In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. “Dredged material” means material that is dredged from the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries. “Dredged material” includes sand, silt, sediment, shell, rock, soil, and waste matter. “Dredged material reuse facility” means a facility that dewaters, analyzes for contaminants, dries, and processes dredged material for reuse. “Program” means the Dredged Material Disposal Alternatives Program under this subtitle. “Reuse” means the recycling of dredged material for use in another product, including commercial and industrial uses.

There is a Dredged Material Disposal Alternatives Program in the Department.

The purposes of the Program are to: designate innovative reuses of dredged material as a sustainable alternative in the management of dredged material disposal; and provide financial assistance for the production and marketing of technologies that dewater, analyze for contaminants, dry, and process dredged material for reuse in an economically beneficial manner. The goals of the Program are to: implement the beneficial reuse of dredged materials as a sustainable dredged material management method; foster markets for end-use products that use dredged material as a resource; increase public awareness of the many valuable commercial and industrial uses of dredged material and products made using dredged material; and facilitate the reuse of at least 500,000 cubic yards of dredged material each year.

The Department shall adopt regulations to carry out this subtitle.

The Program shall: seek money from federal programs to administer the Program; engage in public-private partnerships and provide financial assistance to foster the development, construction, and operation of dredged material reuse facilities in the State in an economically beneficial manner; provide financial assistance to develop end-use markets for dredged material; and promote the reuse of dredged material and market resulting products.

Financial assistance from the Program may be in the form of a loan or grant, as provided in regulations of the Department.

The Program is contingent on the allocation of money in the State budget to the Maryland Department of Transportation. In accordance with the State budget, the Maryland Department of Transportation shall allocate money for the Program from the Transportation Trust Fund after elements of a long-term plan for managing dredged material, in accordance with §§ 5-1102(d)(2)(ii) and 5-1104.2(d) of the Environment Article: are operational; and provide 20 years of placement capacity.