Katelin Phelps

October 8th, 2017

Period 6
Annotated Source List

"Bag Law Survey Overview." District Department of the Environment, Government of

the District of Columbia, ddoe.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddoe/
documents/0%20BL%20Survey%20Overview%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf.

This is an overview and analysis of the effects of the plastic bag fee in Washington D.C.
The article includes information on the survey conducted in order to measure the effects and
popularity of the new legislation. The surveys were commissioned by the DDOE between 2012-
2013 to measure the impact of the Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act of 2019, which
is more commonly known as Washington D.C’s Bag Law. The goal of the law was to reduce
litter from plastic bags. The survey found several key statistics, the most important being: there
has been a 60% decrease in disposable bag usage, 50% of businesses have saved money from the
law, 67% of residents and 68% of businesses have reported seeing a decrease in plastic bag litter,
and only 8% of businesses and 16% of residents feel bothered by the law.
The findings of this survey is incredibly important to the research I am conducting at my
internship. Knowing the effects of such a law is invaluable when deciding whether or not to
pursue writing a similar one. However, I cannot simply accept the data given by the survey.
Since the data was collected by Washington D.C itself, there is a possibility of bias in the survey,
especially since the actual survey was not provided in the article. Regardless, I plan on using the
found data for future considerations about plastic bag laws. Washington D.C is one of the few
places to have a plastic bag fee law, and have conducted concrete and statistical research on its
effects, so this information is invaluable.

Bolen, Ed, et al. "Smart Growth: State by State." Public Law Research Institute,
UC Hastings College of the Law, gov.uchastings.edu/public-law/docs/
smartgrowth.pdf.

This source is an extensive research study on smart growth legislation in each U.S state.
It includes both normative and empirical information about the smart growth legislation in each
state, as well as focuses on specific states with extensive smart growth legislation, such as
California. Focusing on the various responsibilities smart growth legislation takes on:
eliminating state subsidies that promote sprawl, promoting infill development, preserving
farmland, open space, and areas of environmental and recreational value, and supporting local
planning. The study divides the legislation in each state by these categories, and then gives an in
depth explanation of each piece of legislation.
 This study is extremely helpful for researching environmental legislation. Smart growth
is an ever important topic in suburban and urban settings, such as the one we live in. The
information given is concise and relevant, including both the important facts, impacts, and
effects of each piece of the legislation. Furthermore, the organization of the information makes it
extremely easy to navigate. Going state by state makes it easy to find legislation from a specific
state, but also organizing it into the specific categories or goals of smart growth legislation helps
immensely.

DC Department of Energy and Environment. doee.dc.gov/.

Washington D.C’s Department of Energy and Environment website is an extensive

database of the activities, resources, and services it provides. On the home page there is a section
for relevant news updates, featured services, calendar of upcoming events, and the River Smart
and Sustainable D.C programs. Furthermore, at the bottom of the page is contact information for
the office and the twitter feed. There are also five other tabs: Environmental Services, Energy in
the District, Resources, Laws and Regulations, and About DOEE. In the Environmental Services
tab there is a plethora of information on topics from algae blooms in district waters to wildlife
management. All energy related projects are included in the Energy in the District tab, each
having a summary of the project and links to more specific information. The Resources tab
includes DC resident and business related permits, applications, and licenses. As well as maps,
data, and publications. The laws and regulations tab includes all energy and environmental
legislation in D.C, as well as related information. It is split up into seven categories: air quality
regulations, fish and wildlife, toxic substances, energy, water quality, public notices and
hearings, and fines and enforcement. The about DOEE tab includes other miscellaneous
information on the different offices, job opportunities, and high ranking employees.
This website is extremely helpful as a database of information, but also a model for a
government website. Information is extremely easy to find, and concise and clear summaries are
given on all its legislation, resources, projects, etc. Washington D.C is a leader in sustainability
that other municipalities should follow. The website makes it easier for me to find their passed
legislation and understand the initiatives and projects they’re currently undergoing. I plan on
using the website mainly to look at their legislation, but also the Zero Waste DC and Sustainable
DC plans.

