Based on recent EPA regulatory changes and actions in 2026, coal-fired power plants are allowed to emit higher levels of pollutants, including mercury, lead, arsenic, and brain-damaging heavy metals, by raising the allowed mercury release limit from 1.2 lb/TBtu to 4.0 lb/TBtu. This shift, which repeals 2024 restrictions, particularly impacts communities surrounding aging, dirty coal plants.
eos.org +3 Communities Harmed by Coal in Maryland
The following communities are most directly affected by the increased, ongoing, or historical pollution from Maryland’s coal plants and associated, often unlined, coal ash dumps:
South Baltimore and Curtis Bay: This area is overburdened by pollution, including the CSX coal terminal and nearby incinerators, which have been linked to high rates of asthma and cancer. Studies have confirmed significant coal dust pollution in this neighborhood.
Brandywine (Prince George’s County): A majority-Black community frequently cited as a case of environmental injustice, surrounded by gas-fired power plants, coal ash dumps, and a Superfund site.
Gambrills (Anne Arundel County): Has suffered from contaminated groundwater (arsenic, radium, selenium) due to coal ash, poisoning the water of residents who rely on wells.
Eagle Harbor and Brandywine (Chalk Point Plant): The Chalk Point plant is located adjacent to Maryland’s oldest African-American community, impacting the Patuxent River
.Allegany and Garrett Counties: A high concentration of coal ash dump sites exists here, with many used to fill old mine pits, threatening local water supplies.
Maryland Matters +8Key Polluter Locations Brandon Shores & Wagner Plants: Northern Anne Arundel County/Southern Baltimore City. Dickerson Plant: Montgomery County. Morgantown Plant: Charles County. Chalk Point Plant: Prince George’s County. Warrior Run Plant: Allegany County.
Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake +4Environmental and Health Risks
The EPA’s relaxing of standards means these communities are at higher risk of lung and heart disease, cancer, and neurotoxic damage from mercury. Furthermore, many coal ash dumps in Maryland are improperly managed, with at least 18 considered unregulated. The state has reported that over one-third of checked coal ash sites have significant contamination in groundwater.
Brandywine, a majority-Black unincorporated community in Prince George’s County, Maryland, is considered a national “poster child” for environmental injustice. Residents are surrounded by numerous heavy industrial facilities, including gas-fired power plants, a 140-acre coal ash dump that has contaminated local groundwater, and a Superfund site. The community has long argued that state and federal environmental agencies have allowed toxic over-saturation in their area, with the area containing more fossil-fuel power capacity than 99.9% of the country.
grist.org +4 Environmental Hazards and ImpactIndustrial Saturation: Brandywine is home to or near five major fossil fuel power plants, a coal ash disposal landfill, and other heavy industrial facilities.
Coal Ash Contamination: A 140-acre coal ash pit has leaked arsenic, selenium, boron, and cadmium into the groundwater. In 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acknowledged this, and other coal ash sites, contain levels of heavy metals and radioactive materials that pose cancer risks.
Air Quality: The area is in “non-attainment” for federal ozone pollution standards, which are worsened by emissions from power plants.
Health Concerns: Residents have high rates of asthma and other illnesses. The area faces significant pollution from nitrogen dioxide, linked to heart disease and stroke.
Energy Justice Network
+4Eagle Harbor and Chalk Point Plant Proximity to Pollution: The town of Eagle Harbor, Maryland’s oldest African-American incorporated municipality, is immediately adjacent to the GenOn Chalk Point Generating Station.
River Contamination: The Chalk Point plant has contributed to environmental degradation of the Patuxent River. Reports from 2006 indicated the plant was a major emitter of sulfur dioxide (24th largest in the U.S.) and nitrogen oxides.Flooding and Water Quality: Inspectors found that stormwater discharge from the plant contributes to flooding in the area and has caused “significant slope erosion,” with brown oily substances observed in the water.
Uncertainty in Regulation: Despite the danger, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) did not test the water or soil of Eagle Harbor when requested by the town in 2021. Maryland Matters +4EPA and Regulatory Failures
Lowered EJ Scores: Brandywine residents have accused the MDE of lowering the community’s environmental justice (EJ) score in state mapping, despite the intense pollution, a move that critics say makes it easier to approve new permits.
Permitting Controversies: In 2016, residents filed a federal civil rights complaint against the state for permitting more gas plants in the community, calling the situation “environmental racism”.Delayed Cleanups: EPA’s updated rules on coal ash allow companies to delay monitoring at “legacy” sites until 2027 or 2029, a move that activists argue delays necessary cleanup. E&E News by POLITICO +4 The community continues to fight for accountability from the EPA and state agencies, citing that the unincorporated status of Brandywine and Eagle Harbor leaves them vulnerable to continued, disproportionate pollution.
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