Bowie, MD Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Approval authority
- Prince George's Soil Conservation District
- Inspection agency
- City of Bowie
- Grading unit cap
- 20 acres or less
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $1,000, 6 months, per violation
- Civil penalty
- 2x City's correction cost
Summary
Bowie enforces its own soil erosion and sediment control chapter for any land grading in the City, adopting the Maryland Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control and COMAR 26.17.01 by reference. A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail per violation, on top of civil penalties tied to the cost of correction.
The purpose of this article is to protect, maintain, and enhance the public health, safety, and general welfare by establishing minimum requirements and procedures to control the adverse impacts associated with land disturbances. The goal is to minimize soil erosion and prevent off-site sedimentation by using soil erosion and sediment control practices designed in accordance with the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 26.17.01, the 2011 Maryland Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control (Standards and Specifications) and as amended by the Maryland Department of the Environment, and the Stormwater Management Act of 2007 (Act). ... The provisions of this article pursuant to Title 4, Environment Article, Subtitle 1, of the Annotated Code of Maryland are adopted under the authority of the City of Bowie Code and shall apply to all land grading occurring within the City of Bowie. ... Any person who violates any provision of this article ... is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction in a court of competent jurisdiction is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both, for each violation.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 21A, adopted in 2015 and amended in 2023, states its purpose as controlling adverse impacts from land disturbances by requiring erosion and sediment control practices built to COMAR 26.17.01 and the 2011 Maryland Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, under the authority of the state's Stormwater Management Act of 2007. Section 21A-1B applies the chapter to all land grading within the City under Title 4 of the Environment Article of the Maryland Code, and makes clear these are minimum requirements that do not limit other state powers.
Grading is defined broadly (excavating, filling, stockpiling, grubbing, or removing root mat or topsoil), and a grading unit is capped at 20 acres. The Prince George's Soil Conservation District is the approval authority for plans, while the City itself is named the inspection agency. Anyone who disturbs land without an approved plan and City erosion and sediment control permit, or fails to maintain approved controls, faces both criminal exposure under § 21A-32A and a civil penalty under § 21A-32D equal to double the City's cost of installing or maintaining controls and restoring the land, deposited into a dedicated erosion-control fund.
Violations & Fines
Under § 21A-32A, violating any provision of Chapter 21A is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment of up to six months per violation, with each day a separate offense. Section 21A-32D adds a civil penalty equal to double the City's cost of installing controls, maintaining them, and restoring disturbed land, reducible to 50% if corrections are made on time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What standards govern erosion control on a Bowie construction site?
What happens if I grade land in Bowie without an approved erosion control plan?
Who approves erosion and sediment control plans in Bowie?
Sources & Official References
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