Maryland Department of the Environment

About

Regulatory Review Process

MDE regulations are regularly evaluated and updated. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the regulations are necessary for the public interest, continue to be supported by statutory authority and judicial opinion, or are appropriate for amendment or repeal.

MDE’s regulatory function occurs through a coordinated effort.  Both internal as well as external reviews are performed.  The review process helps to ensure participation from within MDE as well as from our stakeholders, other agencies, the general public, and other units affected by our regulations.  Areas of involvement may include regional public meetings, public hearings, media publications, etc.

Each newly proposed regulation is published in the Maryland Register.  Every proposal describes how and when to submit comments.  Additional published information includes comparison to Federal Standards, and economic impacts on agencies, industries, and small businesses.  The Maryland Register is an official publication of the State of Maryland that is published every two weeks.

A listing of emergency, proposed, recently adopted, and in development MDE regulations are listed in the pages below:

• Air & Radiation Regulations
• Land Regulations
• Water Regulations

Resources

The following are resources for State and Federal laws and regulations that govern MDE activities:

Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) Online Search

• http://www.dsd.state.md.us/COMAR/ComarHome.html

The Environment Article

• http://michie.lexisnexis.com/maryland/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

• http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR

Note on statutes versus regulations

The Legislature enacts statutes. Administrative agencies adopt, amend and repeal regulations under the authority granted to them by statutes. Unless the Legislature has created an exemption, agencies must follow the procedures in the Administrative Procedure Act when adopting, amending or repealing regulations.

Other Related Links

• Maryland Wetland Regulations Database
• How to find and print a specific notice of proposed action in the Maryland Register Online
• MDE Organizational Guide 
• Maryland Manual Online