Maryland Matters, Conowingo Dam appeal dropped, allowing $340M settlement to go forward
Maryland’s $340 million settlement with the owner of the Conowingo Dam can now move forward, after a group of Eastern Shore counties dropped their challenge of the deal.
The withdrawal came less than a month after the administrative appeal was originally filed. Officials at the Maryland Department of the Environment, which brokered the key settlement deal, had lobbied hard for the handful of counties to back down.
That’s because the appeal had the potential to derail or delay the funds from dam owner Constellation, which are designated for various environmental projects. The state negotiated to receive the funds in exchange for issuing the hydroelectric dam a crucial water quality certification, which it needs in order to obtain a 50-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
“We are very excited to move out of the courtroom and into action. After nearly a decade of legal challenges we can now put this $340M to work to accelerate progress on the Bay,” wrote Maryland Department of the Environment spokesperson Dave Abrams in a statement. “Thank you to the local governments who worked closely with us to reach this resolution. We are all on the same team and will work closely with them and other stakeholders as we move forward.”
After Maryland officials promised counties they could have input on the rollout of the environmental projects in the settlement, several counties pulled out in late December. Cecil County — which hosts the dam and has complained about the impacts of sediment build-up — was the final hold-out, but dropped out on Friday.
It's always been my opinion the Marylanders should have been more grateful for the role of Conowingo in keeping sediment out of the Bay, and less demanding of those companies willing to help keep the dam serving that purpose. I'm glad the work will be going forward now.
No comments:
Post a Comment