A June 25 Chestertown Spy article reports that the Clean Chesapeake Coalition has filed a Motion to Intervene with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), claiming that the Coalition should be allowed to participate in the ongoing relicensing negotiations for the Conowingo Dam. The Coalition has argued that dredging the Dam is the most cost-effective way for Maryland to meet its nutrient and sediment water pollution targets under the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load.
“The Coalition’s formal intervention in the FERC relicensing of the Conowingo Dam is a significant step towards improving the health of the Bay and protecting Bay restoration efforts and expenditures below the Dam,” wrote Ron Fithian, chair of the Clean Chesapeake Coalition and President of the Kent County Commissioners, in a press release on Monday. …
The Coalition has advocated dredging the dam as the most expedient and cost effective way to improve water quality in the Bay. The Coalition is vying to secure a multi-state commitment to dredge, which could significantly lower the $14.5 billion price tag to Maryland’s local governments to implement their WIPs. The savings could reduce the WIP costs to other states as well, the Coalition says.