"Do Plastic Bag Bans Work?" Scientific American, www.scientificamerican.com/

article/do-plastic-bag-bans-work/.
 This article examines the actual effects that plastic bag bans, in the U.S and
internationally, have on the environment. Examining California’s 2015 plastic bag ban, and the
18 other states and upwards of 132 cities with similar laws. However, it also mentions how
America is late to banning plastic bags, as the European Union, China, India, and many other
nations have already banned or fined plastic bags. Littered plastic is a huge problem for both
wildlife, and ocean quality. The WorldWatch Institute has estimated that about 237 marine
species are affected by plastic bag trash; 90% of birds have some amount of plastic in their
digestive tract. Another reason for banning plastic bags, mentioned by the article, is the reliance
they have on fossil fuels. Plastic is made from petroleum, and so the world has to drill for
millions of barrels of oil in order to satisfy demand. And according to the article, banning plastic
bags can have a drastic effect on litter, in Ireland alone their plastic bag tax led to a 95% decrease
in plastic related litter. In California there has been a 59-89% decrease in plastic bag litter.
It is important to look at all issues from both a local and global perspective, especially
when related to the environment, where legislation can have a global effect even if it’s only
implemented on a regional level. This fact is why it’s so important for governments to focus on
implementing policies that positively affect the environment. Seeing the global effect of
legislation that Howard County or even Maryland could implement helps give perspective, and
simply adds to my knowledge on the topic. Whether or not plastic bag bans or fees work is a
contested fact in the U.S, so looking at international data can help solve the problem.

Durkay, Jocelyn. "Energy and Environmental Legislation." Energy and

Environmental Legislation, National Conference of State Legislatures,
www.ncsl.org/research/energy/
energy-environment-legislation-tracking-database.aspx.

This is a database for all the energy legislation from each U.S state or territory. The
database breaks down the legislation by state, but also by subtopics within the energy and
environmental sector. Topics include fossil fuels, climate change, renewable energy, water,
transportation, and more. For broader topics, such as climate change and renewable energy the
categories are broken down into many smaller ones. It also allows a user to look up specific bills
by name or number.
The organizational tools present on the database makes it extremely useful. I anticipate
myself needing to look up different legislation very often, and I know I will be using this
database extremely often in the future, in addition to when I have already used it.

"Environmental Health Legislation." Environmental Health Legislation, National

Conference of State Legislatures, www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/
environmental-health-legislation-database.aspx.
 This is a database for legislation specifically related to environmental health. This
database is from the same creator as the energy legislation database, but instead focuses on
different topics within environmental legislation. The major categories they split the legislation
into are as follows: asthma, children’s environmental health, food safety, pesticides, toxins and
chemicals, environmental health management, body art tattoo, drinking quality, indoor air
quality, swimming pools, tracking/surveillance/biomonitoring, and water/waste water. Some of
the categories are broken down even further, and of course can be separated by states and
territories. The database also includes a yearly legislative summary of environmental health and
some basic statistics on environmental health legislation.
Again, this database’s organization and comprehensiveness is what makes it so valuable.
The database makes it very easy for me to look up any legislation related to environmental health
whenever I need. The database links all of the bills from their original websites, which also
allows me to find government websites and databases easily.

FAQs on Pay-As-You-Throw Trash Programs. EPA, archive.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/

tools/payt/web/html/faq.html.

This is a compiled FAQ page, created by the EPA, from several counties across the
nation that have implemented Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) trash pick-up programs, ones where
you pay for your trash collection based on how much you throw away. For each FAQ there are
several answers from different counties or groups that have implemented, or worked to
implement, PAYT programs. The questions are on a wide range of topics, and the questions are
split into categories based on the topic. Each question’s answers differ, some have a complete
consensus while others reflect difficulties faced because of very specific circumstances. Topics
include, administration and staffing, billing, container options, consensus building, education and
outreach, enforcement, goal setting, illegal diversion, legal issues, monitoring and evaluation,
apartments/multi-family housing, pricing systems, rate structure design, recycling programs, and
special populations. In addition to the questions and answers on each topic, there is a linked page
with general and specific information on each topic.
This specific FAQ article, and the linked pages, are extremely helpful in evaluating the
practicality of implementing such a system. It allows one to decide whether or not it is worth
pursuing, as well as gives a plethora of knowledge on the different aspects of the program. For
my purpose and research, the way this information is presented is extremely useful, because it
comes in the form or questions and is representative of programs from across the U.S. One can
never be sure if programs from another state or county can be successful in your own, but this
article makes it easier to make an educated guess if it will be.
"Food Service Ware." Department of Energy and Environment, D.C Gov, doee.dc.gov/
foodserviceware.

