Rep. Helen Bentley (R): Dirty Dozen 2002
Maryland's 2nd District

LCV Lifetime Rating (1985 �4) = 17% 

View Helen Bentley's Race At A Glance page.

When Helen Bentley last represented Maryland's 2nd Congressional District, she voted against stronger environmental protections more than eighty percent of the time. She earned the lowest LCV score in the Maryland congressional delegation in seven of her years in office�tied for the lowest score in the delegation for the remaining three years. Her poor voting record while in office indicates that she is not likely to vote in ways that help families meet new environmental challenges facing the District, which include increased pollution impacts on the Chesapeake Bay and the need to hold corporate polluters responsible for their actions.

Weakening the Public's Right to Know about Toxics
The Brandon Shores/Wagner Complex, made up of two coal-fired power plants in Anne Arundel County, is the state's largest source of toxic chemical emissions, releasing more than 12 million pounds of chemicals into the state's air, land and water in 2000. These facilities released more than 600 pounds of toxic mercury in 1999. According to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), power plants are a primary source of mercury contamination in the state. MDE has issued statewide fish consumption advisories for small and large mouth bass and for bluegill due to high levels of mercury contamination, which can lead to developmental problems in infants and children. The Brandon Shores facility also emitted 47,500 tons of sulfur dioxide in 2000 and the Wagner facility increased its sulfur dioxide emissions by 79% between 1995 and 2000. Sulfur dioxide can cause respiratory illness and cause serious health problems for children, the elderly, and people with asthma. 

Helen Bentley's record shows that she will not protect the right of Maryland citizens to know about harmful chemicals like mercury and sulfur dioxide in their air, land and water. While in Congress, Bentley voted against a provision that would have given the public information about toxic chemical releases in their neighborhoods. She also failed to support legislation that would have extended chemical reporting requirements to Brandon Shores and other power plants.

Slowing Cleanup of Maryland's Waters
Overflow from sewers and fertilizer runoff from farms and backyards are leading causes of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Aging, poorly designed systems have not kept up with increasing population. Current cost estimates to fix or improve sewage treatment and sewer system overflow problems and handle projected growth include $400 million for Baltimore County, $308 million for Anne Arundel County, and $67 million for Harford County. Wetland loss is another key factor contributing to declining water quality in the Bay, as wetlands act as a natural filter for polluted runoff. Maryland has lost approximately 300,000 acres of wetlands to development. 

Maryland voters cannot count on Helen Bentley to protect the Chesapeake Bay from pollution. In 1993, Bentley voted to cut $90 million from a $290 million increase in funding for national sewage treatment needs. And in 1991 and 1992 she cosponsored a bill that would have weakened federal protections for wetlands, despite the direct, negative impact of wetland loss on the Chesapeake Bay. 

Protecting Industry from Cleanup Costs 
Water quality and wildlife are at risk when oil spills into the Chesapeake Bay. In April of 2000, more than 100,000 gallons of fuel oil leaked from a pipe at a Potomac Electric Power station in Southern Maryland, one of the largest spills the state has seen in years. The spill killed birds, otters, muskrats and other wildlife, and also killed grasses that prevent coastal erosion. In 1988, an oil barge near the mouth of the Potomac River cracked open, spilling 160,000 gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline. It was the largest spill since 1976, when another barge released 250,000 gallons into the Bay near the same location and was blamed for the death of 10,000 waterfowl. 

Despite the risk of oil spills and the harm they can cause, Bentley voted not to hold polluters responsible, and to protect the oil industry from the costs of cleanup. When the House considered oil spill cleanup legislation in 1989 in the wake of Alaska's Exxon-Valdez disaster, she voted to prevent state and local governments from setting higher liability limits for polluters than those in federal legislation. In addition, she voted to set up legal barriers that would make it easier for polluters to pay less than the full cost of cleanup of an oil spill. 

The Race
Robert Ehrlich, the incumbent from this district, is running for Governor, leaving the 2nd District an open seat. The newly-drawn district includes the portions of southern Harford and Baltimore Counties along the Chesapeake Bay, portions of northern Anne Arundel County, and a narrow strip around the northern and eastern sides of the city of Baltimore. Democratic registration is higher than it was in the former 2nd District, including more minority and suburban voters, giving it a slight Democratic lean. 

The 78-year old Bentley has no opponent in the primary and is very well known in the district. Bentley represented most of this district when she served in Congress for ten years. The likely Democratic challenger is C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, the Baltimore County Executive, who is term-limited in that office. Ruppersberger, a strong supporter of smart growth measures, was re-elected in 1998 with 70% of the vote. His lesser-known opponent in the September 10 primary, Oz Bengur, is an investment banker. This race is being closely watched, and political analyst Charlie Cook has rated the race 􌥡n Democratic.�>