Home / Environment / Conowingo Dam Deal Clears Hurdle, $340M for Bay Projects Unlocked
Conowingo Dam Deal Clears Hurdle, $340M for Bay Projects Unlocked
6 Jan
Summary
- Eastern Shore counties dropped their challenge to the $340 million dam settlement.
- The settlement funds will support various environmental projects for the Chesapeake Bay.
- Constellation will provide funds for dredging studies and other environmental initiatives.
Maryland's significant $340 million settlement with the owner of the Conowingo Dam, Constellation, has cleared a major obstacle. The agreement, designed to fund critical environmental projects for the Chesapeake Bay, can now proceed after a group of Eastern Shore counties withdrew their legal challenge. This withdrawal comes less than a month after the appeal was filed, following extensive negotiations with the Maryland Department of the Environment.
The settlement, brokered by the state, involves Constellation providing substantial funds in exchange for a water quality certification for the hydroelectric dam. This certification is essential for the dam's 50-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Officials expressed excitement to shift focus from legal battles to implementing environmental improvements, particularly for the Upper Shore region.
Key components of the agreement include tens of millions for habitat restoration and tens of millions for dredging studies over the next 25 years, contingent on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assessment. The dam, built in 1928, currently releases pollutants and sediment due to its full reservoir, impacting the Chesapeake Bay.
