On Saturday, August 1st, 20 Sierra Club kayaktivists lead by Outings Leader Ken Clark and star intern Taliah Dommerholt paddled along the Middle River and Dundee Creek to visit one of Maryland's dirtiest coal-burning power plants: the C.P. Crane Generating Station.
“We took to the water near the C.P. Crane coal plant both to learn about the pollution associated with coal, but to also draw attention to the broken promise of the Hogan administration,” said Kevin Kreischer, clean air advocate from Baltimore, Md. who joined the kayak trip to the C.P. Crane coal plant. “Governor Hogan needs to put Maryland’s health first, not the profits of polluters unwilling to clean up.”
"The owner of C.P. Crane, Talen Energy, has supported the original plan to address smog-forming pollution from its plants, and we thank them for that," said David Smedick, Beyond Coal Campaign Representative at the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. "This plan garnered widespread support from stakeholders in addition to Talen, including the environmental and public health community in Maryland. Unfortunately, the lone holdout, NRG Energy, has persuaded the new Governor to significantly weaken the plan, compromising its public health benefits. It's incredibly frustrating to see a Governor move away from an opportunity to implement a pollution plan that is supported by a coal plant owner and the Sierra Club. Talen and the public appear ready for smog-forming pollution reductions at every coal unit, including C.P. Crane, but for some reason that message isn't being heard by our decision makers."
Interns at the MD Sierra Club designed and painted several signs and a large banner to be used for a photo-op at the plant, and the National Beyond Coal Campaign hired a professional photographer to document the event. The current was surprisingly strong near the plant and an unexpected fence through the water made photos more challenging than expected, but attendees learned a lot and enjoyed the time outdoors.
"Despite working on this campaign for almost two years, this is the first time I've seen the Crane plant up close," said Seth Bush, MD Organizer for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. "It really is too bad that such a beautiful environmental area is interrupted by this loud and filthy polluter. The roar of the burners and coal conveyors makes it difficult to appreciate the wildlife in the nearby wetlands and water above."
Nevertheless, the weather was perfect for paddling, and everyone involved had a great time thanks to good planning by our interns Elaina Perry, Taliah Dommerholt, and Nick Chantiles. And, none of it would have been possible without support from the Energy Committee's coal plant retirement working group and the kayak planning team including Bill Deysher, Adam Windram, Charlie Skinner, and Andrea van Wyk.
The trip was made even more special by the siting of a bald eagle upon our return to shore, which was spotted by some members of the Audobon Society who were on a kayak trip of their own.
Click here to view photos from the trip on our Flickr account.