During the next few weeks the Maryland General Assembly will make decisions that will determine whether we keep moving forward to restore the Bay we all love, or fall backward. This session, we are proposing two measures that are essential to reducing the nutrient pollution coming from septic systems and wastewater treatment plants.

A house on septic sends six to ten times more pollution into the Bay than a house on public sewer. Of the four largest causes of nitrogen pollution into the Bay, none is growing faster than septic pollution. The moderate, reasonable, and tiered approach our Task Force has crafted is patterned on what several rural counties are already doing to protect their farmland and the waterways. Instead of banning septic systems, the bill assists local communities in moving septic growth away from areas where it will contribute to sprawl and pollution. Optional new tiers will aid local, comprehensive planning and allow each county to adapt its requirements to local conditions.

Along with Senate President Miller's proposal to exempt working farms from the estate tax, this measure will better protect the agricultural lands upon which family farming depends; it will better protect the waters of the Bay; and it will reduce remediation costs down the road.

My predecessor called the "flush tax" one of his most important accomplishments while in office. And it's true, by making green upgrades to wastewater treatment plants, we have greatly reduced pollution flowing into our Bay. The fee, however, was never sufficient to cover the work that must be done. While others have suggested tripling the flush tax, we believe that the fairest way forward is to double the yield by switching most households to a fee structure based on consumption - whereby, the less you use, the less you pay.  This change will allow us to double the amount of work we are able to do for the Bay.

We appreciate the tremendous amount of time and consideration that many legislators and citizens dedicated over the past year to addressing threats to the Chesapeake Bay and the future of Maryland agriculture. And, while asking our fellow citizens to do more may not be popular, it is critical that we make this investment in clean water infrastructure now to restore the Bay we all love and ensure that its benefits will be there for our children and theirs.