IMPORTANT MEETING TO ATTEND!! Lobbyists G.S. Proctor & Associates will give a public presentation of a proposed lithium battery storage facility sited for the Eagle Harbor-Chaulk Point Power Plant in Aquasco, Maryland, that burns highly flammable fuel oil and natural gas. Situated at the Patuxent River, this proposed lithium battery storage facility could environmentally impact Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties in the event of an emergency. Please be part of the conversation and attend their public presentation on the upcoming Wednesday of September 23rd at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Parish Hall) located at 13500 Westwood Rd., Brandywine, Maryland at 6:30 pm.
What appears to have been an attempt to approve and essentially sneak in this lithium battery storage facility without public knowledge is evidenced by the absence of notification to residents and property owners of the Town of Eagle Harbor and surrounding areas. No known notification from elected officials, including the Mayor and Commissioners of the Town of Eagle Harbor have been discovered to support that Eagle Harbor residents and property owners were informed, to the best of my knowledge. Recently, upon learning of the proposed lithium battery storage facility, it was the Former Mayor who immediately notified Eagle Harbor residents and property owners of the proposed lithium battery storage facility. Because impacted communities did not know of the proposed lithium battery storage facility, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) is scheduled to approve the facility without opposition on October 1, 2026, unless the public becomes involved. Already the site of Maryland’s largest man-made environmental disaster, the Chaulk Point Power Plant is situated beside the predominately African American waterfront and historic Town of Eagle Harbor and Community of Cedar Haven. Eagle Harbor, Cedar Haven, and the power plant are all shared and connected by the same roadway that provides only one way in and one way out. Considering the history of uncontrollable fires caused by lithium batteries, how prudent is it to store lithium batteries on a power plant that also stores fuel oil and is connected to a natural gas pipeline, whereby people may not be able to get out in a disaster? Your voice is needed.”
To participate in the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) public hearing on Wednesday, September 23rd at 6:30 PM, you can either attend and speak in person or submit your written testimony electronically or by mail. The meeting will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Parish Hall), located at 13500 Westwood Rd., Brandywine,
Maryland.Brandywine MDcom, has not came across a petition as of yet.
Eagle Harbor Maryland current safety concerns regarding flooding, oil spill,data centers and lithium battery storage.
Current safety and environmental concerns in Eagle Harbor, centers heavily on its position along the Patuxent River and its proximity to the Chalk Point Power Generating Station. As a historic Black waterfront community, residents and local leaders like former Mayor Noah Waters are actively fighting to protect the town’s character and environmental health from escalating industrial and climate pressures.? Flooding and Stormwater RunoffFlooding is a persistent and growing threat in Eagle Harbor. Coleman Creek Overflow: Heavy rains routinely overwhelm the town’s main water artery, Coleman Creek, causing it to overflow, erode its banks, and deposit massive amounts of sand and debris onto local roads and yards. Industrial Runoff: This flooding is heavily exacerbated by stormwater runoff originating from the adjacent Chalk Point property, where a legacy culvert pipe discharges water directly toward the town and the Patuxent River.
Infrastructure Strain: The town is actively using federal grants and its sustainability plan to stabilize the creek’s banks and address failing private septic systems, which risk leaking into groundwater during flood events.
?? Oil and Fuel Spill RisksWhile Chalk Point deactivated its coal-fired units in 2021, the site did not fully close. Ongoing Generator Operations: The plant continues to operate generators powered by natural gas and fuel oil. Because of this, the community remains downwind and downstream of active fossil fuel storage and transportation, leaving a localized risk of fuel or oil spills into the Patuxent River ecosystem.
Legacy Pollution: Eagle Harbor scores in the 79th percentile for wastewater discharge on the EPA’s Environmental Justice Index due to decades of unmonitored power plant runoff, prompting recent community-led initiatives to baseline-test tap water and soil.
?? Data Center Development Data center expansion has become a major flashpoint across Maryland, and Eagle Harbor is directly in the crosshairs.
Loss of Community Character: Prince George’s County has aggressively explored data center development. Mayor Waters and local activists have strongly opposed this, citing that the immense physical size, high-voltage transmission lines, and constant ambient noise would “kill the town’s character” and ruin its natural quiet. Resource Strain: Residents share statewide concerns over the massive amounts of electricity and water required to cool these facilities. This local pushback mirrors a broader trend: as of late 2026, thirteen Maryland counties have placed moratoriums or bans on data centers while waiting for a highly anticipated state environmental impact report.
? Lithium Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) To support the grid and potential data centers, energy companies are proposing massive Lithium-ion battery storage facilities near Eagle Harbor.
Fire and Toxic Smoke Hazards: Residents have expressed severe concern over the risk of lithium battery fires. Unlike standard fires, lithium-ion thermal runaway events are notoriously difficult to extinguish, can burn for days, and release highly toxic chemical smoke. Contamination: A primary concern is that the water or special fluids used by emergency responders to cool a battery fire would carry toxic heavy metals and chemical runoff directly into Eagle Harbor’s vulnerable groundwater and the Patuxent River.
Emergency Preparedness: Local advocates note that rural fire departments lack the specialized training, heavy equipment, and resources required to handle a utility-scale battery emergency.
https://www.ridgetoreefs.org/eagle-harbor-home
https://darrp.noaa.gov/oil-spills/chalk-point
https://www.townofeagleharborincmd.org/
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