State environmental regulators expect to be months late with reports detailing how actively they investigate polluters — a sign, some lawmakers say, that Maryland may not have enough resources to enforce laws intended to protect the Chesapeake Bay and public health.
A report due each October reveals how often the Maryland Department of the Environment cites businesses and property owners and how much it collects in fines, but this year’s report isn’t expected until early December.
General Assembly leaders demanded a separate study this year accounting for how many inspectors the department employs and the workload each carries, but that data isn’t expected until weeks before the legislature reconvenes in January.
The deadlines matter because the information is meant to be a factor as Gov. Larry Hogan prepares a budget he will propose to legislators in January, advocates and state delegates said.
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