Maryland DEQ Seeks Comment on Community Outreach Guide

mde

Published March 3rd, 2026

Detected March 17th, 2026

Summary

The Maryland Department of the Environment is seeking public comment on a new draft guide for applicants seeking environmental permits. The guide aims to enhance transparency and communication with communities, particularly those near industrial facilities, and focuses on environmental justice. Comments are due by April 3, 2026.

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What changed

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has released a draft guide titled "Public Participation: A Guide for Applicants Seeking Environmental Permits" and is soliciting public comment. This guide is intended to improve transparency and communication between permit applicants and communities, with a specific emphasis on environmental justice. It outlines expectations for community outreach, informational meetings, and public hearings, including provisions for hybrid meetings, using environmental justice screening tools, and providing materials for non-English speaking communities. While it does not impose new legal requirements, it clarifies and details how to implement existing ones.

Regulated entities, community groups, and the public are invited to submit comments on the draft guide by April 3, 2026. The MDE encourages applicants to adopt these best practices to foster better community engagement and support for environmental permit processes. While the guide is non-binding, adherence to its recommendations is expected to improve the permitting process and address concerns in historically overburdened communities. Compliance officers should review the guide to understand best practices for community engagement in Maryland's environmental permitting process.

What to do next

Review the draft "Public Participation: A Guide for Applicants Seeking Environmental Permits".
Submit comments to ej.mde@maryland.gov by April 3, 2026.
Incorporate recommended community outreach practices into future permit applications.

Source document (simplified)

Department of the Environment Seeks Public Comment on New Guide for Community Outreach and Participation

Policy Aims to Communicate Better With Citizens Living Near Industrial Facilities

BALTIMORE (March 3, 2026) — The Maryland Department of the Environment today released a new document, “Public Participation: A Guide for Applicants Seeking Environmental Permits,” and invited stakeholders, community groups, regulated companies and the public to submit comments.

The guide will enhance transparency and understanding of the public engagement process required for facilities seeking environmental permits in Maryland, with a strong focus on environmental justice. It provides permit applicants with a framework and sets expectations for community outreach, informational meetings, and public hearings. The deadline for comments is April 3, 2026.

“If you want communities to support a plan, the first step is to ask them,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain. “Every resident, especially those in communities that have been historically overburdened by pollution, deserves to have their voice heard and their concerns fully considered. This policy uses technology and common sense procedures to keep people informed.”

The guide does not add legal requirements. Instead, it clarifies and outlines how to implement legal requirements. Key components of the guide include:

Holding hybrid meetings for better participation
Using the state’s MDEnviroScreen to calculate Environmental Justice scores
Providing custom outreach materials for non-English speaking communities and organizations
Leveraging social media for wider notification To submit comments email ej.mde@maryland.gov. More information is available on our website.