Legislative roundup: Oyster recycling; tobacco; female inmate health services

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland — The Maryland Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill that would further incentivize oyster shell recycling. “This bill continues to promote a very viable shell recovery program that’s been in existence for five years,” said Sen. Stephen…

Shell recycling: It’s about the bay

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland — At 7:30 a.m., outside of the Oyster Recovery Partnership office and by the trunk of his 2008 Toyota Corolla, Wayne Witzke traded his slides for a pair of brown rubber boots. The bearded man hopped into a…

State slashes oyster restoration acreage goal

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland — The state of Maryland has decided to reduce the large-scale oyster restoration project goal in the Little Choptank River after boaters ran aground at another sanctuary and some of the man-made reefs there had to be rebuilt.…

Hogan sues EPA over neighboring power plant pollution

COLLEGE PARK, Maryland — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced a lawsuit Wednesday against the federal Environmental Protection Agency for failing to enforce limits on air-pollution control at 19 mostly coal-fired power plants in five states upwind of Maryland. “We want…

Threats mount against Chesapeake Bay conservation efforts

After years of steady progress for Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts, the conservation outlook is increasingly bleak for the country’s largest estuary—and the state that depends on it most, Maryland—says bay advocates.