for those who hear complaints about a so-called 'rain tax,' facts: [View all]

A rain tax, or Stormwater Remediation Fee, was established via House Bill 987 (April 2012) affecting the largest urban jurisdictions in Maryland (nine counties and the City of Baltimore) in order to meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act as it concerns the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Tax Foundation states House Bill 987 "was passed in response to a decree by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formally known as the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load, which identified mandatory reductions in nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment that damage the Chesapeake Bay." This mandate from the EPA was mandated to the states of Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Maryland is the only state that has levied a tax to meet the EPA’s standards.[2] According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the fastest-growing source of bay water pollution from Maryland is currently stormwater runoff.[3][4]
The law specifies that accrued funds must be used for specified stormwater pollution-related purposes.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_tax