HB1349: University of Maryland, Baltimore - Environmental Law Clinic - Reimbursement of Lawsuit Expenses
Yesterday, March 15th, Delegate Mike McDermott spoke at an Appropriations Committee hearing in favor of House Bill 1349 - University of Maryland, Baltimore - Environmental Law Clinic - Reimbursement of Lawsuit Expenses.
“The State of Maryland can no longer stand idly by as our farm families are attacked for a student project at a publicly funded university.” replied Delegate Michael A. McDermott (Worcester and Wicomico Counties) when asked about the situation with the Hudson family. The Hudson’s are a small farming family from lower Eastern Shore who have been targeted for punishing litigation by the group, Waterkeeper Alliance. Waterkeeper Alliance is working in conjunction with the University of Maryland’s Environmental Law Clinic who is providing this multi-million dollar corporation with tax payer funded attorneys while the farm family struggles. After targeting the family for allegedly allowing chicken litter to seep into local waterways, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) investigated the farm and found the suspected chicken litter to be bio-solids from Ocean City for a program to recycle municipal bio-solids for agricultural purposes. Despite the MDE’s dismissal of any environmental offenses, the Waterkeepers, in conjunction with University of Maryland’s Environmental Law Clinic, have continued to pursue legal action against the Hudson family. Delegate McDermott explained that his bill would require the University of Maryland’s Environmental Law Clinic to pay up to $500,000 in legal fees incurred by the Hudson family during this frivolous lawsuit.
“It is a duty of our elected officials to protect agriculture in Maryland as well as the family farmers who comprise a $17 billion industry in Maryland” stated Delegate McDermott. He argued that even at the request of Governor O’Malley, the Dean of the law school refused to intervene and end the schools involvement in the lawsuit. He urged the General Assembly to send a stronger message to the school that frivolous lawsuits against our own farm families will not be tolerated.
“I’m begging you to take a stand for all your brethren across this state who are providing us agriculturally what we need to sustain ourselves.” concluded Delegate McDermott during the Appropriations Hearing on March 15th.
The bill was received well by the Appropriations Committee and Delegate McDermott is hopeful that it will pass.
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8 comments:
I voted for Del McDermott and 99% of the time agree with him but I can not agree with his line of reasoning that a chicken grower under contract with a company can considered a family farm.
If anyone is really interested in protecting what they term the family farm then they need to look into the unfair practices of the companies.
Things like their abilities to terminate a contract early.
The upgrade requirements which puts the grower deeper in debt
The manipulation of inputs
And the list goes on and on
I have know members of the Waterkeeper Alliance (locally the Coastkeepers) to trespass on local farms, and they have been kicked off more than once.
Why have they never gone after any state dept for failed sewage treatment plants or overflow which happens consistently near our watersheds? Salisbury is just one of the few plants that have had bad problems, why not pick on them?
Why are they not after the busted pipes in Mystic Harbor? Why not after the Ocean Pines community as a whole! (talk about destroying a good natural buffer zone..)
As a graduate of the University of Maryland ES with an Environmental Degree I can tell you that the whole school, which backs the alliance, is a joke. They make the polluted water results they want to see and do not do true, full, long term scientific studies. Way too quick to toss blame on a point source.
Sure the alliance does good things such as the medicine drop, etc. They have gone way over the line on this though. Its a group of liberals with a very liberal agenda.
Support our local farmers, its the reason we get to eat.
Thank you Delegate McDermott for representing me and the citizens of the Eastern Shore.Job well done sir.
It seems as though they need to get rid of the Waterkeepers Alliance. It sounds like another green group trying to waste taxpayer's money on ridiculous law suit. They have no business traspassing on privately owned farms unless they have permission fro, the land owner. Sounds like by getting rid of this organization
we could save alot of money for everyone.
The farms are disappearing around here because of contract farming. Around 20 years ago I had the opportunity to speak to an elderly Delaware real estate investor. It was the first time I ever heard of an upside mortgage. He was saying how all the contract chicken farmers were so heavily into debt due to the low prices and requirements to be a chicken farmer and how at one time the farmers had 30 or so processing facilities they could take their chickens to but then there only choice became to be under contract with a company who after running out the small processors was able to dictate the low pay for the chickens.
I've since checked on mdlandrec.net and yes these chicken farms are forever refinancing and it stated way before the years of the 2000's. And I asked some farmers about it and they will admit they are barely holding on but are afraid to say anything because they will lose their contracts.
Is really is a crime the way the independant chicken processing plants were run out. That also caused alot of the feed suppliers to close up and alot of other jobs lost to the low paying jobs of the big companies now providing chicken.
I generally agree with Mike McDermott but he's really clueless as to the plight of the chicken farmers around here. Farms are going and it ain't going to be because of the environmentalists. Most are hanging on by a shoestring.
The environmental attacks and over regulation by government are just one fasset of the problem. I use to grow chickens when farmers had many, many choices over who to grow with on the shore. The market, regulatory environment, and expansion of larger companies all have their issues at play. This bill merely seeks to right at least one wrong committed against one farming family. It is an attempt to right a wrong. I must say, at a recent Poultry Summit, I did not hear any of the contract issues mentioned as a reason for decline. If someone feels that is the case, please email or call my office. I would be interested in hearing from you on this issue.
-Delegate Michael McDermott
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