Nine Maryland county governments and Baltimore were required by state law to establish pollution control fees to reduce pollution running off streets, parking lots, and other surfaces, called stormwater. The deadline was July 1.

Carroll County just said no. They refused to comply. Perhaps local officials wanted to make an anti-government statement of protest. Perhaps they didn’t feel like they had any significant problems with runoff pollution they had to worry about, beyond those addressed by a local program they already run.

Whatever the reason, it is now quite clear that Carroll County has a serious problem with runoff pollution that demands additional attention. The Carroll County Department of Recreation and Parks last week closed boat rentals in the reservoir at Piney Run Park because of a toxic algal bloom. The likely cause was runoff of phosphorus and nitrogen in fertilizers from lawns or farms, according to the Carroll County Times.