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The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is a
government agency
A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administrati ...
in the state of
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
that implements and enforces environmental protection laws and programs. The agency's stated vision is "Healthy, vibrant and sustainable communities and ecosystems in Maryland." Its headquarters are in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
.
Department responsibilities
The Department's principal functions are:
* Enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, both state and federal. Its several divisions issue
pollution control
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
permits, oversee
public water system
Public water system is a regulatory term used in the United States and Canada, referring to certain utilities and organizations providing drinking water.
United States
The US Safe Drinking Water Act and derivative legislation define "public water ...
s, supervise cleanup of waste sites and
remediation, and provide financial assistance to communities for environmental
infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...
improvements.
* Long-term planning and research.
* Technical assistance to businesses and communities throughout the state in the areas of pollution control and prevention, urbanization and growth, and environmental emergencies.
Organization
The Maryland Department of the Environment was created in 1987 by the
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamb ...
, which consolidated environmental regulatory and planning programs from several predecessor agencies.
Benjamin Grumbles was appointed Secretary of the Environment by Governor
Larry Hogan
Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...
in 2015. In May 2022 MDE announced that Grumbles was leaving the department and that Governor Hogan appointed Deputy Secretary Horacio Tablada as the new Secretary.
The department includes five principal divisions:
* Air and Radiation Administration
* Land and Materials Administration
* Water and Science Administration
* Office of Budget and Infrastructure Financing
* Operational Services Administration.
See also
*
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a government agency in the state of Maryland charged with maintaining natural resources including state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, wildlife, and recreation areas. I ...
References
External links
Maryland Department of the Environment- Official site
{{MD Gov branches
1987 establishments in Maryland
Environmental organizations based in Maryland
Environment
Environment most often refers to:
__NOTOC__
* Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally
* Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...
State environmental protection agencies of the United States
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...