Delegate Jon S. Cardin

Press Releases

  • Smith Announces Single Stream Recycling Collection in Baltimore County

    Paper, bottles, and cans will be collected together every week
    beginning February 1, 2010

    Towson, MD - On Thursday, December 10, Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, along with Director of Sustainability David Carroll and Charles Reighart, Recycling and Waste Prevention Manager, announced that single stream recycling collection will begin in Baltimore County on February 1, 2010. All 234,000 single-family homes and town homes are included in this program. The 6,000 apartment and condominium units that currently have recycling collection will also be included in this program. "This is a major environmental initiative for Baltimore County," said Smith. "Allowing individuals to combine all their recyclable items in the same container at one time will make recycling very easy for County residents, and when you make it easier to recycle, people will recycle more."

    As the County moves forward with its single stream recycling collection program for these 240,000 homes, Bureau of Solid Waste Management staff will also be working to bring 63,000 apartment and condominium units without recycling collection into the program. "It is our intention to have every apartment and condominium complex in Baltimore County provide their residents with the opportunity to recycle," said David Carroll, Baltimore County Director of Sustainability. "Single stream recycling is the latest in a series of initiatives in Baltimore County designed to protect our resources."

    Single stream recycling collection means that paper, bottles, and cans may be combined in the same container to be placed out for collection each week. Additionally, residents will be able to recycle more items than before, including:
    · narrow-neck plastic bottles and jugs with a number from 1 to 7 in the recycling symbol
    · wide-mouth plastic containers (such as butter and yogurt containers)
    · rigid plastics (such as buckets, drinking cups, and flower pots)
    · empty aerosol cans
    · aluminum foil and pie pans
    · milk and juice cartons/boxes.

    In an effort to make it very easy for residents to recycle, they will be able to use a wide variety of containers to place single stream recyclables out for collection, including:
    · recycling containers up to a 34-gallon capacity
    · any trash containers up to 34-gallon capacity used only for recycling and marked with a large "X" or "RECYCLE"
    · small cardboard boxes (the boxes will be collected with recycled items set out for
    pickup).

    The County Executive stressed that it is important for residents to remember that recyclables must not be placed in plastic bags of any type or color in this new program. "Plastic bags create problems for the single stream sorting equipment," said Smith. "Our solid waste management team will work hard to educate everyone to use containers instead of plastic bags." Many local food stores accept clean and dry plastic bags for recycling.

    Baltimore County residences will receive an updated 4-year trash and recycling collection schedule/program guide in the mail shortly before the start of the new single stream recycling program on February 1, 2010. Residents are urged to read, retain, and post their new collection schedule/program guide.

    "People always tell me that they would recycle more if it were easier to do so," said Baltimore County Council Chair Joe Bartenfelder. "Allowing residents to put paper, bottles, and cans in the same container that will be picked up every week is about as easy as it gets. As a farmer, I have a deep respect for the land and our natural resources, so this is a very good day in Baltimore County."

    For more information about Baltimore County's transition to single stream recycling collection, residents may call the Bureau of Solid Waste Management at 410-887-2000 or visit www.bcrecycles.com starting Monday, December 14.

  • Baltimore Co. using new Web tool to find jobs, emergency assistance

    Click here for the article in The Baltimore Sun.

  • Cardin Featured in Owings Mills Times

    Check out the article here.

  • Del. Jon Cardin’s Home to be Featured on Discovery Channel’s Renovation Nation

    BALTIMORE, MD - On April 18th and April 20th, 2009, cast and crew from the Discovery Channel’s new hit show Renovation Nation will be filming at the home of Del. Jon Cardin (D-11th District) in Baltimore County. Renovation Nation focuses on homeowners who are either building sustainability from the ground up, or are making eco-friendly changes to their existing homes.

    Cardin began renovations on his house, located at 12112 Garrison Forest Road in Owings Mills, MD, last year and is on the verge of completing a sustainable, energy efficient, green home. His house, known as the Old Gill School was originally constructed in 1871 as a one-room school house on the corner of Walnut Ave. and Garrison Forest Rd. in Owings Mills. It was sold to a former student, Elise Durham, and her husband in 1933, and they converted it into a tiny three-bedroom home to raise their three children there. Mrs. Durham died in 2005 and her daughters sold it to Cardin 2006.

    Cardin lived there for a year while designing the green expansion and renovations with his architect Bruce Finkelstein. Ashley Homes did the bulk of the renovations over a period of 18 months.

    Green Improvements include but are not limited to:

    - Geothermal heating and cooling
    - Reinstallation of a functional wood stove
    - Use of overstock wood, tile, and brick from previous work sites
    - Low/No VOC paint, finish, stain
    - Recycled plastic carpets and decking
    - Solar panel installation
    - High-density insulation
    - Reuse of original dirt cellar as a functional wine cellar

    Cardin takes pride in leaving the original façade and returning the interior to a single room reflecting the original school

    “I am thrilled to have this unique project featured on Discovery. Finally – green, sustainable development is getting the recognition it deserves. This is about taking our future seriously and making sure we are addressing the concerns of pollution, greenhouse gases, air and water quality and quality of life for our kids and the generations to come,” said Cardin.

