Dear Karen,

Now more than ever, communities in Maryland that bear the burden of pollution need & deserve state-level environmental justice. As the state’s next legislative session approaches in January, tell your legislators and Governor Moore to pass the CHERISH Our Communities Act in 2026!

Why do we need the CHERISH Our Communities Act?

In some communities in Maryland, every time someone takes a breath, they’re breathing in toxins from dozens or more of polluting facilities at once. All of this pollution added together can cause more serious health problems than any single facility alone. This leads to greater cancer risks, shorter lifespans, and worse overall health especially in low-wealth, Black, and other communities of color in Maryland.

These communities have faced more pollution than others throughout history, and still do today. In South Baltimore, just four pollutants from two waste incinerators cause $97 million worth of health damages every year – and those are just two out of more than 70 polluters in the area.

How does the CHERISH Our Communities Act work?

The CHERISH Our Communities Act will create state-level protections for communities in Maryland that face the most pollution. It is designed to stop this problem from getting worse and reduce the amount of pollution already present. Here’s how it works:

1. Defining the Problem: The CHERISH Act identifies the most polluted communities in the state based on scientific data in Maryland’s EnviroScreen tool. The bill also identifies the types of permits that have the biggest impact on public health in frontline communities, based on communities' firsthand experience.

2. Providing Important Data: The CHERISH Act ensures that Maryland Department of the Environment gets the information needed to make an informed decision on a permit by providing a data-driven report tailored to the situation.

3. Expanding Public Input: Several of these types of permits are currently exempt from Maryland’s public participation requirements, meaning residents do not get the chance to weigh in on permit renewals for already-operating facilities. The CHERISH Act, for the first time, makes sure the public will get a chance have a say in these permit renewals.

4. Adding More Limits on Pollution: Once the CHERISH Act passes, new or expanding facilities that would make pollution worse in an already overburdened community will be barred from getting their permits to pollute, and facilities that already contribute too much pollution must reduce their emissions.

5. Enforcing Permit Restrictions: If a polluter emits more pollution than their permit allows in one of the areas protected by the CHERISH Act, they will face higher penalties, and the community will receive compensation.

What will change if the CHERISH Our Communities Act passes?

In the most polluted neighborhoods in the state, residents will receive protection from new polluting facilities, and pollution from existing facilities will also have to decrease. Meanwhile, positive development that doesn’t harm people’s health will be free to thrive.

Other states like New Jersey, New York, and Minnesota have already passed similar legislation, but Maryland is falling behind! Contact your legislators and Governor Moore today and urge them to support the CHERISH Act and make Maryland a leader in environmental justice.

For clean water, clean air, & healthy communities,