FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Media Contact:
Josh Tulkin, 650-722-3171, Josh.Tulkin@mdsierra.org
Lindsey Mendelson, 240-706-7901, lindsey.mendelson@mdsierra.org
Today the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) held a briefing with Montgomery and Prince George's Counties announcing that the I-495 and I-270 expansion project would require 70 miles of large water and sewer pipes to be relocated, costing Maryland residents an estimated $2 billion. MDOT originally calculated these costs to be $900 million.
In response, Josh Tullkin, Director of Maryland Sierra Club issued the following statement:
"The misguided I-495 and I-270 plan is being fast tracked by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) without us knowing important information on how it impacts our environment and communities. The visible price tag of this project continues to grow exponentially while the potential external prices of this project on our climate, air, and water is still unknown to the public. This announcement is just the latest example of how MDOT is misleading the public and rushing to seal the deal on a 50 year contract without understanding its impacts. This is what can happen when an agency runs roughshod over local questions and concerns. This is another example of why we need to pass HB1424 and reform Maryland's Public Private Partnership process. This legislation would reform this process to increase the transparency and accountability of massive transportation projects that will affect Marylanders for generations."
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About the Maryland Sierra Club
Founded in 1892, the Sierra Club is America’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization. The Maryland Chapter has over 70,000 members and supporters, and the Sierra Club nationwide has approximately 800,000 members.