October 8, 2013
Contact: Lauren Randall, Sierra Club, 202-495-3027, lauren.randall@sierraclub.org
Major Advertising Campaign Urges Governor O’Malley to Clean Up Outdated Crane and Wagner Coal Plants
Campaign Calls on Governor to Clean up two of the Dirtiest Coal Plants on the East Coast
Annapolis, MD – Today, the Maryland Sierra Club, joined by the Chesapeake Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, announced the launch of a statewide advertising campaign to urge Governor O’Malley to clean up dangerous pollution from the Crane and Wagner coal plants. These outdated plants are two of the only coal plants on the East Coast that operate without modern pollution controls for sulfur dioxide, allowing unsafe levels of pollutants linked to asthma attacks and premature death to contaminate local communities.
The major media rollout includes ads in the Baltimore Sun and the Capital Gazette. TV ads will launch in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties later this month.
“Thanks to Governor O’Malley, Maryland is poised to be a leader on offshore wind development and a national trailblazer for clean energy investments,” said Dave O’Leary, Chapter Chair, Maryland Sierra Club. “Yet as we bring more clean energy online, Governor O’Malley must also commit to cleaning up our air in order to provide a truly safe, prosperous environment for all Marylanders. Cleaning up the Crane and Wagner coal plants - two of the dirtiest coal-burning plants on the East Coast - is the right place to start, and the Sierra Club is pleased that the Governor’s administration recently committed to working to limit pollution from both plants.”
The Crane and Wagner coal plants, located in Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties, both began operating over fifty years ago. While most other coal plants on the East Coast have added modern pollution protections to limit dangerous and harmful emissions, the Crane and Wagner coal plants continue to operate without modern safeguards to protect communities against sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is one of the most harmful pollutants emitted by coal plants, contributing to asthma attacks, respiratory diseases, and premature death.
The Maryland Department of the Environment recently committed to initiating a stakeholder process that seeks to ensure that Crane and Wagner’s sulfur dioxide emissions, as well as nitrogen oxide emissions, do not exceed federal health-based air quality standards. The Sierra Club and the Chesapeake Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility are calling for the strongest standards possible in order to protect public health.
“While most East Coast coal plants that intend to continue operating have installed controls for sulfur dioxide emissions, two of Maryland’s coal plants continue to pump out this dangerous pollution, contributing to asthma attacks and premature death,” said Cindy L. Parker MD, MPH, Board Member, Chesapeake Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. “It’s time for Maryland to clean up Crane and Wagner coal plants, and I am pleased to see the Governor’s administration moving in the right direction.”
According to the American Lung Association, Baltimore is one of the top ten most polluted cities in the country. Baltimore County also ranks among the highest in the nation for childhood asthma.
“My two grandsons play baseball and are outside constantly,” said Donna McDowell, Montgomery County citizen and Sierra Club Maryland Board Member. “Knowing that my grandsons, their friends, and other children living in and traveling to Baltimore are experiencing some of the worst air quality and worst asthma rates in the entire country is unacceptable. It’s time to protect all children and clean up the polluting, outdated Crane and Wagner coal plants.”
To view images of the ads, visit: http://action.sierraclub.org/
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