The State of the States in Environmental Dispute Resolution:
MARYLAND










 

Status:
Currently, the Maryland Department of the Environment, Office of Fair Practices and Environmental Justice (OFPEJ) uses EDR on a case-by-case basis to address environmental justice issues. The Department of the Environment recently submitted a grant proposal to the United States EPA to train state agency staff and expand and systematize the use of EDR.

Legal Authority:
MD. CODE ANN., CTS. & JUD. PROC. §§ 3-201 to -234 (1998) (codifying the Maryland Uniform Arbitration Act, which authorizes the use of arbitration agreements and establishes law governing the validity of and procedure used in arbitrations).

Contact Information:
     Wallace Baker, Director
     Office of Fair Practices and Environmental Justice
     Maryland Department of the Environment
     2500 Broening Highway
     Baltimore, MD 21224
     Phone: (410) 631-3964
     Fax: (410) 631-4496

Program Summary

Currently, Maryland uses EDR processes and techniques on a case-by-case basis to address environmental justice issues. It has always been the practice of the OFPEJ to engage stakeholders and the community, and EDR is an extension of that program. The OFPEJ is working with other agencies and the Human Relations Commission to train employees in preparation for the implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.14  The OFPEJ’s primary emphasis is now on coordinating with other agencies, making sure that they realize the implications of Title VI to their work.

The OFPEJ plans to formalize the use of EDR techniques and make them more available. The Department of the Environment recently submitted a grant proposal to the United States EPA to train state agency staff and to expand and systematize the use of EDR. If Maryland receives the EPA grant, the first step in this process will be a survey to identify issues and problems so that the program can be developed.

Lessons Learned

  • Compared with other government processes, the EDR process is not as threatening, is not as adversarial, and helps clarify the disputed positions of interested stakeholders.
  • Community relations have been improved by the use of EDR.
  • EDR is less adversarial than traditional command and control efforts, but sometimes people do not believe in and do not trust government. Because EDR requires trust in government, it is a "selling job" to get parties involved in the process.
  • Support from the highest levels of state government—e.g., the Human Relations Commission and the Deputy Secretary of the Department—is important.

Further Information

Offices

Community Mediation Program, 3333 Greenmount Ave., Baltimore, MD 21218, Phone: (410) 516-1981, Website: http://www.communitymediation.org

Publications

Further information about the Maryland Department of the Environment is available at the following Website: http://www.mde.state.md.us

14   42 U.S.C. § 2000d (1994).

Indiana Conflict Resolution Institute
Last updated: June 1999
Comments: ICRI Administrator
Copyright 1999 - Indiana University, Bloomington