As fund to offset pollution for the Conowingo dam proves elusive, the Clean Chesapeake Coalition continues the fight.
Pollution overflow from the Conowingo dam has proven to be an elusive problem for decades. The current plan took four years of negotiation but currently sits with no precise funding mechanism. Costs are projected to run at a minimum of $53 million per year, with most of those funds going to Pennsylvania farmers to reduce chemical runoff.
At the center of this fight is the Clean Chesapeake Coalition, a consortium of five Maryland counties intent on keeping the bay clean. Coalition members include:
- Kent County
- Caroline County
- Dorchester County
- Cecil County
- Queen Anne’s County
The Coalition is one of the oldest advocates for cleaning up the runoff from the dam. The primary concern today is that reservoir behind the dam is nearing compacity. This means more and more nutrients are pouring into the Chesapeake and causing havoc to the bay’s delicate ecosystem.
Presently no funding mechanism has been agreed to. Without funding, the agreed-upon plan can be implemented, and pollution will continue to pour into the bay.
