The Dickerson Coal-Fired Power Plant as Viewed from the C&O Towpath
The Maryland Beyond Coal team has been making huge strides in our campaign to clean up dirty coal in Maryland by pushing for strong health protections that will force the coal plants to clean up their act and save lives. Every action brings us closer to this goal, and closer to the ultimate goal of moving beyond dirty fossil fuels to clean energy across the country. One of the coal plants in question is the Dickerson plant in Dickerson, MD, which operates near the Virginia/Maryland border along the Potomac river. The Dickerson plant is one of the four most-polluting plants on the East Coast and lacks the modern pollution controls necessary to protect public health. The MD Beyond Coal Team has deced to incorporate the classic Sierra Club approach of a conservation outing--that is, a typical outing but with an action-oriented twist--to call attention to the need for this plant to clean up its act. Hikers will explore and enjoy the beautiful nature along the Potomac river, including Maryland's largest living tree, while also learning about how the Dickerson plant affects communities and ecosystems in Maryland. The hike will involve a brief photo-op and information session near the plant.
With the conservation motive in mind, we will experience first-hand the juxtaposition of the beauty of the Towpath’s historic trails with the offensiveness of a pollutant-spewing coal plant as they exist in the same vicinity.
This outing will be an exciting opportunity to see the impacts of fossil fuel consumption precisely as they occur in the real world, and to learn about what actions we can take with Beyond Coal campaign to shift our state to a cleaner future.
There will be two carpool pickup spots: one near Baltimore and one near Washington, DC.
More details here: http://tioga.sierraclub.org/oars-activity/pages/activity.jsf?activity=62312
If you’d like to join us on this outing, please contact Mike Darzi at 301-580-9387 or at Michael.darzi@saic.com!
This post was written by the Maryland Sierra Club's awesome Outings Intern Emily Behnke!