Prince George's County, MD Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Section 32-126(a) requires a grading permit from the Director before any site development or grading, and the Prince George's Soil Conservation District must review and approve an erosion and sediment control plan before the County will issue that permit. Section 32-126(b) separately requires a Drainage System Connection Permit for anyone connecting to or discharging into a County drainage system or watercourse, aimed at stopping illegal pollutant discharges. Section 32-126(h) goes further, barring anyone from disturbing land at all without implementing erosion and sediment controls that meet the Maryland Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control.

Section 32-127 carves out exceptions: agricultural land management practices and construction of agricultural structures don't need a grading permit, nor does minor grading on an already-developed lot that disturbs less than 5,000 square feet or 100 cubic yards, changes grade by no more than 12 inches, and gets promptly stabilized. A timber-harvesting-only grading permit costs a flat $100 under Section 32-126(g). Section 32-141 governs enforcement: the Director can issue a corrective-action order, a stop-work order, deny future permits to a noncompliant applicant, and must stop work outright on any site disturbing land without an approved plan.

01, the 2011 Maryland Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, and the Stormwater Act of 2007, per the Purpose section, Section 32-124.