This article is an information page on Washington D.C’s law that bans polystyrene, more
commonly known as styrofoam. The District’s Foam Ban took effect on January 1, 2016, and the
The Compostable and Recyclable Food Service Ware requirements took effect on January 2,
2017. The ban and requirements apply to all D.C businesses and organizations that serve food.
This ban is a part of Washington’s goal to have an 80% reduction in waste by 2032. The article
goes into the requirements of the law, what the law does and doesn’t apply to, who is regulated,
what products are and aren’t allowed, and how it is enforced. A video is also embedded on the
page that further explains the law and includes how a small business is helping to promote it.
This article is extremely helpful in understanding how polystyrene bans can and do work
in other cities. Washington D.C has several environmental protection laws that have had great
success, so I can always look to them for great examples. The information presented is clear,
concise, and extremely pertinent. Not only can this article be a reference source for writing a
similar law, but also a reference for how to inform the public on new and possibly confusing
legislation.

"Getting to Smart Growth: 100 Policies to Implement." EPA, www.epa.gov/sites/

production/files/2014-01/documents/gettosg.pdf.

This is a guide to 100 smart growth policies that a local government could implement.
The policies are based on the ten smart growth principles: mix land uses, take advantage of
compact building design, create a range of housing opportunities and choices, create walkable
neighborhoods, foster distinctive and attractive communities with a strong sense of place,
preserve open space/farmland/natural beauty/critical environmental areas, strengthen and direct
development towards existing communities, provide a variety of transportation choices, make
development decisions predictable, fair and cost effective, and encourage community and
stakeholder collaboration in development decisions. The legislation ideas are split into categories
based on these principles, and with each idea there is further explanation, tips, and common
effects of implementation. The guide also gives several general tips to implementing smart
growth policies using specific examples.
New ideas are what moves a society forward, and the availability of 100 modern, smart
growth, policy ideas is an invaluable tool to begin moving your own community towards a
smarter future. Using this guide I will be able to introduce new ideas to my mentor for smart
growth policy that can fit perfectly to what Howard County needs, and furthermore learn about
smart growth for my own knowledge.
Maryland House of Representatives. “Sustainable Communities - Designation and Financing”
House Bill 613.

This is a bill from the Maryland House of Representatives for the purpose of helping
communities in Maryland design and finance their own sustainability. This copy of the act
includes all amendments made, as well as the articles or lines struck from the final bill. The bill
focuses on the revitalization of Maryland communities through sustainable development. It
partially aims to do this through further implementing and advancing a previous law, the
Sustainable Communities Act. A focus is also put on connecting communities with shared
geography through similar sustainability plans, and gives communities more autonomy to make
tax plans in order to finance projects. It recognizes that the use of government bonds for
infrastructure and tax increment financing is an underutilized and important tool. The bill goes
into the very specifics of possible sustainability tools, and how the Maryland government would
help implement such tools.
Since this bill was passed and made effective in 2013 it can be referenced in two ways; to
replicate on a local level and in order to use the provisions offered. Implementing smart growth
development can be a simple way to promote sustainability in your local community. The bill
gives ideas that could be used in future legislation, but also used by local homeowners and
business owners. However, a setback of this bill is that it is from the state level, so local
governments aren’t able to make the same kinds of bills.

"Good to know: Green Building Incentive Strategies." U.S Green Building Council,
2 May 2016, www.usgbc.org/articles/
good-know-green-building-incentive-strategies-0.

