After a 10-month delay, the Maryland Department of the Environment released a new statewide general discharge permit for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). This replaced the previous permit that expired last July. Existing farms had been running under the terms of the expired permit, but farms have not been able to apply for new permits to build or expand during this time.

The renewed permit includes input gathered through public meetings, stakeholder listening sessions, and a public comment period. An emergency bill passed by Maryland lawmakers would have allowed CAFO building projects to begin under certain circumstances despite the expired permit, though a new permit would still be required before an operation becomes active or animals are housed there. However, the updated permit was released before the state’s governor signed the bill.

The new permit will expire in 2031.