An October 28 Baltimore Sun article reported that Baltimore County has used revenues collected from the County’s stormwater remediation fee (also called the “rain tax” by opponents) to revive a street-sweeping program that keeps road dirt and debris from contaminating stormwater runoff.

Since May, the county has collected 562 tons of debris with the street-sweeping trucks, resulting in a pollution reduction that officials said equates to 843 pounds of nitrogen, 337 pounds of phosphorus and 168 tons of suspended solids — tiny particles of dirt that cloud the water.   …

“This program would not have happened without implementation of the stormwater fee,” County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said before hopping behind the wheel of a public works street-sweeping truck for a demonstration at Wilson Point Park in Middle River.  …

The county is spending $1.6 million in the first year of the sweeping program, which represents about 5 percent of the stormwater fees collected from property owners.

The article also noted that the County is also using stormwater fee revenue to clearing storm drains, stream restoration, and tree plantings.