    Renovation Nation invites both serious conservationists and curious viewers to watch and explore the growing movement of environmentally-friendly focused home refurbishing and construction. Regardless of the size of the renovation project or the age of the home, Renovation Nation host Steve Thomas (a seasoned contractor and former host of This Old House) shows viewers just how exciting, interesting, and important it is to go green in their construction projects.

    In Baltimore County, Renovation Nation can be found on Channel 113 (Comcast) or Channel 168 (Verizon).

    For more information, please contact Jonathan Schwartz in Delegate Jon Cardin’s office at (410) 841-3833.

  • Cardin Receives Humane Society Legislative Award

    ANNAPOLIS (Feb. 11, 2009) – Humane Society Lobby Day, organized by The Humane Society of the United States connects citizen lobbyists with lawmakers to support and encourage animal welfare legislation. Maryland’s 2009 Lobby Day was held at the state capitol on Wednesday beginning at 9:30 a.m. The HSUS also presented Humane Legislator Awards to Sen. Norman Stone (D-6) and Delegates James Malone (D-12A) and Jon Cardin (D-11) for initiating path-breaking animal protection legislation and advanced reform in the policy-making arena during the 2008 session.

    Lobby Day participants focused their efforts on the newly introduced bills aimed at strengthening protections for dogs at abusive puppy mills and requiring accurate labels on fur-trimmed garments.

    Puppy Mills
    Puppy mills are breeding facilities that mass produce puppies for sale in pet stores, over the Internet and directly to consumers. Puppy mills commonly house animals in overcrowded, filthy and inhumane conditions with inadequate shelter and care.

    Currently, Maryland does not have any state laws to regulate puppy mills. The new legislation (SB 318) would place a cap on the number of dogs over the age of four months old that can be kept at one time for breeding at 50 dogs. Puppy mills can range in size from several dozen dogs to hundreds of dogs, often stacked in wire cages, without exercise, socialization, or human companionship. The bills would also establish enclosure size and exercise requirements for breeders with more than 10 breeding dogs.

    Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Virginia passed puppy mill laws last year, and this important legislation will help to curb puppy mill abuses in Maryland – as well as preventing puppy mills from setting up shop in Maryland in the future.

    Fur Labeling
    An ongoing investigation by The Humane Society of the United States has revealed that many designers and retailers are selling unlabeled fur-trimmed jackets advertised as “faux” of “fake” fur, when laboratory testing showed the fur came from animals, even dogs and raccoon dogs skinned alive in China.

    A loophole in the federal fur labeling law allows products with $150 worth of fur or less to go completely unlabeled. This loophole means that many unlabeled garments are falsely advertised as the wrong species or even as “faux” fur and therefore consumers are not provided with accurate information critical to their purchasing decisions.

    If passed, new legislation (HB 208/SB 342) will require all garments containing animal fur to be labeled with the type of animal fur and the country of origin.

    Several states—such as Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, and Wisconsin—have passed fur labeling laws so that consumers in those states have additional protection.

    Humane Legislative Awards
    The Humane Society of the United States presented Humane Legislator Awards to the following legislators for their important work through 2008:

    Animal Fighting Laws

    • Sen. Norman Stone and Delegate James Malone will be recognized for their efforts to upgrade Maryland’s animal fighting laws. Sen. Stone and Delegate Malone introduced and passed SB 44 and HB 719 respectively, both bills to increase penalties for spectators at animal fights.
    Sen. Stone explains, “We need to be vigilant in protecting animals who cannot speak for themselves. It is truly an honor to receive recognition from The Humane Society of the United States for my legislative endeavors on behalf of animals.”
    “Working with The Humane Society of the United States was absolutely a great experience, and I look forward to working with The HSUS in the future,” said Delegate Malone. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be receiving this award.”

    Humane Euthanasia

    • Delegate Jon Cardin was recognized for introducing and passing a bill (HB 1481) authorizing animal shelters to access the drugs needed to sedate animals prior to euthanasia. “I am honored to be recognized for something I probably I would have done anyway,” explains Delegate Cardin. “What sets us apart from the rest of the living world is the human capacity for compassion and for recognizing that animals can and should be treated with respect and dignity. It may not always be easy, and I applaud the efforts of my advocates who continue to keep all of us focused on humane objectives.”

  • Lawmakers, Meissner Promote Healthy Living

    ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) ― Kimmie Meissner, Maryland's Olympic figure skater, was in Annapolis Tuesday lobbying for better fitness for Marylanders.

    Is some exertion and sweat worth a write-off on your taxes?

