HEALTHY FARMS—MaryPIRG Staff Attorney Jennifer Bevan-Dangel researched and wrote a report titled "Healthy Farms for a Healthy Bay," released to the media in November.

Bay Pollution Reports Released

This winter, MaryPIRG Foundation released two reports on state programs that help farmers and the bay.

The first report documented the experiences of two fishermen and five farmers impacted by nutrient runoff. Their stories make a compelling argument why we must reduce runoff from farms and the vital role of state funding in making that reduction possible.

The second report analyzed the specific costs and benefits that funding state programs will have for farmers and the bay, based on the agricultural strategies developed by Maryland’s ten tributary teams, working with the Department of Natural Resources. Implementing these programs would reduce agricultural runoff going into the bay by nearly two-thirds statewide.

New Solar Coalition Formed

To relieve the high costs of energy, MaryPIRG is advocating expansion of programs to increase energy efficiency. A new coalition started by MaryPIRG is also supporting increased funding for alternative energy sources.

An executive order from 2001 required Maryland state government to reduce its energy use by 10 percent, but the order has largely been ignored.

Maryland has also let its tax credit for efficient appliances lapse. Maryland gives much less support to solar power than other states. Last year, money in the state’s solar energy grant program was used up in less than one month, and the size of each grant is too small to encourage larger projects. Five bills have been introduced to steer our energy system toward sustainability. Among them is a bill to divert one million dollars to the solar grant program from funding that is currently used to support conventional power plants.

Two Legislative Proposals to Protect Consumers

Two bills to reduce identity theft have been introduced in the Maryland General Assembly.

Twenty-one states now require companies to notify consumers if their personal information has been compromised by database hackers or fraud. This policy was spearheaded by CALPIRG, MaryPIRG’s sister organization in California. Maryland still has no such requirement.

Twelve states have also passed security freeze legislation, a strong measure of protection that allows consumers to choose who has access to their credit reports by protecting the reports with a PIN code. Identity thieves cannot open a new account without also giving the PIN.

MaryPIRG has teamed up with Maryland Attorney General Joseph Curran to advance these bills.

Banning Mercury-Containing Thermostats

Mercury-containing thermostats are found in homes across Maryland. When these thermostats are improperly disposed of in a landfill or incinerator, the mercury released poses a serious threat to public health.

According to the EPA, homes and businesses in the U.S. contain 209 tons of mercury, much of which will be disposed of in the next few decades. Despite alternatives that do not contain mercury, thermostats containing a combined 21 tons of mercury are sold every year.

With alternatives available, such as programmable digital thermostats that can save consumers energy and money due to their functional settings, 6 states have banned mercury-containing thermostats. MaryPIRG is working with Delegate James Hubbard and others to ban their sale in Maryland as well.