It's time we raise our voices and demand Baltimore City lawmakers prioritize clean air for our communities.
For 39 years, Baltimore's BRESCO trash incinerator has released thousands of tons of toxic chemicals and greenhouse gasses (like CO2, lead, mercury, NOx, and formaldehyde) that damage people's health and cause climate change, making it four times dirtier than coal. High air pollution levels of NOx have caused Baltimore City to have three times more asthma hospitalization rates than anywhere else in Maryland, with the communities adjacent to the incinerator overburdened by the negative health impacts. As a result, a Chesapeake Bay Foundation report finds the Baltimore trash incinerator causes $55 million dollars a year in residents' medical expenses, a burden felt primarily by community members in South Baltimore.
Worse still, since 2012, Marylanders who pay their utility bills have also been forced to pay over $100 million in subsidies for in-state and out-of-state trash incinerators, including Baltimore's BRESCO incinerator, that burn and pollute our communities. This is because trash incineration is defined as a tier 1 renewable source alongside wind and solar energy. We need your support to pass the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act, which would remove trash incineration from the state's renewable energy portfolio. The RREA would end those funds, subsidized by utility ratepayers, and is a vital step towards building a clean energy future. It ensures that our investments in renewable energy truly align with our state's environmental goals, addresses health issues, and reduces our climate impact.
Join us in advocating for this important bill.
Signatures will be sent to our Baltimore City Council members plus lawmakers in Baltimore City's Delegation to Annapolis.