Emily Ranson - Maryland Program Director

Mosquito season is upon us yet again! There are some steps you can take to minimize your exposure to mosquitoes without relying on mosquito spray programs. While pesticide spray programs may seem like the best choice, they do pose health and environmental risks even when used as directed. Synthetic pyrethroids can worsen respiratory symptoms, organophosphates are linked to neurodegenerative diseases, and these pesticides are toxic to bees, pollinators, and other beneficial insects (as well as birds, fish, and amphibians - natural predators of mosquitoes!).

A huge thank you to Alexandra DySard of MOM's Organic Market who testified in support of SB304, which removes trash incineration from Maryland's recycling code, and shared their story

A statement to the Maryland's Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee in support of SB304 to make it clear that burning trash and using ash is not recycling.

SB330: State-Funded Construction and Major Renovations Projects - Solar Panels - Requirement

Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee

January 21, 2021

Positon: Favorable

Dear Chairman Pinsky and Members of the Committee,

The Maryland Compost Advocacy Coalition is made up of individual advocates and representatives of Maryland groups as well as national public interest organizations. We are organized to educate about the positive benefits of legislation to advance composting, compost use and food waste reduction in Maryland.

We are continuing to work on legislation to decrease Maryland's reliance on trash incinerators and landfills, improve septic systems, promote environmental justice, and protect our bees. With our allies with the Smart on Pesticide Campaign, we are also supporting a package of bills to improve the resiliency of our food system by supply critical food workers with COVID-19 protections and sick leave.

Organic recycling is simply another type of recycling - transforming the waste so it can be reused as a soil amendment and does not clutter our landfills.

How does waste management at a business work?

Maryland’s legislative session ended early for the first time since the Civil War this year, because of COVID-19. This meant that the only piece of legislation we were working on that passed was the ban on chlorpyrifos. Governor Hogan vetoed the chlorpyrifos ban, opting for regulations instead. Regulations can be undone with the stroke of a single pen, which is why Clean Water likes strong legislative language!

UPDATE: The County Council is poised to vote on ZTA 20-01, and the most important of our concerns have still gone unresolved. Send a message to your Council representatives today: they must fix ZTA 20-01 to protect renting farmers and the Agricultural Reserve as a whole.

--------