Gov. Martin O'Malley's bid to boost the "flush" fee every resident pays moved to the full House Tuesday, as did a measure requiring Maryland's largest counties and Baltimore city to start raising funds for curbing polluted storm runoff from streets and parking lots.
The House Environmental Matters Committee voted to approve
, which would double the
, aka the “flush tax.” The additional funds would help the state's Chesapeake Bay restoration effort by financing the completion of upgrades to the state's 67 largest sewage plants, so they discharge less bay-fouling nitrogen into creeks, rivers and the bay.
The committee rejected a late administration bid to increase the fee beyond $5 a month per household that had been proposed, on average, in the governor's original bill. The amended measure also would waive the fee for up to 10 percent of the state's neediest residents who are receiving some sort of government financial aid.