Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Legislation proposed to reduce stormwater pollution in Anne Arundel County, comply with Chesapeake Bay "pollution diet."

(Annapolis, MD) November 7, 2011 – Legislation to create a dedicated funding source to reduce polluted stormwater runoff in Anne Arundel County was introduced at the November 7th County Council meeting. The bill was authored by County Councilman Chris Trumbauer (District 6) and co-sponsored by County Council Chairman Dick Ladd (District 5).

The bill is intended to clean up local rivers and streams, create jobs, and improve communities throughout Anne Arundel County. The bill establishes a “stormwater utility,” a proven model that is helping to address stormwater runoff in many other counties and municipalities across the country. The dedicated funding will allow the County to begin working on the large backlog of needed restoration and retrofit projects already identified, but for which there is no funding. The bill would also help Anne Arundel County meet its mandatory obligations to reduce pollution in accordance with the Chesapeake Bay TMDL “pollution diet” and local Watershed Implementation Plans.

“This bill is a much-needed investment in Anne Arundel County,” said Councilman Trumbauer. “The money from this dedicated fund will go directly back into our communities, creating local jobs and cleaning up our waterways. Designing and building projects to reduce stormwater pollution will put County residents to work – in management, planning and engineering type jobs, as well as much needed construction work.

“Reducing polluted stormwater runoff in Anne Arundel County will help clean up our local rivers so we can once again feel safe swimming and fishing in our waterways. In addition, we are protecting our economic industries that rely on clean water – like our tourism and recreation, marina, and seafood industries – and our property values”

Bob Burdon, President/CEO of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce welcomed the introduction of the bill. “The Chamber of Commerce supported similar legislation a couple of years ago and we were disappointed it was not adopted at that time. We appreciate Councilman Trumbauer bringing this issue back again,” said Burdon.

Nearly one-third of the nitrogen pollution in Anne Arundel County is estimated to come from urban and suburban stormwater runoff, which is also the fastest growing source of pollution to the Chesapeake Bay. Pollution from stormwater runoff is created when developed land, no longer able to act as a “filter” for precipitation, causes rain water to quickly run off paved surfaces directly into nearby waterways. Stormwater runoff carries harmful pollution from nutrients, bacteria, fertilizer, sediment, chemicals and trash straight into our waterways.

Councilman Trumbauer continued, “For too long, Anne Arundel County has suffered from beach closures, waters unsafe for swimming and fishing, and costly flooding and erosion from uncontrolled stormwater runoff. We pride ourselves on our love of the water here in Anne Arundel County – it’s time we got serious about cleaning up our rivers and streams, putting people to work and making this County a safer, cleaner, better place to live.”

The bill would propose a $35 annual fee on the property tax bill for residential properties ($25 for attached units such as condos and townhomes). Non-residential properties will be assessed via a determination of impervious surface, with an Equivalent Dwelling Unit equal to 2,500 square feet. The fee will go into a dedicated fund that can only be spent on the defined purposes – reducing stormwater runoff – and that cannot be raided or diverted.

Projects that reduce polluted stormwater have significant benefits to local communities and neighborhoods. Several other jurisdictions in Maryland currently have some kind of a dedicated stormwater fee, including the City of Annapolis in Anne Arundel County.

The bill number is 79-11 and the legislation will be posted on the County Council website at www.aacounty.org/CountyCouncil/pendingLegis.cfm. The public hearing is scheduled for December 5.