This article is a summary of different incentive strategies for green building. The article
comes from the U.S Green Building Council, which is the certifier for LEED buildings. The
incentives are split into three categories - structural, financial, and other. The structural
incentives are, expedited review/permit processes and density and height bonuses. Both have
little to no financial burden, and simply require changes in processes. The financial incentives
included are tax credits, fee reduction/waiver, grants, and revolving loan funds. While these
incentives require a financial investment, that investment is usually returned because property
values often go up as a result. The final incentives are technical and marketing assistance. These
incentives would require educational or training programs from the government.
This source is very helpful as the beginning of a base knowledge of government-given
incentives and green building strategies. Green building is hard to enforce, or may be too
controversial to require, so providing worthy incentives to businesses and homeowners to build
green is a likely and productive course of action. Furthermore, since these incentives come from
the U.S Green Building Council they are immediately trustworthy because this is an
internationally recognized organization that sets strict green building recommendations.

Howard County Council. cc.howardcountymd.gov/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2017.

The Howard County Council website includes all public information relating to the
council, or what the county council is currently working on. It has four main tabs: Council
Members, About Us, Liquor License, Zoning/Land Use, Auditor, and Online Tools. The Council
Members tab gives background and contact information for each county council member, as well
as a “who represents me” section. The About Us tab gives information on election history, how
citizens can participate, and the difference sections of county council- legislation, zoning board,
liquor board, and constituent service. The Liquor License tab gives all public information on
liquor licenses and cases, as well as the basic processes of the Liquor Board. The Zoning/Land
Use tab gives brief descriptions of the different bodies related to zoning and land use. The
auditor page gives information on the County Auditor, and all public information related to
Howard County Auditing. Finally, the Online Tools tab shows the public different tools to
communicate with the council and be involved in local government. Overall, the purpose of the
website is to be a source of communication between the constituents and the county council
members.
The website is very helpful for navigating the confusion of local politics. Anything one
would need or want to know about the county council or howard county regulations can be found
using the website. It has, so far, been very helpful to myself in learning about how the Howard
County Council functions, and some specific things that they have done. If I wanted or needed to
I could access videos of all past council work sessions and meetings, or watch future ones in real
time.

"International Green Construction Code." International Code Council,

www.iccsafe.org/codes-tech-support/international-green-construction-code-igcc/
international-green-construction-code/.

The international green construction code is a model construction code that includes
sustainability measures for all aspects of a construction project. The code expects to help make
buildings more efficient, reduce waste, and have a positive impact on environmental and human
health, safety, and general community welfare. This specific article offers an overview of the
code, including the baseline requirements, economic benefits, professional support offered, and
the adaptability and enforceability of it. The article also links other, related resources as well as a
more extensive overview of the code, as one needs to purchase the actual code.
This article does have some noteworthy limitations, as it is only a short overview of the
positive outcomes the code can bring to construction plans. There is a threat of bias in the
information, and the actual code is not present. However, an overview powerpoint with more
extensive information is available through this article. But, if made available, the international
green construction code is extremely helpful to local, state, or federal governments that wish to
implement green building or smart growth legislation. It allows a government to simply enforce
this code, rather than requiring them to write an entire code themselves that could have many
flaws because of inexperience and ignorance of green building. Overall, the code would save
governments time and money.

The Journal of Sustainability Education. http://www.journalofsustainabilityeducation.org/.

Accessed 8 Oct. 2017.

The Journal of Sustainability Education (JSE) is a forum for academics and educators to
share and critique research, practices, and initiatives that relate to sustainability in terms of
formal and non-formal education. They separate articles on sustainability education into six
categories- Pre-K, K-12, higher education, non-traditional and informal, outdoor, and adult
learning. Each category caters to the different aspects and focus groups of sustainability
education, making it a good resource, because of its wide variety and breathe.
I anticipate the journal being extremely helpful in exploring sustainability education,
which is a topic I am considering researching. However, even if I do not research sustainability
education for my research topic it will still be extremely helpful, because it offers so many
articles and studies on extensive topics within sustainability, which is a crucial part of
environmental policy. The journal gives free access to its published articles, which is incredibly
convenient.

Kalen, Sam. "An Essay: An Aspirational Right to a Healthy Environment?" UCLA

Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, vol. 34, no. 2, 2016.

This journal essay focuses on the idea that every community has the right to a healthy
environment, and that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure this right. The author
focuses on the legal institutions in the United States that help support this right, walking through
the constitution, the common law, and congressional and state actions. The author begins with
the context to her idea, then moves into her argument in support of her thesis. The essay focuses
on a variety of historical cases and laws that promote environmental health, as well as the
securing of human rights in the U.S.
This essay was less helpful than anticipated. It focused a lot on the historical fight for
human rights, and less on environmental health policy and the role the government has in
ensuring that. While I can still use it as a valuable resource, it disappointed me in its contextual
focus.

