MDA SECRETARY CLARIFIES STATEMENTS NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT REGULATORY PROCESS

ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 30, 2011) – Proposed changes to the State’s Nutrient Management Regulations are still being developed and discussed with the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Nutrient Management Advisory Committee and are nowhere near final as some rumors contend, according to Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance.

“The advisory committee has been internally reviewing scientifically based, proposed regulatory changes to the current nutrient management regulations. It appears that committee members reached out to various stakeholders for their comments as well leading some to think we were rushing a public comment period. We apologize for any confusion that resulted as a part of this review process. We have received a significant number of useful comments from various stakeholders that will be considered as we move through the process. We are not doing this in the cloak of darkness and we will provide public notice of the proposed changes and offer a 45-day public comment period when the proposals are complete,” said Secretary Hance.

The Nutrient Management Advisory Committee for the past year has been discussing proposed changes to the State’s Nutrient Management Regulations. A draft of the proposed revisions was sent to the committee for review in May. As a result of its input, a revised draft was distributed on June 16 with a two week comment period for committee members that ended on June 29.

Upon completion of the internal review, the Committee will submit the proposed changes to the Maryland Secretary of Agriculture. Once the secretary approves the proposed changes, he will send them to the Administrative and Executive Legislative Review (AELR) Committee, which will review the proposed regulations. If AELR approves the proposed regulatory changes, they will be published in the Maryland Register for a 45-day public comment period. After the comment period closes, MDA will review any comments. If MDA makes substantive changes as a result of the public comment, the revised regulations will be resubmitted to the AELR and the Maryland Register.

“As science evolves and we learn more about how to better manage farms, it’s appropriate to change policies. Maryland, like all of the Bay states, is dealing with increasingly stringent environmental regulations resulting in Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) and the Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) to address all sectors dealing with non-point source controls,” said Secretary Hance. “This is causing us to look inward to existing regulations. We are mindful that these changes may require new technology and we continue to offer farmers existing cost-share programs to help us meet the goal of a healthier Chesapeake Bay.”

Established in 1998 to develop and refine regulations and requirements for Maryland’s Nutrient Management Program, the 16-member Nutrient Management Advisory Committee includes representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, MDA, University of Maryland, Maryland departments of the Environment and Natural Resources, Maryland Farm Bureau, Delaware-Maryland Agribusiness Association, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, commercial lawn care companies, the biosolids industry, as well as local governments and the state legislature.