“Shockingly, this study shows Maryland surpassing virtually all other states in the foul air we literally choke on from these dirty plants,” said Mike Tidwell of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network in a prepared statement to the press. “The real tragedy is that these power plants could easily be cleaned up without impacting consumers....”



“Shockingly, this study shows Maryland surpassing virtually all other states in the foul air we literally choke on from these dirty plants,” said Mike Tidwell of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network in a prepared statement to the press. “The real tragedy is that these power plants could easily be cleaned up without impacting consumers....”

Maryland Is Called the “Persian Gulf” of Mercury Pollution in the U.S.
SOURCE: Chesapeake Climate Action Network

A new study of power plants shows nearly one in ten of the nation’s worst mercury polluters are in Maryland, yet energy companies with expensive lobbyists continue to kill clean-up bills in Annapolis.
An unusually large percentage of the nation’s dirtiest power plants are located in Maryland, burdening the state with very high rates of mercury, acid rain, and smog pollution while contributing to global warming, according to a new study released on May 11.

Out of hundreds of power plants examined nationwide, three Maryland plants were among the very top emitters of mercury, a harmful neurotoxin. The power plants, located in Prince George’s, Montgomery and Anne Arundel Counties, burn tens of thousands of tons of coal per day and are owned by Mirant Corporation as well as Constellation Energy Group. The study also shows that one Mirant-owned plant, the Chalk Point plant in Prince George’s County, is the fourth worst emitter of nitrogen pollution in the US. Nitrogen is the single most harmful pollutant killing the Chesapeake Bay, according to scientists.

Last March in Annapolis, nearly one third of Maryland state lawmakers who were voluntarily tested showed elevated levels of mercury in their bodies, indicating the severity of the problem in the state.

“Shockingly, this study shows Maryland surpassing virtually all other states in the foul air we literally choke on from these dirty plants,” said Mike Tidwell of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network in a prepared statement to the press. “The real tragedy is that these power plants could easily be cleaned up without impacting consumers....”

The study, called “Dirty Kilowatts,” is based primarily on U.S. EPA data analyzed by the Environmental Integrity Project in Washington, D.C.

Mirant Corporation, headquartered in Atlanta, led efforts earlier this year to defeat legislation in Maryland that would have cleaned up the state’s dirtiest plants. The Chalk Point plant, according to government data, causes more than one hundred avoidable deaths per year directly related to its pollution emissions. The plant also contributes to avoidable cases of asthma and heart attacks and contributes to the growing mercury contamination found in Maryland fish.
For a copy of the Dirty Kilowatts report, visit environmentalintegrity.org or contact Mike Tidwell at mwtidwell@aol.com or 240-460-5838).

When this story was posted in May 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:


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May 7, 2005: This Week's Top Stories "Peace Corps Online" on recess until May 21 7 May Carol Bellamy taking the reins at World Learning 7 May Gopal Khanna appointed White House CFO 7 May Clare Bastable named Conservationist of the Year 7 May Director Gaddi Vasquez visits PCVs in Bulgaria 5 May Abe Pena sets up scholarship fund 5 May Peace Corps closes recruiting sites 4 May Hill pessimistic over Korean nuclear program 4 May Leslie Hawke says PC should split into two organizations 4 May Peace Corps helps students find themselves 3 May Kevin Griffith's Tsunami Assistance Project collects 50k 3 May Tim Wright studied Quechua at UCLA 2 May Doyle not worried about competition 2 May Dodd discusses President's Social Security plan 1 May Randy Mager works in Blue Moon Safaris 1 May PCVs safe in Togo after disputed elections 30 Apr Michael Sells teaches Islamic History and Literature 28 Apr

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May 7, 2005: Special Events "Iowa in Ghana" on exhibit in Waterloo through June 30 "American Taboo" author Phil Weiss in Maryland on June 18 Leland Foerster opens photo exhibition at Cal State RPCV Writers scholarship in Baltimore - deadline June 1 Gary Edwards' music performed in Idaho on May 24 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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