Keller, Jessie. Interview. 5 Oct. 2017.

Jessie Keller is the district aide for District 1/Councilman Weinstein. She holds a B.S.
from Towson University in Political Science and Government, and graduated in 2015. While in
her last semester at Towson she interned with State Senator Paul Pinsky. She then went on to
intern at the Maryland League of Conservation voters through a Latino Outreach Program. She
has been working at Howard County Council since July of 2016.

Lawson, Julie. "Is the Montgomery County Bag Law Working?" Trash Free Maryland,
16 Jan. 2017, trashfreemaryland.org/2017/01/16/
is-the-montgomery-county-bag-law-working/.

This article is an analysis and reflection of the plastic bag fee law implemented in
Montgomery County, Maryland. The article addresses the effects of the 2012 law, and compares
it to the similar Washington D.C law. Since Montgomery County has done no official research
on the effects of the law, the author focuses on D.C research and public opinion and knowledge
in Montgomery County. Public opinion of the law seems to be low, but the author addresses the
fact that councilmembers make this assumption based only on the people who have complained,
and not the many who are happy or indifferent to the law. Furthermore, the setbacks that
Montgomery County faced with the law are also discussed. The fee brought in much more
money than expected, causing people to accuse the County of simply trying to rob their people.
However, most of the money collected from the fee goes to an environmental fund. The
similarities and differences to the Washington D.C law are also listed. While some have declared
the law a failure, the article is not so quick to assume that since there is no data to support a
failure or success.
As Montgomery County is a neighbor to Howard County, looking at laws they have
implemented is extremely helpful. It is more likely that Howard County could replicate a
Montgomery County law then a Washington D.C or California law, because of our similarities.
Looking at an analysis of the law, in addition the actual law, helps myself understand the
possible positive and negative outcomes of enforcing such a law. However, it is possible that
there is some bias present in the article because it comes from an environmental outreach and
protection group, so they will always argue for the most drastic solutions, or put a more positive
spin on failed environmental policy.

"The Legislative Process." Howard County Council, cc.howardcountymd.gov/About-Us/

The-Legislative-Process. Accessed 23 Oct. 2017.

This is a short article that outlines the specific legislative process of the Howard County
Council. It includes when meetings are held, what is done at said meetings, and the journey a bill
takes to become a law in Howard County. The process is as follows: introduction, public hearing,
work session, final consideration, adoption, and if needed, reconsideration. All meetings are
open to the public, and citizens may testify at public hearings. The work sessions are not
mandatory, but are usually asked to be held by the council members to work on legislation.
There are meetings on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Mondays of every month, except for August and
November in local election years. Resolutions are adopted with an affirmative vote from the
council, and then sent to the County Executive; the County Executive either signs, vetoes, or
does nothing within a 10 day period. If the County Executive does nothing the bill becomes a
law, and goes into effect about 61 days after enactment.
This article is a summary of how a bill becomes a law in Howard County, which is
extremely useful to me because the research I am working on will hopefully result in a bill and
then a law. The information is to the point, that is concise and precise in its information. The
article is a public page on the Howard County website.

Montgomery County Bag Law. Montgomery County Government.

This is a copy of Montgomery County’s law that places a fine on plastic bags. The
official function of the law is to place a five cent fee onto each plastic bag used by a consumer at
any food retailer. The bill requires that businesses collect said tax and submit the collected funds
to the Montgomery County Government, but also are allowed to keep a small, set portion to
compensate their efforts. The means of enforcement are also laid out in the bill, as well as the
specifics of what and who the bill applies to. The bill includes all final amendments, as well as
any portions deleted from the final bill, which are crossed out in this copy.
By looking at this bill I was able to see a real example of a written bill at the local level.
This helped me understand the format of legislation, and what does and doesn’t need to be
included. Furthermore, looking at this Montgomery County bill is helpful in deciding whether or
not Howard County should attempt to impose a similar one.

