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Polluted and neglected for decades, the Anacostia River is undergoing a renaissance thanks to years of community advocacy. Local governments have made strides fixing all the major pollution sources: bacteria, polluted stormwater runoff, trash, and toxics. But the hardest work is still ahead of us.

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) issued a permit to Columbia Gas without providing the necessary information to the public, and did not comply with Clean Water Act or State Law when issuing the permit.

MDE issued the permit too quickly, without taking into consideration the health of communities, people, and the environment.

The permit issued would impact the waterways in Baltimore City and County that contribute to the drinking water of 1.8 million people.

MDE, Baltimore & the Columbia Gas Pipeline

In April 2014, MDE issued a permit to Columbia Gas for a 305 acre project that

Incinerators are referred to as “waste-to-energy” facilities, but incinerator sites have caused significant environmental, health, and financial impacts on communities and residents. The amount of energy produced by incinerators is considerably less than the amount saved by recycling, and with a greater cost to public health.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that incineration produces more carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour than any other form of power generation, further contributing to climate change. Combustion or “mass-burning” at these sites contributes to 33% more greenhouse