OPINION: Septic mandate challenges Salisbury

The state initiative that has at least seven Maryland counties embroiled in legal action to avoid a costly mandate designed to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay is also hitting municipalities, including Salisbury. A report outlining the findings of a city-commissioned study outlining the possible creation of a stormwater utility is expected this spring.

The major obstacle with the state mandate to reduce nutrient runoff - the so-called "pollution diet" - is its astronomical cost. The city is struggling to figure out a strategy to comply and at the same time, keep costs manageable.

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