State legislative scorecard released

Environment Maryland released its 2006 Legislative Scorecard this May. The scorecard ranks senators and delegates based on how they voted on a variety of environmental bills. We analyze both their votes in committee and their votes on the fl oor to determine the fi nal score.

For this year’s scorecard we looked at legislators’ votes on bills related to clean air, citizens’ right to go to court to enforce environmental laws, mercury pollution, and bad development. Just like on a report card, legislators received an overall score based on their record of environmental protection in the General Assembly.

This year 15 delegates and fi ve senators received perfect scores, and 55 percent of the Legislature received 80 percent or higher. Sadly, 25 percent of delegates and senators voted to protect the environment less than 50 percent of the time. While there are many true champions for the environment in Annapolis, there are also those who consistently vote in favor of special interests.

Clean Water Act defended

When the Bush administration’s EPA introduced the policy of “No Protection,” it signaled a major step backward for the quality of our water. The 2003 policy removed protections from the small streams and wetlands that are the lifeblood of the nation’s diverse water system. But in a flurry of late-night votes on May 18, the House of Representatives voted to stop the EPA from implementing the “No Protection” policy, effectively protecting 20 million acres of wetland and thousands of miles of streams and rivers.

This show of support came at a critical time when the newly reconfi gured Supreme Court backed away from protecting the Clean Water Act.

The Supreme Court handed down a split decision that left the door open for further legal challenges to allow polluters and developers to get around Clean Water Act protections. The Senate will soon take on the issue, and Environment Maryland and our allies will work to make sure our wetlands and waterways receive the protection they deserve.

Protecting the right to know

In the fight against toxic chemicals, knowing is half the battle.

In 1986, environmental advocates succeeded at creating the “Right- To-Know” program known as the Toxics Release Inventory. In recent years, this program has been under attack by the chemical industry and the Bush administration. This year, we won a key vote in the House of Representatives maintaining the program.

Without reliable and timely information about toxic exposure, citizens and communities lose the ability to protect themselves, and industries lose the public incentive to clean up their act.