Committee hears bill proposing $13/ton coal transport fee to fund coal dust clean-up, asthma treatment

Delegate Stein presented House Bill 1088 (Coal Dust Cleanup and Asthma Remediation Act) to the House Environment and Transportation Committee on March 11, proposing a $13 per short ton fee on coal transported through Maryland. The sponsor said the fee could generate as much as $300 million annually and that roughly 80% of the revenue would be paid by exporters.

The bill would direct revenue to a fossil fuel mitigation fund that allocates 40% to overburdened and underserved communities along coal transportation routes, and would dedicate $5 million each year for asthma treatment programs. Other proposed uses include home energy efficiency and electrification, mass transit, electric vehicle and school bus adoption, and funding for the Maryland Clean Energy Center…