ANNAPOLIS – Gov. Martin O’Malley signed legislation Wednesday that will double the flush tax for most Marylanders, one of a host of environmental bills lawmakers say will help protect the Chesapeake Bay and the state’s agriculture industry.

The flush tax, a fee used to renovate wastewater treatment plants in an effort to clean up the Bay, will double from $30 to $60 starting in July, raising roughly $56 million.