EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0621*
HOUSE BILL 621
M3 2lr2822
HB 267/21 – ENT
By: Delegate Grammer
Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2022
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Sewage Treatment Plants – Effluent Discharges – Monitoring, Evaluation, and 2
Inspection 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of the Environment to monitor effluent 4
discharged from sewage treatment plants, evaluate whether the effluent impacts 5
certain midge populations, and hire an inspector for certain sewage treatment 6
plants; and generally relating to effluent discharged from sewage treatment plants. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Environment 9
Section 9–321.3 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2014 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Environment 15
9–321.3. 16
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 17
(1) MONITOR EFFLUENT DISC HARGED FROM SEWAGE T REATMENT 18
PLANTS; 19
(2) EVALUATE WHETHER THE EFFLUENT AND ANY NUT RIENTS IN THE 20
EFFLUENT IMPACT MIDG E POPULATIONS IN THE SURROUNDING LAND AND WATER 21
AREAS, INCLUDING WHETHER TH E EFFLUENT CONTRIBUT ES TO THE GROWTH OF 22
PHYTOPLANKTON ; AND 23 2 HOUSE BILL 621
(3) HIRE AN INSPECTOR FOR A SEWAGE TREATMENT P LANT THAT 1
THE DEPARTMENT FINDS HAS, WITHIN THE LAST 24 MONTHS: 2
(I) RELEASED EFFLUENTS BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE 3
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLA NT’S DISCHARGE PERMIT; 4
(II) FAILED TO MAINTAIN BA SIC OPERATION AND 5
MAINTENANCE OF THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLA NT; OR 6
(III) FOR A SEWAGE TREATMEN T PLANT FOR WHICH TH E 7
DEPARTMENT REQUIRES A WASTEWATER CAPACITY PLAN, FAILED TO SUBMIT AN 8
UPDATED WASTEWATER CAPACITY PLAN TO THE DEPARTMENT . 9
(B) IF AN INSPECTOR IS HIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(3) OF THIS 10
SECTION, THE INSPECTOR SHALL REMAIN ON SITE AT THE SEWAGE TREATM ENT 11
PLANT UNTIL: 12
(1) DISCHARGE MONITORING REPORTS SHOW THAT TH E EFFLUENT 13
RELEASE FROM THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLA NT HAS BEEN WITHIN THE SCOPE OF 14
THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLA NT’S DISCHARGE PERMIT FOR 180 DAYS; 15
(2) THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT IS IN COMPLIAN CE WITH BASIC 16
OPERATION AND MAINTE NANCE REQUIREMENTS ; AND 17
(3) IF A WASTEWATER CAPAC ITY PLAN IS REQUIRED BY THE 18
DEPARTMENT, AN UPDATED W ASTEWATER CAPACITY PLAN HAS BEEN SUBMITTED 19
TO THE DEPARTMENT . 20
(C) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2023, THE 21
DEPARTMENT SHALL REPO RT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH 22
§ 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON THE ACTIVITIES CONDU CTED 23
IN ACCORDANCE WITH S UBSECTION S (A) AND (B) OF THIS SECTION. 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 25
1, 2022. 26