SHUT DOWN THE CSX COAL EXPORT PIERS
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
The air quality of Curtis Bay in South Baltimore ranks among the most toxic in the United States. Fugitive coal dust from the CSX coal export piers on Curtis Bay's waterfront - and the uncovered train cars idling outside its gates - has plagued the community for far too long.
It's time for the Maryland Department of the Environment to live up to its mission "to protect and restore the environment for the health and well-being of all Marylanders."
The five-year operating permit for CSX expires Sept. 30, and we are calling on the Maryland Department of the Environment and Maryland Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain to exercise their power and act decisively. It's time to shut down the coal piers.
Life expectancy in Curtis Bay is nearly 15 years shorter than in the richest neighborhoods in the city.
Coal is the No. 1 source of carbon emissions fueling the global climate crisis.
CSX has been allowed to operate in multiple violations of its permit, including the failure to monitor methane gas, which led to a giant silo explosion in December 2021.
Please sign and share this petition telling the Maryland Department of the Environment to live up to its stated climate and environmental justice goals and stop enabling one of the most dangerous and toxic polluters in the world.
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To:
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
From:
[Your Name]
To: Maryland Department of the Environment
Serena C. McIlwain, secretary of the environment
Christopher Hoagland, director, Air & Radiation Administration
Suna Yi Sariscak, manager, Air Quality Permits Program
B. Frank Courtright, manager, Air Quality Compliance Program
David J. Krask, manager, Air Monitoring Program
1800 Washington Blvd.
Baltimore, Md. 21230
Dear MDE,
You have the power to bring environmental justice to the residents of Curtis Bay in South Baltimore by not renewing the five-year operating permit for the CSX coal export piers.
Under the present permit, improper ventilation led to a massive methane gas explosion on Dec. 30, 2021, in one of the CSX silos, shaking homes, shattering windows and choking residents. At a subsequent Baltimore City Council hearing, both CSX and your representative admitted methane at the plant was not even monitored – a violation of the permit.
Because of the CSX piers, Curtis Bay residents routinely sweep and vacuum coal dust from their porches, carpets, and window sills. Some spit black particles in the sink when they brush their teeth. Asthma is widespread. Coal dust contains substances that cause permanent, severe harm to people of all ages. These include mercury, which kills brain and nerve cells; arsenic, which causes bladder, lung, and skin cancer; cadmium, which leads to cancer and kidney failure; lead, which causes developmental problems in children; and silica, which causes lung cancer.
Life expectancy in Curtis Bay is up to 15 years shorter than in the richest neighborhoods in Baltimore (Baltimore City Health Department).
CSX has been operating the coal piers in violation of multiple COMAR regulations in its permit, including those related to discharge of emissions that are visible to human observers; the maintenance of the total amount of actual emission of each regulated pollutant; discharge that creates a nuisance or air pollution; the coverage of open-bodied vehicles likely to create air pollution; and the discharge of toxic air pollutants that will unreasonably endanger human health.
The piers are operating at capacity. Along with the deadly harms to Curtis Bay residents, coal is the No. 1 source of atmospheric carbon buildup fueling the spiraling worldwide climate crisis.
If your mission truly is to “protect and restore the environment for the health and well-being of all Marylanders,” as well as address climate change, denying renewal of this permit would go a long way toward proving it.
The residents of Curtis Bay need you to do the right thing. Protect them now.
Sincerely and urgently,