Maryland governor cancels former administration’s zero waste plan

Maryland’s new governor Larry Hogan has canceled the zero waste to landfill rules issued by previous Gov. Martin O’Malley on June 27, a report by The Baltimore Sun says. The Republican governor said he was rescinding the policy due to local government complaints.

During a speech at the annual summer gathering for the Maryland Municipal League, Hogan called the rules “ill-conceived and poorly devised.” 

O’Malley’s plan was to eliminate waste from Maryland landfills within 25 years. According to the report, the plans were a response to data that showed Maryland residents throwing away more garbage per person and the typical American.

The goal called for an 85 percent diversion rate by 2040 and for the state government to implement a mandatory recycling rate of 65 percent by 2020. O’Malley also emphasized increasing amounts of waste to be incinerated for energy generation.

While the administration is not seeking a new rule, Hogan says his action lifts a prohibition on permits for new landfills and sets achievable recycling rates. State Secretary of the Environment Ben Grumbles said the new policy will help the state meet its current recycling goals.