Brian-Frosh – Chesapeake Bay Action Plan

Fracking in Maryland: Proceed with Caution

By Senator Brian Frosh | April 18, 2011

You may have heard reports that oil and gas companies have leased about 90,000 acres of land in Maryland for drilling in the Marcellus Shale, a rock formation that undergirds the Appalachians from Virginia to Southern New York and is thought to contain trillions of cubic feet of natural gas.

Natural gas offers tremendous opportunity. It is the cleanest burning fossil fuel and can heat homes, run utilities, power vehicles, and help free the nation from foreign oil. It also promises significant economic benefits for western Maryland, as it rests under parts of Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties.

Septic Solution for a Cleaner Chesapeake Bay

By Senator Brian Frosh | February 17, 2011 |

Posted by Sen. Brian Frosh.

Some of the best minds—including the diverse group of scientists and policymakers who are signatories of the Chesapeake Bay Action Plan—have devoted decades of study to determine the causes of the Bay’s decline and remedies for its revival. (If you haven’t already, check out the no-nonsense 25-Step Action Plan tab at the top of this page.)

Part of the Plan is to rein in nitrogen that now seeps from septic systems into the Bay and our groundwater.

We’ll take a significant step toward limiting nitrogen if the General Assembly approves a proposal by Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley to ban future installations of septic systems in most new housing developments throughout the state.