Thank you to every person who submitted testimony, showed up for rallies, emailed your legislators, and talked to your friends and coworkers about the CHERISH Act.
As of this week’s crossover deadline, the CHERISH Act will not move forward in this year’s General Assembly legislative session. Maryland Matters offered detailed reporting on the changes that were made to the CHERISH Act in committee this spring.
The CHERISH Act as we knew it would have protected communities from new polluting facilities being built in already-overburdened areas of Maryland, by requiring companies to meet new permitting standards. However, our lawmakers wanted to grant exemptions… lots of them… to their favorite industries. As result, CHERISH turned into something else entirely in the amendment process.
Here’s how CHERISH was exempted out of existence:
- Exemption granted to developers who volunteer to clean up properties already contaminated with hazardous substances, regardless of cleanup status or proximity to residential areas
- Exemption granted to permit renewals. Do you already own a polluting facility? No problem! Just keep doing what you’re doing.
- Exemption granted to facility expansions. Do you already own a polluting facility? No problem! Now you can make it bigger.
- Exemption granted to animal feeding operations. Do you dream of building a factory farm? Here, have a permit!
Once we realized that CHERISH had been exempted out of existence, we knew we could no longer support it. Communities deserve a bill that functions to protect them, and doesn’t prioritize the profits of polluting industries. As a coalition, we walked away from this gutted version of the CHERISH Act so that we can come back next year to fight for the CHERISH that we deserve. Will you join us?
