(BALTIMORE, MD – October 4, 2010) For the third straight year, the Maryland Department of the Environment issued more enforcement actions than in any previous year, an agency report released today shows.
MDE’s 14th annual Enforcement and Compliance Report shows that the number of enforcement actions between July 2009 and June 2010 was nearly 7 percent higher than in the prior 12 months. The more than 3,000 enforcement actions taken during the fiscal year ending in June 2010 is the highest number for any year since reporting began in 1998. That figure also represents a greater than 50 percent increase since MDE launched an initiative in early 2007 to improve enforcement.
“Restoring a baseline of enforcement activity has been a top priority for the Department of the Environment so I am pleased to report that our actions in this area continue to become stronger. This benefits all Marylanders,” MDE Secretary Shari T. Wilson said. “Steady and consistent enforcement is critical to ensuring compliance with the state laws, regulations, and permits and ensures a level playing field for Maryland’s regulated community.”
The newly released Enforcement and Compliance Report for Fiscal Year 2010 shows:
- 3,099 enforcement actions by MDE, an increase of 6.8 percent over the year before and an overall increase of 54 percent over FY 2007.
- $5,099,340 in penalties collected. The decrease from last year’s total of $6,516,601 was expected because that figure included one penalty of $4 million.
- 45,332 sites inspected, an increase of approximately 2 percent from the previous year.
- 124,045 inspections, audits, and spot checks, an increase of approximately 2 percent from the previous year.
A review of data from the last four years shows that a significant increase in radiation safety enforcement actions in FY2007 and FY2008 contributed to the overall increase in enforcement actions. Excluding radiation safety cases, the increase in enforcement actions from FY2007 to FY2010 is 21 percent Department-wide.
The data also show a 52 percent overall increase in water pollution enforcement actions from FY2007 to FY2010. This increase occurred despite a temporary decrease in Clean Water Act permit (also known as the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, or “NPDES” program) enforcement actions due to an increased workload related to the deployment of a new electronic record-keeping system in FY2009. This new technology will ultimately significantly increase efficiency and the amount of data collected and will ensure more thorough inspections and better reporting. With the new system in place, the number of NPDES enforcement actions in FY2010 closely approaches the number of actions in FY2007 and is expected to continue to increase in FY2011.
MDE began an initiative in 2007 to prioritize resources to enhance enforcement. This included a review of ongoing enforcement actions to determine timeliness, development of a Department-wide internal operating procedure, and the use of the “MDEStat” management process. These systematic improvements have enabled MDE to restore an emphasis on a consistent baseline of enforcement without additional cost during times of very tight budgets. MDE also issues a monthly press release listing major environmental enforcement actions to maximize the deterrence value of each enforcement action.
During FY 2010, MDE regulated approximately 158,000 entities. This increase from the approximately 117,000 regulated entities in the prior fiscal year is primarily due to a revision in the method of counting regulated rental properties in the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.
Visit http://mde.maryland.gov/Pages/enfcomp.aspx to view the full enforcement report, previous annual enforcement reports, and the latest information on enforcement actions and other compliance activities.
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