As part of our ongoing work to protect Maryland waterways and the Chesapeake Bay, this session Environment Maryland took a lead role in helping to pass the Stormwater Management Act of 2007.

The House passed the bill on March 24 and the Senate followed on March 29. Both votes were unanimous. The bill was introduced in the House by Del. Jane Lawton and in the Senate by Sen. James Rosapepe.

Solutions that work
This new law will require developers to use low impact design techniques to minimize runoff. Low impact design includes reducing pavement and other impermeable surfaces, keeping natural vegetation, and managing the flow of water from a development.

Prior to development, existing vegetation captures the water that runs through the site, absorbing the water and filtering out pollutants. Development removes this beneficial vegetation and replaces it with turf grass lawns and impervious roofs, driveways, parking lots and roads.

This runoff carries a variety of pollutants into the water. Common pollutants making their way to the Bay include nitrogen, phosphorous, sediment, bacteria, insecticides, herbicides and metals such as copper, lead and zinc.

Once a development is built poorly, it is very difficult to redesign. Standards for new development will ensure we do not continue to make the same mistakes we have too often made in the past.