PRESS STATEMENT: MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

ForImmediateReleaseOctober30,2019

MediaContact:BetsyNicholas,WaterkeepersChesapeake,(202)423-0504TedEvgeniadis,LowerSusquehannaRiverkeeper,(609)-571-5278

PRESSSTATEMENT:MARYLANDDEPARTMENTOFTHEENVIRONMENTANDEXELON’SPROPOSEDCONOWINGOSETTLEMENT

(TakomaPark,MD)–WaterkeepersChesapeakeExecutiveDirectorBetsyNicholasandLowerSusquehannaRiverkeeperTedEvgeniadisreleasedthefollowingstatementsinresponsetotheMarylandDepartmentoftheEnvironment(MDE)andExelon’sproposedjointsettlementtoallowthenew50-yearlicensefortheConowingohydroelectricdam.

StatementfromBetsyNicholas:

WeappreciateMDE’seffortstoseekresolutionofthenumerouswaterqualityissuesassociatedwithExelon’soperationsofConowingoDam.However,wehavemanyconcernsabouttheproposedsettlementandneedmoredetailsandassurancesthatthesettlementwill,infact,resultinwaterqualityimprovements.ThereisastatedintentforExelontomakepaymentstoMarylandforthepurposesofachievingactivitiessuchasmusselhabitatrestorationandworkingtoaddressupstreampollutionsources.Yetthesearemerelystatementsofintent,andtheyarenotbinding.Infact,nearlyeveryprovisionofthisproposedsettlementissubjecttomodificationbytheparties–MDEandExelon.TherearenoassurancesthattheagreementwillactuallyresultinimprovementstomitigatetheimpactsofthedamonMaryland’swaterquality.

WebelievethesettlementhasinsufficientfundstodealwiththeriskstotheSusquehannaRiverandChesapeakeBayfromtheextremeweathereventsscouringlargeamountsofsedimentandnutrientstrappedbehindConowingoDam.Inaddition,thesettlementgivesthepublicnoenforcementpowertomakesurethefundsarespentoninitiativesinthesettlement.ItleavesoversightentirelytotheStateofMaryland--nootherpartieswithstandingwouldbeabletoholdMDEandExelonaccountable.

It’sunfortunatethatdeeplyinvolvedparties,likeWaterkeepersChesapeakeandLowerSusquehannaRiverkeeper,werenotallowedtoparticipateinthenegotiationsleadingtothisresolutionandcontinuetobeleftonthesidelinesbythefailuretoincorporatethesubstantiveprovisionsofthesettlementintothefederallicenseagreementthatwouldundergopublicinputandscrutiny.Further,sinceWaterkeepersChesapeakeandLowerSusquehannaRiverkeeperarenotpartiestotheagreement,thesettlementdoesnotresolveouradministrativeappealofthewaterqualitycertification,amatterthathasbeenbeforeMDEformorethan18monthswithnoresponse.

Inaddition,thisproposedsettlementcontainsatroublingarrangementthatallpaymentsmadebyExelontoMDEoverthe50-yearlicenseperiodwillgototheState’sCleanWaterFund,whichisnota"lockbox"fundandcanbereallocatedbythegovernororlegislature.Thisisaterribleprecedentforcleanwaterprotection,becausetheSusquehannaRiverisapublicresourceandshouldnotbesoldofftoaprivatecompanyforexclusiveusewithoutensuringthattheimpactstothepublichavebeenmitigated.

StatementfromTedEvgeniadis:

WhileMDEandExelonhaveexchangedvowsbehindcloseddoors,theissueofsedimentandnutrientscourremainsanimminentthreattotheLowerSusquehannaRiverandChesapeakeBayandhasbeenignoredonceagain.Exelonclaimsthattheywilldisbursemorethan$700millionforwaterqualityandfishpassageimprovementsoverthecourseofitsnew50-yearlicenseterm.TheamountExelonwillcontributesoMDE(notExelon)canstudydredgingscenariosislessthan1percentofthat$700million.

Ariver’sfunctionistotransportsediment,that’ssimplescience.Whenthereisa98-foot-tallstructurethattrapssedimentfromdistributingatanormalratedownstream,thenextlargestormwilldeliverthosedepositsofnutrient-ladensedimentatexacerbatedratesdownstream,causingalgalbloomsandhabitatloss.ThestudiesdonethusfarbyExelon’sthirdpartiesareinconclusivetodeterminetruecostsandrealisticrevenuestreamsfrombeneficialreuseforthestateofMaryland.MorefundingshouldbeappliedbyExelon,andresearchmustbecompletednowsowecandeterminepotentialbeneficialreuseofthosesediments.

Thesettlementdoesnotincludestipulatedtimelinesforcompletionof“non-license”issueprojectsthatwillbecontrolledentirelybyMDE.It’sdishearteningthatthoseconditions,likethemusselhatcheryandeelpassageresearchprojectsarenotbeingplacedwithinthelicenseagreementbutareratherfallingonMDE’sshoulderstoimplementsolelyontheirownwithlimitedstaff.Inaddition,itisunwisetocomminglethesesettlementmoniesintotheCleanWaterFund,whichisbudgetedformanydifferentprogramsforthestateofMaryland.In2017’sfiscalyear,salariesandwagesaccountedforroughly78percentoftheCleanWaterFund’sbudget.Itwouldbeprudentforthestatetocreatediscrete“lockbox”fundsfortheseparateactivitiesandprojectswhicharerelatedtothissettlementagreement.

AndwhataboutPennsylvaniaorNewYork?ThereisnomentionofappropriationoffundingforupstreamwaterqualityimprovementsaswasasuggestedsolutionbyExelonandMDEtocombatsedimentandnutrientloadtothedam’sreservoir.Significantimprovementsmustbemadeupstreamandthosecommunitiesneedsupportnowinpartofthissettlement.Atfacevalue,thesettlementcarriescertainstrengthsthatweapplaud,buttherearedeficienciesthatmustbeaddressedinordertoprotectwaterqualityintheLowerSusquehannaandChesapeakeBayforthenext50years.

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WaterkeepersChesapeakeisacoalitionofeighteenindependentWaterkeeperprogramsworkingtomakethewatersoftheChesapeakeandCoastalBayregionsswimmableandfishable.www.waterkeeperschesapeake.org

LowerSusquehannaRiverkeeperAssociationisdedicatedtoimprovingtheecologicalhealthoftheLowerSusquehannaRiverWatershedandtheChesapeakeBay.CurrentandfuturecitizensoftheLowerSusquehannaRiverWatersheddeservehighwaterquality,wiseandsustainableuseofallaquaticresources,andpreservationofaestheticvalueofourwaterways.Improvementwillcomeaboutthrougheducation,research,advocacy,andinsistenceuponcompliancewiththelaw.www.lowersusquehannariverkeeper.org