Maryland will police its own compliance with federal environmental laws at the Port of Baltimore and several road maintenance facilities and airports in hopes of solving any harmful problems and avoiding steep fines.
Six Maryland transportation agencies Wednesday signed an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that will allow the state to self-audit 168 facilities and report any problems to the EPA.
In return, the EPA would suspend most penalties as long as Maryland is in full disclosure and develops a cleanup plan.
“This shows the willingness of an agency to take the bull by the horns and come into full compliance with the law,” said Samantha Beers, division director for EPA’s enforcement, compliance and environmental justice office.
Beers said this is the EPA’s first self-compliance deal with a state transportation department.
State officials first proposed the idea following the EPA’s 2006 fine against the Maryland Transit Administration for not having the proper underground fuel tanks.
Under the agreement, the State Highway Administration, Maryland Port Administration, Maryland Aviation Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Transportation Authority and the Department of Transportation will hire outside auditors to inspect its facilities and report problems to the EPA.
For example, SHA is inspecting its 28 operation facilities, including salt domes and maintenance shops, for problems such as leaky tanks.
“We want to make sure we’re following all the laws ourselves,” said SHA administrator Neil Pedersen.
“We are first looking at facilities with the highest risk … and hopefully we will have them done by the end of next year.”
If problems are reported, a cleanup schedule is devised and the state pays for the corrections.
SHA predicts it will cost $10 million by the 2010 deadline, and has budgeted $6 million a year for the auditing program.
But the state will not have to pay most fines typically issued when problems are uncovered during audits, Beers said.
The only fines that would be issued are when the state benefited economically from the infractions, she said.
“[The state] knows the facilities the best, and they can get them in compliance quicker,” Beers said.
“This frees us up to inspect other facilities.”
Beers said she is confident Maryland will fully disclose any environmental problems and hopes this agreement will spur similar pacts with other state transportation agencies.
“We will report to EPA anything that is found to be a problem,” Pedersen said.
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