The Chalk Point Generating Station in Southern MD

GenOn Energy Inc. (formerly Mirant Corp.) operates a coal-fired power plant in your community.
Basic Facts about the Chalk Point power plant:1

Located in Aquasco, MD on the Patuxent River

Operations began in 1964
It has an energy capacity of 2,401 MW making it the largest power station in MD

Coal Plants and Water Pollution: What is the problem?

Toxic, heavy metals (such as arsenic, barium, selenium, etc) are present when coal is mined due to its
location deep within the ground.2
Smoke produced from burning coal carries some of these toxins into the atmosphere. From the air,
they can settle into bodies of water or fall as acid rain.
Wet scrubbers, a form of air pollution control equipment, uses water to catch toxins and remove them
from the smokestack before they are released as air pollution. The product of this technology is a
concentrated toxic liquid that must be disposed of either in lagoons or landfills.3
Water is also used as a coolant in power plants. After it is used, this water is released back into
waterways at high temperatures, causing a disruption known as thermal pollution.4

What are these toxins?

Pollution from coal power plants contains toxic chemicals and heavy metals including mercury5,
arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel, and selenium - all of which can be harmful to human health in
high doses.6
Release of these chemicals into nearby ecosystems can allow them to collect in the food web through
bio-accumulation, making them a threat up the food chain (human consumption of fish, etc).7

How can I make a difference?

The Chalk Point station will be getting a revised water pollution permit soon, and there is opportunity for
meaningful public participation!
To prevent Marylands state environmental agency (the Maryland Department of the Environment) from
approving this permit without considering the effects that it could have on human health, ecological
conditions, aquatic recreation, agriculture, and other things important to your community, please attend a
public hearing to learn more and speak out.
The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is committed to holding coal plants across the state
accountable to the strictest pollution standards for the health of our communities and our
environment. For more information, contact Leslie Morrison by email at
leslie@chesapeakeclimate.org or by phone at (240)-396-2140.

GenOn. 2010. Chalk Point Generating Station. Website: <http://www.genon.com/company/stations/chalkpoint.aspx>

Sludge Safety Project. Heavy Metals Naturally Present in Coal. Website: <http://www.sludgesafety.org/what_me_worry/heavy_metal.html>
3
Earthjustice. 2011. The Anatomy of Air Pollution from Coal Plants. Website: <http://earthjustice.org/features/campaigns/the-anatomy-of-airpollution-from-coal-plants>
4
Union of Concerned Scientists. 2009. Environmental impacts of coal power: wastes generated. Website:
<http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c02d.html>
5
US Environmental Protection Agency. 2011. Frequent Questions: Air: Clean Air Act. Website:
<http://publicaccess.supportportal.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=23012&task=knowledge&questionID=21198>
6
Union of Concerned Scientists. 2009. Environmental impacts of coal power: air pollution. Website:
<http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c02c.html>
7
US Geological Survey. 2010. Bioaccumulation. Website: <http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/bioaccumulation.html>
2