The first local public meeting on the relicensing of Conowingo Hydroelectric Project drew a handful of people in Darlington Thursday, most with concerns about the environmental impact of the 80-year-old dam and power plant, whose federal license expires in 2014.

The hearing at the Darlington Volunteer Fire Company was led by a panel from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is reviewing a request by Exelon Generation Company to re-license Conowingo and a sister facility, Muddy Run Pumped Storage Project in Pennsylvania.

As part of the relicensing, FERC must prepare an environmental assessment. On May 11, the commission released a scoping document, which lays out the plan for evaluating the facility. Representatives also toured the two facilities last week, prior to the first round of public meetings.

Port Deposit Mayor Kerry Anne Abrams told the FERC panel she feels the scoping document for the relicensing is too limited in its plan to study the impact on recreation areas and land uses and does not mention flooding as a problem or impact.

“We think that the relationships between dam releases, coordination of those releases with the upriver dams and flooding should be examined and the full range of solutions explored,” said Abrams, whose town is six miles downriver from the dam and takes the brunt of flooding when the dam's floodgates are opened to manage high river flows.

Abrams also asked that Port Deposit's historic properties and all town and county comprehensive plans for the area be considered, asked that an environmental impact statement be conducted in addition to an environmental assessment, and noted that the mailing list for the process is inadequate and only two Maryland elected officials are listed on it.

“We don't want these serious issues to go unnoticed and we don't want our areas of concern to become a burden on Port Deposit,” she said.

Michael Helfrich, a river advocate known as the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper, raised concern about the reduction in American eel in the river, which is needed for the reproduction of other species, and said he would like to see more analysis of fish mortality rates.

He also noted the high sediment levels in the river behind the dam and said he does not believe Exelon has done enough to address the issue.

Darlington resident and well known local environmentalist Bob Chance said he appreciates Exelon's work on the Conowingo swimming pool and fishing trail but would like to see easier access to the river both above and below the dam. Chance said he leads kayak trips and would like to see it be made easier to launch such trips and do “eco-history adventures.”

Mary Helen Marsh, general manager of Conowingo and Muddy Run, spoke about the history and achievements of the Conowingo facility since its completion in 1928, including debris management and fish restoration.

A new $4 million, handicapped accessible fishing wharf will also open sometime this summer, she said.

John Smith, who chaired Thursday's meeting, said FERC wants to hear from the community and stakeholders and will most likely release a revised scoping document following the first round of public meetings.

Following Thursday's meeting, Marsh said she was not surprised by the public comments, except for the mention of flooding.

“I think we do a good job of educating people that flooding is Mother Nature” and not a result of the dam, she said.

She also said the problem of sediment buildup is bigger than just the Conowingo Dam.

“I think it is more of a global issue,” she said, adding that Exelon has been looking to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission for guidance on that issue.

Exelon's licenses for Conowingo and Muddy Run expire on Sept. 1 and Aug. 31, 2014, respectively.

For questions on the scoping process, contact John Smith, 202-502-8972 or john.smith@ferc.gov. To subscribe to the federal commission's mailing list, send a request to efiling@ferc.gov or by mail to Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., Room 1A, Washington, D.C., 20426. Clearly specify your wish to be added, or removed, from the mailing list and identify “Conowingo Hydroelectric Project No. 405-087” and/or “Muddy Run Pumped Storage Project No. 2355.”

user comments (0)