Office of the Environment, Safety and Risk Management

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) joins the O’Malley-Brown Administration in its Smart, Green & Growing initiative, in which Marylanders are coming together to strengthen the State’s economy, protect the environment and improve our quality of life.

In 2007, the Environmental Compliance Office (ECO) was established as part of the MDTA’s Division of Operations.  In 2011, the ECO merged with the Office of Risk Management (ORM) to create the Office of Environment, Safety, and Risk Management (OESRM).  This reorganization was initiated to combine two independent units with overlapping areas of responsibility into one unified and cohesive group while centralizing all safety and environmental management components for greater operational efficiency. 

Environmental compliance programs administered by the OESRM are geared toward ensuring the agency’s nine maintenance facilities, two travel plazas, and weigh and inspection stations are carried out in accordance with Federal and State environmental regulations.  The MDTA has taken its commitment to even greater heights and has developed numerous environmental sustainability initiatives. 

We invite you to join us in these efforts.

The Maryland Transportation Authority is committed to sustainable development; environmental compliance; stewardship; continuous improvement in environmental performance; and effective interaction with its employees, other government agencies, and the community.  Through policies that foster environmental protection and stewardship, MDTA reinforces practices that are essential to its overall operations.

Management Commitment
MDTA is committed to providing the leadership, systems, and resources necessary to ensure that the objectives of this policy are achieved.  Furthermore, the MDTA is committed to promoting a culture where environmental protection, sustainability and compliance are integral parts of our management practices. 

Workforce Commitment
MDTA employees and Contractors are responsible and accountable for performing their assigned roles and achieving desired outcomes in an environmentally-responsible manner.  MDTA will prioritize activities in order to conduct operations in an efficient, fiscally responsible and sustainable manner.

Compliance
MDTA will maintain compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations and will follow MDOT policies for its transportation business units.

Planning
MDTA will develop and incorporate environmental performance goals into project planning processes and ensure that regulatory requirements, pollution prevention, and sustainability are evaluated and addressed in program and project management.  MDTA will conduct life-cycle analyses and employ other tools that facilitate long-term decision-making.

Stewardship
MDTA will responsibly manage its facilities to minimize impacts of activities on the environment through effective planning, program and project development, and operation and maintenance procedures.

Communication
MDTA will communicate its environmental policy and performance goals to employees, stakeholders, contractors and citizens-at-large.  MDTA will maintain open lines of communication, making use of internet and social media in addition to traditional communication channels.

Continuous Improvement
MDTA will strive for continuous improvement in its environmental performance through a program that includes training, periodic assessments, management review, and implementation of initiatives.

EnviroTip – Did you know you can reuse that empty coffee can?  Or mayonnaise jars?  Make it a family project.  Turn that empty can or jar into a decorative vase, a bank for loose change, or a storage container for small knick-knacks.