    One lawmaker thinks so, and he's enlisted the help of a famous Marylander, 2006 World Figure Skating Champion Kimmie Meissner. She says people just don't know how much better they would feel working out.

    "I feel I accomplished something. I know I'm keeping my body healthy, I know I'm doing a good thing, and it makes me happy to work out," said Meissner.

    In Annapolis Tuesday, Kimmie Meissner spoke in favor of a bill that would offer up to $500 per person in tax write-offs for getting healthy.

    "Smoking cessation programs, for a gym membership, not only membership but you also have to prove you go to the gym and participate, personal training would be considered something," said Delegate Jon Cardin, bill sponsor.

    The advocates include gyms, health-related non-profits and insurers. Their philosophy is that wellness is worth it.

    "Obesity, as you know, is a precursor to a number of costly and serious ailments, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer," said Tim Rhode with the Maryland Athletic Center.

    It's hard to get a bill passed that reduces state revenue in a tight economy. But the sponsor says the money saved by the state in the long run in terms of health care costs is well worth it.

    The Coalition for a Healthy Maryland says research proves it. A Coppin State University study shows obesity in Maryland cost $2.7 billion for health care and another billion for lost productivity.

    A 76-year-old at the gym says she'd love the tax write-off, which for seniors would be $750, not just $500.

    "I think any kind of exercise you do is beneficial and everybody needs it, particularly the elderly," said senior Judy Rise.

    The bill also hopes to target overweight children.

    Delegate Cardin admits in a tough fiscal year it will be a tough fight to get this bill passed.

  • BGE Explains Billing

    BGE released the following message on 1/27/09:

    In light of the colder temperatures, we know that some of our customers' gas and electric bills might be higher than they had been in previous months. In order to help you understand the factors that impact winter heating bills, I thought that it might be helpful for you to know that there is a link to the BGE website that explains how weather and other factors impact utility bills along with tips to help customers control their usage - http://www.bge.com/portal/site/bge/

    Where customers do not understand their bills or would like to dispute them, they should be encouraged to call BGE's Customer Care Center.

    I have provided the contact information for the Customer Care Center below:

    · Monday 8:00 a.m. through 12:00 midnight Friday.

    · Emergency service is available 24 hours a day.

    · Foreign-language interpreters are available.

    · Phone: 410-685-0123

    · Toll-Free: 800-685-0123

    · Fax: 410-712-9323

    · TTY/TDD (Maryland Relay Service): 800-735-2258

  • Chesapeake Bay Groups Worry About Manmade Surfaces

    By KATHLEEN MILLER
    Associated Press Writer

    ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- The residents of the 64,000-square-mile Chesapeake Bay Watershed are building sidewalks, parking lots and other impervious surfaces at nearly five times the pace of population growth, a bay restoration expert said Thursday.

    The population has grown by 8 percent since 1985, while impervious surfaces have grown by 41 percent, in the multistate region where water travels that can ultimately flow into the bay, according to Ann Swanson, the executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

    While soil acts as a natural filter for pollutants in rainwater, impervious surfaces send rainwater unfiltered into rivers and streams.

    Swanson told a panel of Maryland legislators to fund things such as mass transit and efforts to assist stormwater in returning to the ground when they search for economic stimulus projects.

    "This is a place your laws can address," Swanson said. "You need to make sure there's a green component to what's going in on the ground."

    Swanson's group, which consists of elected officials and residents from Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, is monitoring the progress of bay restoration efforts.

    "The state of the bay is not necessarily a happy story," Swanson said. "The happy story is what can be done."

    Delegate Jon Cardin, D-Baltimore County, said the creation of new impervious surfaces like buildings and roads is "a major concern for health and the purity and potability of water." Cardin introduced a bill this year in the Maryland General Assembly that would create a database of all of Maryland's impervious surfaces.

    "I have no interest in increasing fees or taxes at this point in time for people who are building new impervious surfaces - that would be a death sentence for certain industries," Cardin said. "I do want to monitor this, though. Before we start making any major policy decisions that will result in winners or losers, let's get full information on what is going on out there."

    William Baker, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation conservation group, told members of the Maryland House's environmental matters committee that state and federal governments need to step up enforcement of environmental laws.

    "We do have the science, we do have technology, we do have the public support," Baker said. "We need to enforce the laws."

    Baker's group is already suing the federal government to enforce the law and clean up the polluted Chesapeake Bay, and he says it may file another lawsuit soon in Maryland. According to Baker, the suit could resemble a case the group pursued against the state of Virginia and Philip Morris USA over pollution in the James River.

    While the foundation wouldn't sue the state of Maryland itself, Baker says the group may "go to court to do what the state won't do" in terms of more strictly enforcing environmental laws.

    The foundation settled the Virginia lawsuit last year.



Paid for by Elect Cardin, Cristina Lopez, Treasurer