Letter to the Editor

We are taxpayers, residents and landowners in Calvert County who strongly oppose PEPCO Holdings Inc.'s construction of a high voltage electrical converter station within the Parkers Creek or Governors Run watersheds or any other location that has been officially identified by the county as a preservation area.

Specifically, we strongly oppose PHI's recent selection of a site in Port Republic for this purpose.

We support the construction of a converter station on land that is currently zoned for industrial use and provides adequate space, security and appropriate infrastructure for such a facility. However, we adamantly agree with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland Office of People's Counsel, and Dorchester County that a full and thorough review of the Supplemental Application filed by PEPCO on Nov. 12 is absolutely essential before any approvals for the MAPP project are even considered.

We oppose the Port Republic site for the following reasons.

The construction of a large converter station in this location completely undermines long-standing efforts to protect Parkers Creek — "one of the most ecologically valuable sub-estuaries in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and the least disturbed on Maryland's western shore," according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

For more than 25 years, Calvert County citizens, working largely as volunteers with the American Chestnut Land Trust, have worked with private, nonprofit organizations and county and state agencies to preserve more than 4,000 undeveloped acres in the Parkers Creek and Governors Run watersheds for the public's benefit. This equates to 49 percent of the land in the Parkers Creek watershed and 23 percent of the land in the Governors Run watershed so far.

Private landowners within the Parkers Creek watershed have also voluntarily put their land in permanent preservation and the Calvert Farmland Trust has permanently preserved land within this watershed, including the property immediately adjacent to the proposed site. Thanks largely to these efforts, the preserved lands surrounding Parkers Creek and Governors Run provide critical habitat for ecologically important species that require undisturbed environments, offer year-round recreational opportunities, and contribute significantly to Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.

The construction of a large converter station in this location conflicts with state efforts to protect environmentally sensitive areas.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources identifies a portion of this site as a "Targeted Ecological Area." Targeted Ecological Areas are described by DNR as "lands and watersheds of high ecological value that have been identified as conservation priorities by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. These areas represent the most ecologically valuable areas in the state — they are the ‘best of the best.'"

The construction of a large converter station in this location severely conflicts with the Calvert County Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance and potentially sets a dangerous precedent for similarly zoned land throughout Calvert County.

The site is zoned Farm and Forest District and designated by the county as a Priority Preservation Area. The purpose of such zoning, according to the Calvert County Comprehensive Plan is to "Preserve the Rural Character of the County, its Prime Farmland, Contiguous Forests, Historic Resources and Environmentally Sensitive Areas ..."

Only minor structures accessory to transmission lines are permitted by the zoning ordinance. PEPCO has made no effort to honor the purpose and intent of Calvert County's Comprehensive Plan and the project does not comply with the Calvert County Zoning Ordinance.

The construction of a large converter station in this location will severely and destructively impact an important cultural landscape that is part of the Maryland Star-Spangled Banner Byway.

Port Republic, together with its surrounding area, is still largely composed of late 19th/early 20th century buildings situated within a traditional landscape of forests and fields. It is located along the Maryland Star-Spangled Banner Byway, one of 19 unique routes designated by the State of Maryland for their scenic beauty, history and culture. The route connects many sites from Southern Maryland to downtown Baltimore that played a role in the War of 1812 and includes Broomes Island Road, Route 2/4 and Route 765.

The view directly in front of anyone approaching Route 2/4 from Broomes Island Road will be two side by side buildings, each of which is as wide as a typical "big box" store (e.g., Prince Frederick Walmart) and at least three times as tall (60-65 feet). The buildings, together with the array of towers and wires, will cover approximately 35 acres, some or all of which will require strong outdoor security lighting. The site will also be highly visible along Route 2/4.

The ACLT Board of Directors passed a resolution opposing the siting of the MAPP converter facility at the Port Republic site in the headwaters of Parkers Creek.

PEPCO's decision to choose this site was made without any regard for long-standing efforts on the part of local and state governments, nonprofit organizations and hundreds of volunteers to preserve and protect important ecological, cultural and economic resources in this county, without even asking for input from the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners or their staff in finding an appropriate site and without providing any explanation for why the originally proposed converter site, which was on land zoned for industrial use, was abandoned. We find that unacceptable.

Nevertheless, we believe a solution can be found that will address our concerns while at the same time addressing the region's energy needs.

Marcia Tripp and Edward U. Graham, Port Republic

The writers are the chairman of the Calvert Citizens for Safe Energy Executive Committee and president of the American Chestnut Land Trust Inc., respectively.