Coal Transportation Fee and Fossil Fuel Mitigation Fund (Coal Dust Cleanup and Asthma Remediation Act)

SB 882 imposes a $13 fee per short ton on carriers transporting coal within Maryland. Revenue from this fee flows into a new "Fossil Fuel Mitigation Fund," which is a nonlapsing special fund administered by the state department. The fund must be used to support programs reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing health impacts like asthma in overburdened communities - defined as areas meeting specific environmental health indicators (e.g., high pollution levels, asthma ER visits). The bill directly affects coal transporters and targets funding toward communities disproportionately impacted by fossil fuel pollution.