The government of the Dominican Republic has filed a lawsuit against the company attempting to build a liquid natural gas plant in Baltimore County, alleging it illegally dumped 82,000 pounds of rock ash on the country?s beaches, causing as many as six deaths.
Between October 2003 and March 2004, Virginia-based power company AES exported 10 barge-loads of ash from coal burned at its electricity power plant in Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic and dumped on its beaches, according to the suit obtained by The Examiner. Ash left in the towns of Manzanillo and Samana caused skin lesions and breathing difficulty for islanders and caused tourism to drop at least 70 percent, the suit says.
“AES conspired to destroy two pristine and beautiful beaches,” Bart Fisher, an attorney representing the Dominican Republican, told The Examiner on Tuesday. “Power plants get sued all the time, but this one is pretty egregious.”
The suit was filed last month in federal court in Virginia.
The claims have no merit, said AES spokeswoman Robin Pence. Citing the pending litigation,she could not confirm if the company had in fact deposited rock ash on the Dominican shores, but said the material is nontoxic.
“These allegations are completely false and we will vigorously defend ourselves against them,” Pence said. “In fact, there are a lot of beneficial uses of rock ash ? it?s used for construction purposes and a type of agricultural filler.”
The company is seeking to build an LNG plant in Sparrow?s Point near Dundalk and came under fire from some for skirting residents? questions at a federally required meeting on the proposal Monday night. Residents told company officials they fear the plant could generate a massive explosion or become a target for terrorists.
Fisher said rock ash may have been dumped in the Bahamas, where the company is also proposing an LNG plant. Preliminary plans for a terminal in the Boston Harbor are also the source of controversy.
Fisher and Dundalk residents who have been researching the company said its track record should serve as a warning.
“Everywhere these people go, they leave piles of crap,” said Sharon Beazley, coordinator of Dundalk?s official LNG opposition team. “There are credibility issues.”
