A little over 125 people participated Saturday morning, according to Lt Todd Ireland of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, in a “peaceful protest march” from Alexander Street in Solomons to Cove Point Park, to show Dominion Cove Point LNG and Calvert County government their concerns. The marchers were all ages and they carried signs saying No Fracking, Say No to Dominion, Save Our Air and Water, No Dominion, and Save Our Community. Some lived in Cove Point, some in Calvert but many from other counties and states.
The march was organized by We Are Cove Point, Calvert Citizens for a Healthy Community, Beyond Extreme Energy, Sierra Club Southern Maryland Group, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and Patuxent Friends Quaker Meeting. The groups mentioned are hoping for a last minute reversal of the project. The State of Maryland and Calvert County, as well as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), has approved and supported the Dominion Cove Point LNG project.
The six mile walk, from Solomons to Cove Point, stopped at the Southern Connector Blvd to refresh, at the Patuxent Friends Quaker Meeting House, before continuing on to Cove Point. Calvert County Public Safety, as well as many Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Deputies on bikes and in vehicles, escorted the walkers to make sure they all arrived safely at the park.
Upon reaching Cove Point Park, owned by Dominion Cove Point and leased to the county for a $1 a year, the marchers gathered for a picnic.
Karl Neddenien, Media Relations and Community Relations Manager offered this statement: “We respect their right to protest. It was done in a way that did not affect our construction activity.”
Margit Miller / Calvert Beacon
