Dorchester County Council has withdrawn from an appeal filed by the Clean Chesapeake Coalition over Maryland’s agreement with Constellation Energy regarding the Conowingo Dam, saying the move will help avoid delays and keep cleanup efforts moving forward.
The decision follows months of debate over how to address pollution and sediment buildup behind the dam, which can wash into the Chesapeake Bay during major storm events. In October, the State of Maryland and Constellation Energy reached an agreement aimed at reducing those impacts, but the Clean Chesapeake Coalition later filed an appeal, arguing the plan did not go far enough.
Dorchester County initially joined that appeal, hoping it would secure a stronger role in shaping how the agreement is carried out. County Council President Lenny Pfeffer said the council’s original goal was to ensure Dorchester had a voice in the process.
“The intention was when we signed on to the appeal, that we would have a seat at the table,” Pfeffer said.
Last week, county leaders were notified they would be given a seat on a committee responsible for helping implement the agreement, prompting the council to reconsider its involvement in the appeal. Pfeffer said staying on the appeal could have delayed federal review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and slowed the start of cleanup efforts. Pfeffer acknowledged the agreement may not include everything the county had hoped for, but said it represents progress.
"This is a step in the right direction,” Pfeffer said. “Is it everything we wanted? No, but it is a step in the right direction to clean the overall bay.”
Pfeffer also pointed to funding included in the deal.
“There is 18 million out of the $341 million allotted to do a study on the dredging, but they also told us of another pot of money where they have about another $18 million for actual dredging itself,” Pfeffer told WBOC.
While the Clean Chesapeake Coalition would have preferred Dorchester remain part of the appeal, the County Council says withdrawing allows them to work more directly with the state to focus on cleanup efforts and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
