Maryland energy regulators have revoked a key permit for a controversial waste-to-energy power plant in South Baltimore, shelving the project indefinitely.
The Public Service Commission on Monday ruled that Energy Answers International violated the terms of its permit by halting construction activity at the plant site in Fairfield for more than 18 months. The regulators rejected arguments from the Albany, N.Y.-based company that it should nonetheless retain its license for the $1 billion project.
Environmentalists and residents in Cherry Hill and Brooklyn had fought the project, saying it would further foul air that is already so polluted it’s unhealthy. They cheered the regulators’ decision.
“We are pleased that the Public Service Commission has confirmed the expiration of the Clean Air Act permit as required,” said Leah Kelly, an attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project in Washington, D.C. The organization had notified state and federal regulators in February that it planned to file a citizen lawsuit under federal air pollution law if the terms of the permit, known as a certificate of public necessity and convenience, were not enforced.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Scott Dance over at the Baltimore Sun