Kennett Square, Pa. -- Exelon Generation shares the State of Maryland’s commitment to restoring and sustaining the health of the Chesapeake Bay. For 90 years, the Conowingo Dam has been a source of reliable, clean energy, today accounting for 55% of the renewable energy in Maryland. The Dam does not produce any pollution. Rather, the science clearly shows that the pollutants that travel down the Susquehanna River, from New York and Pennsylvania, are the source of the nutrients and sediment that flows into the Bay.
As issued, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) 401 Water Quality Certification places an unfair and onerous burden on Conowingo to reduce millions of pounds of nutrients, such as phosphorous and nitrogen, which are carried by sediment entering the Chesapeake Bay from sources upstream the Susquehanna River. Additional unfair burdens in the Certification include the removal of all visible trash and debris from upstream sources from hundreds of miles of river, including New York, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in Maryland.
Today, we have filed a request for MDE to reconsider its decision. We believe our filing clearly outlines the legal infirmities of the Certification, and we hope that MDE will revise its approach.
At the same time, because of the seriousness of the issues at hand, we also will ask the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the Maryland Circuit Court of Baltimore City to review the matter.
We also continue to evaluate the long-term viability of the Conowingo Dam.
The health of the Chesapeake Bay is a shared responsibility and we need to engage multiple states and stakeholders in an effective long-term solution.