"Montgomery County, Maryland Disposable Bag Law." Montgomery County Government,

 montgomerycountymd.gov/bag/Resources/Files/community_presentation.pdf.

This is a powerpoint presentation from the Montgomery County Government on their

disposable bag law. It is a comprehensive overview of the law. It focuses on answering major
questions related to implementation in the beginning, as well as the strategy for awareness and
informing the public. It includes many examples of how they planned to reach out to residents
and retailers to make the easement into enforcing the law easier for all parties. Tactics they
planned to use were handing out free, reusable bags to low income areas, free, online webinars
for retailers, and having kick-off community events. It also includes ways that volunteers can
help spread awareness and the general goals and reasons for the law.
This presentation is extremely helpful on multiple levels. One, to see how awareness is
spread within the government so all employees understand new legislation, how awareness can
be spread to the general public so support is high, and the importance of releasing set goals for
new legislation. The powerpoint is a hopeful representation of how new legislation in general
can be introduced to the public.

"Rays of Hope." American City & County, americancityandcounty.com/topics/green/

Local-solar-promotion-201003.

This article is about the steps local governments can take to promote solar energy
projects. The article recognizes the immense benefits that using solar energy has for the
environment and the economy, but it also recognizes the limitations local governments have
when trying to promote the usage of renewable energy. Commenting on the fact that few local
governments have the expertise or resources to finance solar projects, implement financial
incentives, or develop government run solar power projects. The author, instead, offers several
low-risk and low-cost plans to promote solar projects. These plans include changing zoning
codes, height limits, lot coverage limits, installation and decommissioning requirements, building
codes, and shade related statutes. The article also includes steps that individual property owners
can take.
This article helps me, and others, recognize that even small steps or changes can make a
big difference towards having a more sustainable future. There are many ideas in this article that
could be easily implemented relatively quickly. They’re realistic and feasible which is extremely
necessary for legislation introduced in election years, like this year.

Rosengren, Cole. "Maryland may become first state to ban expanded polystyrene
foam products." WasteDive, 30 Jan. 2017, www.wastedive.com/news/
maryland-may-become-first-state-to-ban-expanded-polystyrene-foam-products/
434969/.
 This article is a brief on the proposed bills in the Maryland General Assembly to ban
polystyrene. The bills would ban the sale of any product packaged with or in polystyrene
(styrofoam). Any products that are packaged in polystyrene coming from out of state, or used to
package raw meat or fish, would be excluded from the proposed laws. This bill would help
Maryland’s ambitious goal to reduce waste by 60% by 2020, a goal that Maryland is currently
projected to fall short of. While many counties and cities have a similar ban in place, Maryland
would be the first to have it on a statewide level. Polystyrene is only accepted as recyclable at
two landfills in Maryland, and so styrofoam is a large contributor to trash in Maryland.
As these bills did not pass in the Maryland General Assembly, this article is only
moderately helpful. It is useful to see the specifics of the the bills so that I could surmise why it
didn’t pass, and also to compare it to the similar Washington D.C and Montgomery County bills.
Furthermore, the outcome of this bill may predict the outcome of trying to pass such a bill in
Howard County. Before attempting to pass such an extensive piece of legislation, it is extremely
important to do as much relevant research.

"Smart Growth in Maryland." National Center for Smart Growth Research and
Education, smartgrowth.umd.edu/smartgrowthinmaryland.html.

This article is a summary of the history of smart growth legislation in the state of
Maryland. It specifically focuses on the 1997 Smart Growth initiative, which focused on
enhancing the state’s existing communities and designated growth areas, protecting the state’s
most valuable farmland, and saving taxpayers from paying for infrastructure to support poorly
planned construction. The initiative was partially created to help enforce two acts; the Smart
Growth Areas Act and the Rural Legacy Act. The initiative was also based on a landmark smart
growth act, the 1992 Economic Growth, Resource Protection, and Planning Act, a policy which
outline seven visions for future growth in Maryland. This initiative has had a considerable effect
since its enactment, in fact the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education was
created as a direct result of the success and popularity of the Smart Growth initiative. More
currently Maryland sustainability legislation is collectively known as the Smart, Green, and
Growing legislative package, which was signed into law by former Governor Martin O’Malley in
2009. This package created 12 new visions for sustainable growth in Maryland, establishing
growth goals and requiring Maryland counties to track and report growth-related indicators.
Knowing the history of smart growth is extremely important. Learning of the success of
smart growth policies in Maryland in the past gives future smart growth legislation a bright
future, and shows the general public’s opinion on smart growth legislation. Additionally,
knowing that there are smart growth programs in place that Howard County can or has to
participate in is extremely useful. However, this article only gives a baseline amount of
knowledge on past smart growth initiatives and legislation, I would have to do more research on
the initiatives talked about in order to fully understand and use them.

