History
Our History
CEPA was the outgrowth of a group formed when BG&E proposed a 500-foot right of way for a power transmission line from Calvert Cliffs to Odenton. This line was not designed to national standards for power lines with respect to property rights, esthetic design, etc. Many of the issues were resolved by negotiating with BG&E. Then, in 1970, the organization became CEPA when it became involved with the nuclear power plant to be built at Calvert Cliffs. Because this plant was under license by the Atomic Energy Commission, some aspects of the design could not be controlled by local authorities. CEPA and other environmental groups challenged the “war time” status claimed by AEC under which they would not have to satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). After legal action and negotiation, many design changes were made in order to meet the requirements of NEPA. The issues associated with Calvert Cliffs resulted in CEPA having bay-wide interests and membership. Since then, CEPA was involved with many other Bay issues.
Water Resources
Groundwater was an issue that CEPA was involved with for many years. In this geographical area, all fresh water comes from aquifers which have been depleted year after year, for more than 30 years. This is a problem for which the severe consequences of inaction will not be felt for a few years, and politicians are hesitant to do anything about it until people complain about a lack of water. But unless we start conserving our existing water resources, drastic measures will be required in the future. Compounding the problem are the projected growth in Maryland’s population and the effects of climate change.
In 2001, CEPA drafted proposed legislation to establish a statewide Water Resources Commission to make recommendations regarding the management of our water resources. It was passed, and Governor Ehrlich appointed the commission in 2003. They recommended increased state staffing and funding, increased monitoring of aquifers, and that the advisory board be made permanent. Limited funding hindered progress in executing this plan.
CEPA has advocated the use of graywater, and has testified in favor of two bills on graywater at the state legislature. The second was passed and provided for a state sponsored committee to draft recommendations for using graywater. CEPA provided a representative. The recommendations of the committee were reviewed by other state agencies, but were not adopted.
In 2007, CEPA was awarded a grant from Anne Arundel County to oversee the monitoring of groundwater near the now closed PST Landfill in Harwood. There is concern that toxic material will leach into the groundwater because this landfill was not required to have a liner. Several toxins were found above EPA limits. The owner was being fined and was required to determine the source of the toxins.
Population Growth
As we add more people to the Bay region, the impact of each person must be reduced just to maintain the status quo. But land is being cleared, roads are built over productive soils, runoff is increasing, and we have more waste. Houses are larger and there are more single person households than before, so it becomes almost impossible to make any progress in improving the Bay. There is a limit to how many people a county or state can accommodate sustainably without affecting quality of life. Some recent studies estimate the population limits that would allow a healthy ecosystem, a good quality of life, and be sustainable. One such study, done for Vermont, concluded that the limit should be less than what they already have.
Most local governments encourage growth in order to increase tax revenues. CEPA believed that our quality of life, the value of the ecosystem, and sustainability need to be given more weight than economic factors in considering new developments.