The following blog post is by the Maryland Sierra Club’s Energy Intern, Angela Scafidi. She worked to help organize our outing in Maxwell Hall Park with the Southern Maryland Group and Maryland State Senator Arthur Ellis.
This past Saturday the MD Sierra Club was joined by State Senator Arthur Ellis for an Environmental Justice Walk and Talk at Maxwell Hall Park in Charles County! It was a hot and humid morning, but a great experience to meet new people and chat about how air and water pollution from coal impacts communities in Southern Maryland. Rosa Hance (chair of the Southern MD group) and one of our staffers, Matt Dernoga, organized the event and came up with questions to discuss during the mile-long hike through the woods to the waterfront, where we could see the Chalk Point coal plant in the background.
Maryland still has six coal power plants, which is a major public health, environment, and climate concern. These coal plants produce approximately the same amount of greenhouse gas pollution as two million cars, which impedes us from reaching our climate plan goals. Air pollution from coal plants has also put Marylanders at risk of asthma and other chronic respiratory illnesses, which disproportionately affects people of color. The conversations on the hike were really enlightening; I got to meet lots of new people with different perspectives! I’m not from southern MD, so I learned so much by hearing about their concerns with development, traffic, water and air quality, and disparities between communities.
The Chalk Point Coal Plant in the Distance
It was awesome that Arthur Ellis and his wife Rosalind came on the hike! This was my first time meeting a State Senator, and you could see the impact that the sight of the coal plant had on him and the other attendees. This event along with others throughout my internship helped me see firsthand what grassroots organizing and activism look like. It was great that the senator came out and had conversations with people about their issues. We have been organizing events and engaging with people all across the state, and will continue to hold conversations like these on environmentalism, public health, and justice.
What struck me the most was the beauty of the waterfront! Coming from the Patapsco watershed, as a kid I’d play in the creek in my neighborhood, and as I got older I’d go down to the river with my friends to camp or swim. Seeing this serene, beautiful waterfront was soured by hearing from the local residents on our hike that they can’t swim in the water. The natural scenery of the park is threatened by the coal plant just across the river, looming in the background.
We left the hike inspired to continue to take action for a cleaner, greener Maryland where every community, no matter the zip code, has access to clean water, clean air, and a sustainable economy.