Smith, Gary. Interview. 5 Oct. 2017.

Gary Smith is the special assistant to Jon Weinstein, councilman of District 1. He holds
three degrees in political science - from Carroll Community College, Towson University, and
American University. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Towson University, and was a
Graduate Assistant at American University from 2009-2011. He started his political science
career in 2011 as a research intern for Delegate Mary Washington. From Sep. 2011- Dec. 2011
Gary was a Fall Fellow at Obama for America. He was then a Legislative Director at the
Maryland General Assembly from Jan. 2012 - Nov. 2014. He then started his position as special
assistant to Jon Weinstein in Dec. 2014 when Weinstein first came into office.

"Sustainable DC Plan." Sustainable DC, www.sustainabledc.org/wp-content/uploads/

2017/03/SDC_Plan_2016_compressed2.pdf.

This is Washington D.C’s full “Sustainable DC Plan”. It is an extensive plan of action for
Washington D.C to become more sustainable as a city, and as individuals. The plan was a
collaborative effort, developed over the course of 18 months. It is split into four primary
categories - process & engagement, governance, priority challenges, and solutions. The sections
respectively focus on the following things, how the plan was developed, implementation over
time, the four core challenges the plan addresses, and how these challenges will be solved by
addressing the seven core themes. The seven core themes are built environment, energy, food,
nature, transportation, waste, and water. Each challenge and solution addresses one or more of
these seven themes. In addition, there are specific goals and targets for each theme and their
respective solutions.
Washington D.C has an extensive history of implementing environmentally conscious
legislation, always moving towards a more sustainable future. This makes the city’s
sustainability plan incredibly useful in my research of sustainability and environmental policy.
The comprehensive and in-depth nature of the plan gives a prime example of a sustainability
plan that could be universally implemented, or adapted to fit a specific county or city’s needs. I
plan on using this source often in the future, especially whenever I need a reference source for a
sustainability plan.

Tolson, Simon. Sustainability policy, current law, legislation and what is on

the stocks. Fenwick Elliott, www.fenwickelliott.com/sites/default/files/
 Sustainability%20Policy,%20current%20law,%20legislation%20and%
20what%20is%20on%20the%20stocks.pdf.

This is an informational study on sustainability policy/legislation now and in the future.

However, it focuses mainly on sustainable development, going into the details of what it is and
what is necessary to properly develop sustainable, as well as properly implement sustainable
development policy. It goes over local and international development laws, financing sustainable
development, and the future of sustainable development.
While sustainable development is an important and relevant topic, I was not a fan of this
specific study. It went too in depth into minute parts of sustainable development, instead of
focusing on the bigger picture. This would have been okay, except the author presented the study
as if it would be a bigger overview of current sustainable development policy, and the future of
it. Instead it focused too much on sustainable development itself, and dedicated barely anything
to sustainable development policy.

"US Law." US Law. JUSTIA, law.justia.com/.

This website is a reference source for all US primary, federal, and state law. The
website’s information is extensive, for each state it divides the law by year, then further by
specific topic. Topics include economic development, environment, land use, local government,
and so on. Then within each topic it is further divided into sub topics. For example, under local
government a set of divisions would be, general provisions, then local personnel, then residency
requirements.
The specificity of the organization and available bills is incredibly useful for finding very
specific pieces of legislation. Additionally JUSTIA allows me to find legislation on topics
outside of environmental policy, and on a federal as well as state level. The website has free
access to all its resources as all the information is public, and is very convenient.

Weinstein, Jon. Interview. 5 Oct. 2017.

