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Mirant fined for pollution at power plants on rivers
Friday, March 28, 2008
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State officials have fined energy company Mirant $250,000 for repeated pollution violations at coal-burning power plants in Charles, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, but environmental advocates called it a ‘‘slap on the wrist” to a company with $2 billion in profits last year.
The state and Mirant reached a consent decree for the fines to be paid as part of a settlement of the pollution complaints. As part of the settlement, Mirant subsidiary Mirant Mid-Atlantic LLC agreed to cut visible emissions and other air quality violations at Mirant’s Morgantown plant on the Potomac River in Charles County, Chalk Point plant on the Patuxent River near Benedict and Dickerson plant in Montgomery County.
Mirant would reduce by 30 percent particulate matter emissions and install fine particulate matter continuous emission monitors at all three plants as part of the consent decree, which detailed numerous violations of pollutant standards going back to 2003.
Mirant would pay $175,000 in direct fines and another $75,000 to retrofit devices on Prince George’s school buses to reduce pollution emissions.
The consent decree attributed an increased risk of asthma, lung disease and heart problems to the pollutants. Mirant has until July 1, 2009, to comply with the consent decree. ‘‘Mirant’s consent decree with the Maryland Department of the Environment will enable us to move forward with improved operations at the Morgantown, Chalk Point and Dickerson power plants,” said Misty Allen, Mirant director of external affairs. ‘‘Full implementation of the terms of the consent decree will improve air quality for the region.”
Mirant faced more than $10 million in fines for the violations, which dated back years but were not enforced.
Frank O’Donnell, president of environmental group Clean Air Watch in Washington, said the Mirant fines appeared to be too low considering the damage to people’s health.
‘‘You’re talking about one of the biggest polluters in the state and people are going to be at great risk if they continue to pollute more,” he said.
Environmental Maryland, a watchdog group, also criticized the fine. ‘‘It sounds like Mirant got a slap of the wrist when they needed a punch to the gut to stop doing that,” said Tommy Landers, field organizer for the group.
bford@gazette.net
