of fund received for by MD from the Regional Transportation Climate Initiative.This bill did not pass committee.

Loss (HB438, SB560) - Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard – Eligible Sources

This bill would have removed incinerators from receiving subsidies as clean energy sources. This bill did not pass committee.