Jon Weinstein holds a part-time job as Chairman of the Howard County Council and
Councilman of District 1. His full-time job is as the Executive Director for the Line of Sight
Division of the Newberry Group. Jon holds three degrees in International Relations from
Dickinson College, Boston University, and American University. He started his career in the
United States Army and Marines. He then worked as Director and Vice President for several
businesses from 1991-2004. In 2005 he founded the Line of Sight Division of the Newberry
Group, which he still serves as Executive Director for. He was elected as Councilman for
Howard County Council in Nov. 2014.
"What Counts as MRA or Non-MRA Material." Maryland Department of the
Environment, Maryland Government, mde.maryland.gov/programs/Land/
Documents/All%20StAR%20MRA%20definitions%202016.pdf.

This article is a reference sheet for what is and isn't MRA waste. MRA stands for
Maryland Recycling Act, and this reference sheet explains which waste products are and are not
included in that act. The list is encompassing of all common, household waste items, and offers
an explanation of what each waste label contains.
When originally looking at this source I thought it was in reference to Municipal Solid
Waste (MSW), and so it ended up not being as useful as I thought. This article is extremely
specific to the Maryland Recycling Act, which is relevant to environmental policy, but was not
my intent to research.

"Why Carryout Bag Fees Are More Effective Than Plastic Bag Bans." Huffington
Post, 15 Feb. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/
why-carryout-bag-fees-are-better-than-plastic-bag-bans_us_588187ace4b08f5134b61f7
9.

This article compares two different, but similar, types of plastic bag legislation. It
compares and contrasts plastic bag bans with plastic bag fees. It is commonly contested which
one works better, and this article argues that a plastic bag fee is actually more successful and
environmentally friendly. Using evidence from other cities and states, the article concludes that a
plastic bag ban actually results in businesses finding loopholes that negatively affect the
environment even more than before the ban. Additionally, a straight up ban of plastic bags
usually results in angry businesses, because paper bags are much more expensive than plastic
ones. The article also argues that paper bags should be banned in conjugation with plastic bags,
because they are just as bad for the environment. The author also goes into detail on the
challenges of plastic bag fees, one of the biggest ones being that cities aren’t allowed to levy
taxes and so cities and counties have to get creative with where the money from plastic bag fees
actually go. Only Washington D.C is legally allowed to levy taxes, so every other city/county has
had to either give it to an environmental charity or let the individual businesses keep the
collected money.
This article has been extremely useful to me in researching plastic bag fees and bans. It
clearly outlines why plastic bag fees are actually better than plastic bag bans, and adds that paper
bags should also be banned, which I had never thought of before reading this article. The article
is unbiased and well-written, coming from a reputable source and whose author has clearly done
their research. Some of the information presented I have come across before, but most of it was
news to me. The information I learned from this article seriously confirmed my opinions on
plastic and paper bag fees, and I now know that counties should be pushing for a fine on plastic
and paper bags in order to promote a sustainable way of life.

"Zero Waste Maryland." Maryland Government, mde.maryland.gov/programs/Marylander/

Documents/Zero_Waste_Plan_Draft_12.15.14.pdf.

This is a copy of the official “Zero Waste Maryland” plan, which was put into effect in
December 2014 under Governor Martin O’Malley. The plan’s main goal is “to reduce, reuse, and
recycle nearly all waste in Maryland by 2040”. The plan is extremely ambitious, and outlines
clear and specific goals the state wishes to achieve by 2040, as well as the means by which they
will achieve their goals. The plan is separated into four timeframes: currently underway, 2015-
2020, 2021-2025, and 2026-2030. All zero waste initiatives fall into one of eight categories, each
with subcategories that fall into a specific timeline. The plan covers past action, through future
plans after 2040.
This plan was helpful in understanding Maryland’s sustainable waste plans, and in
researching zero waste initiatives for Howard County, such as banning polystyrene and fining
plastic bags. The plan includes many statistics on the current waste management system, as well
as predictions for the future which are very helpful. Furthermore, statistics for each county in
Maryland are given, which is very useful for understanding Howard County’s waste system, and
for comparing Howard County to similar counties in Maryland. The plan also calls on many
outside studies, which is very helpful because I now know several other studies I can look at for
future research on zero waste initiatives. Furthermore, there are several case studies and
examples within the plan that are very useful.