The expansion of Dominion’s gas production plant in Lusby, Maryland, has been a divisive issue, and Monday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, the fight went national during Monday Night Football.
Dominion is in the process of building a liquefied natural gas project within the Lusby plant.
Two protesters repelled down the press box at Bank of America stadium during the game between the Carolina Panthers and the Indianapolis Colts to unfurl a banner showing their opposition to the project.
Protesters chose Charlotte because it is home to Bank of America, which financed Dominion.
While company spokesmen say they do not take part in fracking, a gas production technique opposed by environmentalists, some of their suppliers do.
“The Cove Point export project has been approved by all federal, state and local officials after exhaustive review,” read a statement from Dominion Cove Point LNG. “It is bringing thousands of well-paying jobs and millions of dollars in new tax benefits. Once it goes into service, it will promote cleaner air and lower carbon emissions as natural gas processed at the facility replaces coal for power generation.”
Southern Prince George’s County from Upper Marlboro to Brandywine could be become a rich environment for fracking.
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There is a moratorium in Maryland, but in two years, companies may be primed to begin work. The moratorium is expected to be lifted in October 2017.
County Council member Mary Lehman wants to regulate gas production in the county and has hosted briefings on the subject.
“The environmental consequences can be and have been in other places, including Pennsylvania and Ohio, devastating,” she said. “You’re talking about contaminated groundwater, increased air pollution, all kinds of problems.”
