The state of Maryland has imposed what has come to be called “the flush tax.” This is a surcharge imposed by the state’s Republican governor on all property owners to pay for upgrades in sewage treatment facilities. The Navy is claiming that they should be exempt because it is a tax while the state says no it’s a fee and they have to pay it. Here’s what Richard McIntire from the state EPA is quoted as saying:
“If you are contributing nitrogen and phosphorus to the Chesapeake Bay, and you’re treating your wastewater, you are expected to be held accountable for this fee, regardless of who you are.”
Sounds like a fee right? Well read further in the article and you find that those that have septic tanks or their own waste treatment facilities (like some military bases) also have to pay–That’s a tax.
