Q. Please state your name and address?
A. My name is Donald James and I live at 5800 Morland Drive N in Adamstown, approximately 1 ¼ miles from the proposed plant location.
Q. On whose behalf are you testifying?
A. I am testifying on behalf of my family and some of the concerned citizens of Adamstown.
Q. Have you testified as an expert witness in other regulatory proceedings?
A. No, and I am not a technical expert in any of the issues being discussed in these proceedings rather a citizen concerned for the health and welfare of his family and his neighbors.
Q. Have you previously filed testimony in this case?
A. No, until this time I had not felt that it would be necessary to file testimony as I thought that the County and the State would be protecting our interests.
Q. What is the purpose of this testimony?
A. To address concerns both directly and indirectly related to the water issues and to present proposed conditions in the event that the application is granted.
Q. Have you reviewed the supplemental testimony and reports provided by Catoctin Power?
A. Yes.
Q. What is your opinion regarding the low flow augmentation concept being proposed by Catoctin Power?
A. If the plant receives approval, I agree with the concept as developed, although I would like to see independent third party testing of the water quality.
Q. What is your opinion regarding the secondary water supply and discharge concept being proposed by Catoctin Power?
A. If the CPCN were to be approved, I do not believe that any secondary should be permitted. The addition of another intake and discharge facility along the Potomac River is unnecessary when treated effluent can be made available by Frederick County. The construction of this pipeline would cause unnecessary disruptions to local residents and the environment. It is not right to allow it to be built just because it can be done with a minimum of impact. When another source exists, no impact should be allowed.
Q. Why are you proposing conditions to be included with the CPCN approval?
A. I am not convinced that the proposed plant will be safe and beneficial. The very need for a proposal of a secondary water source with the associated disruptions to the community and additional draw requirements from the Potomac River to me shows that the concerns of the Adamstown community and the hardships the entire area faced during the recent drought have not deterred commercial interests, Frederick County officials or State officials from putting regional economic issues above the safety and welfare of local citizens. The potential benefits to others outside the local area outweigh what the citizens of Adamstown and the surrounding areas must endure, without providing absolute proof that they are safe.
Experts have been providing outputs from atmospheric and dispersion models say that things will be fine, yet other atmospheric models can not even predict if it will rain this afternoon. Air quality in Adamstown has not been sampled and tested by an independent third party because these same models or extrapolations from other data sources say everything is fine. Generalities and models do not take into account details of the terrain in our area.
If this plant has to be built, I want to see proof that the air is clean and safe for all residents and that the plant in operation does not make any measurable change in that air quality.
I also want to see Adamstown benefit directly from this plant. We have to live with the fact that the plant being there. That fact alone will discourage people from buying my house if I were to be transferred elsewhere after the current housing boom ends. I know I would have looked much harder in other locations had a power plant been here.
Also, the one tangible potential benefit to the citizens who pay for electricity in this region may see – the elimination of the need to upgrade the transformers in Doubs with the cost passed on to everyone – is not guaranteed. Catoctin has stated that they do not yet have approval from Sempra to build this plant even if the CPCN application is granted. It is very possible that the application will be granted and they will not build the plant in time to allow this upgrade to be cancelled.
Q. Have you been convinced that the proposed Catoctin Power Plant will be safe and beneficial to the State of Maryland?
A. No.
Q. Why not?
A. To name just a few reasons, electricity generated from this plant will be placed into the grid and may or may not end up in this area, and may or may not lead to a more stable power grid because the plant may not be built in time, and may or may not lead to reduced electrical costs. Construction workers and companies along with construction materials may well come from West Virginia, Pennsylvania or other states as Catoctin said they are unable to guarantee any portion of the work to be directed to Maryland companies.
Q. Have you been convinced that the proposed Catoctin Power Plant will be safe and beneficial to the County of Frederick?
A. No.
Q. Why not?
A. To name just a few reasons, electricity generated from this plant will be placed into the grid and may or may not end up in this area, and may or may not lead to a more stable power grid because the plant may not be built in time, and may or may not lead to reduced electrical costs. Construction workers and companies along with construction materials may well come from other Maryland counties, or other states as Catoctin said they are unable to guarantee any portion of the work to be directed to Frederick County companies. In addition, contrary to my understanding of Catoctin’s response to Commissioner Thompson’s question at the beginning of this process, Frederick County will lose state education funding due to the increase in the wealth of the county. While the actual dollar amount may be made up by other Catoctin tax revenue, there is no guarantee that this revenue will be placed into the education budget.
Q. Have you been convinced that the proposed Catoctin Power Plant will be safe and beneficial to Adamstown Maryland?
A. No.
Q. Why not?
A. To name even more reasons, Adamstown residents currently have no guarantee that they will see any direct benefits; just the new pollution source and construction hassles. Electricity generated from this plant will be placed into the grid and may or may not end up in this area, and may or may not lead to a more stable power grid because the plant may not be built in time, and may or may not lead to reduced electrical costs. Construction workers and companies along with construction materials will most likely come from outside of Adamstown, from other Maryland counties, or other states as Catoctin said they are unable to guarantee any portion of the work to be directed to local companies. Then there is the loss of state education funding. Since there has been no third party air quality testing done, Adamstown residents do not know what the air is truly like. There are too many major local sources of pollutants for us to be comfortable without truly independent testing of the air now, through construction and operations of the plant.
Q. How many proposed conditions do you have?
A. Two.
Q. What does your first condition pertain to?
A. The water source for the proposed plant.
Q. Why do you propose this condition?
A. It does not make sense to me to allow an additional source to draw water from the Potomac River when a reasonable alternative exists. The population of Frederick County and downstream communities continues to grow at an alarming rate. People need the water more than a power plant. The millions of dollars that would have been spent for that project would be better spent on making up for the reduction in State educational funding and for community facilities.
Q. What are the details of this condition?
A. The approval of the CPCN application should be contingent on Catoctin Power’s use the effluent from Frederick County, even if it takes a while to work out the details.
Q. What does your second condition pertain to?
A. The true air quality in Adamstown now, during construction and during plant operations.
Q. Why do you propose this condition?
A. The residents of Adamstown do not know what the true quality of the air is. We are continually being told that it should be fine, and not to worry about it, but that is not sufficient to alleviate the fears of the people.
Q. What are the details of this condition?
A. Approval of the CPCN application should be contingent on quarterly air testing at a minimum of 3 locations surrounding the plant (one of which must be Carroll Manor Elementary School). These tests must be conducted by an independent third party and funded by Catoctin Power. The testing will continue until the plant has been in full operation for more than two years, however, if the testing during operations shows that there is a measurable difference in any of the pollutant levels, thus contradicting the modeling and expert assertions, then the testing will continue as long as the plant is in operation.
This contingency would only be required if Sempra approves the Catoctin power plant project for construction. Testing would begin immediately and continue quarterly.