Judge Sides with Community on Coal Company’s Attempt to Roll Back Clean Water Protection

Rockville, MD --  A Maryland Circuit Court ruled in favor of local community members and environmentalists on a power plant owner’s efforts to block safeguards protecting clean water in the state at the Chalk Point power plant in Prince George’s County.

These protections were included in the updated Clean Water Act permits issued to three facilities in 2018. Facility owners NRG and GenOn are appealing the water pollution permits for the Dickerson (Montgomery County), Morgantown (Charles County), and Chalk Point (Prince George’s County) coal-fired power plants. The plant operators’ appeals are being opposed by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and a coalition of clean water advocates represented by attorneys with the Environmental Integrity Project.

Last year, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) updated expired Clean Water Act permits for the three coal plants with limits for toxic pollutants such as arsenic, mercury, and selenium. These metals can lead to cancer, cause development defects, and harm hair and nail production, among other toxic effects.

Various organizations released their comments on the decision below:

“For nearly two years now, thousands of Marylanders have called for the elimination of toxic coal waste in their water,” Patrick Grenter Senior Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Maryland. “Coal plant owners have resisted these common sense, affordable pollution controls and have instead opted to pursue fruitless appeals with teams of lawyers. NRG and GenOn need to hear the call: Marylanders are done with coal’s dirty pollution and ready for a clean energy future.”