Home Care In Darlington, MD

The Master Plan AKA hasgacha pratis, set the stage for the printing the Tanya in Darlington, Maryland. Camp Gan Israel Toronto relocated this summer from its home in Halibuton, Ontario due to Covid.

Last year, at the last minute, the Canadian government permitted day camps to operate but with strict and stringent guidelines. But, no allowance or consideration was given to overnight camps. With bated breaths, Rabbi Yitzchok and Goldy Grossbaum, directors of the camp, waited all year for government guidance with respect to opening camp for summer 2021 but regrettably, the government regulators remained uncommitted until June.

However, with an enrollment that brought campers from all over the world a decision had to be made no later than April. Being cognizant of the impact overnight camping had on youngsters, especially with a shluchim clientele from many isolated communities the administration was committed to operating the camp under any and all circumstances. They could not disappoint the campers and staff again, and were keenly aware of the significance the Rebbe placed on overnight camping.

Mid-February when the Canadian situation still looked bleak, the directors began searching for a suitable campsite. After visiting a few cities and sites, they selected one in Darlington, Maryland.

Despite the huge costs, and the challenges this would present “we forged ahead” with conviction and determination.

Currently, a few weeks into the boys season, camps’ medical director, Avremel Okounev from New Haven, CT, realized that a Tanya was never printed in the city of Darlington. His first call was to Shmuel Jacobson who e-mailed the files, facilitated and expedited the entire procedure. “The Hatzlacha, would not have occurred without him,” Avremel emphatically stated. Avremel then went ‘full stem’ ahead, raised the money, got the printing presses rolling and had the Tanya bound in Monsey, N.Y.

Within three days the project was executed with the assistance and financial support of head counsellor Shlomy Ceitlin, Shmuli Kaplan and Mendel Mockin, BMD director Moshe Harlig, learning directors Dov Popack and Dov Slavin and the rest of the head staff, Avremi Vaisfiche and Moshe Farkash.

CGI hosted the printing inauguration celebration Sunday evening after Mincha. Mrs. Esther Grossbaum who spent considerable at camp to ascertain a seamless flow was honored to commence the printing process. Pesukim were recited by the campers followed by, Avremel Okounev’s introduction to the significance of printing Tanyas and the Rebbe’s request to print wherever possible.

“We are camping in the 7,731st city where a Tanya is being printed, and hopefully the final one prior to Moshiach’s arrival, Avremel noted.” He recalled his fond memories as a camper when a Tanya was printed in Haliburton. Cheers and clapping ensued as Avremel told the assembled that each person will receive a Tanya. He then introduced the camp Rabbi and Mashpia, Rabbi Menachem Schechter from Chicago who taught Perek Lamed Bais from the freshly printed pages.

Staff and campers alike eagerly await the Gala Banquet early next week when they will be gifted the Sefer. “This edition of Tanya was dedicated in honor of the Antebi and Cohen Families of Toronto and the Gorowitz Family from California, who graciously and generously contributed funds to help ascertain that CGI Toronto could once again provide a meaningful and enjoyable summer to the staff and campers,“ said Rabbi Grossbaum.

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Susquehannock Wildlife Society is trying to help rebuild the population of the declining Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly. (Jen Selfridge, Maryland Department of Natural Resources)

DARLINGTON, Md. (7News) — Maryland's state insect, the Baltimore Checkerspot, has been quickly disappearing for years now. The butterfly is one of the most beautiful in the state but, nowadays, it's rare to see.

A non-profit dedicated to protecting native wildlife and its habitat in the lower Susquehanna River basin, the Susquehannock Wildlife Society, is trying to change that.

"Wouldn't it be pretty sad if we lost the state butterfly altogether?" asked Scott McDaniel, Executive Director of the society.

Within the last year, the group has started a Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly restoration project, which involves habitat conservation and enhancement, and hopes to have the area buzzing with butterflies again soon.

"We have now released 31 butterflies of the 36 caterpillars we relocated to our site, only 5 didn't make it which is a high success rate," said McDaniel. "We've have several groups of eggs laid just this past week."

Madison Lundon is a Towson University student who is helping with the project. And a Girl Scout named Haley Bosely-Smith, who was looking to do a project for her Gold Award, is helping Madison monitor the caterpillars and butterflies, as well as building a more permanent enclosure where they can safely raise the insects and the plants they lay their eggs on and eat.

According to a state fact page about the Baltimore Checkerspot, all butterflies search for one certain kind of host plant from which they get nourishment as they grow. In the checkerspot's case, that plant is the White Turtlehead.

McDaniel said the decline of the host plant, warmer temperatures, and change of landscape are all contributing factors to the decline in the species.

"Its host plant is declining because of overgrazing by deer due to lack of natural predators," McDaniel said.

But he has hope.

"This is just the beginning of what we hope will be the foundation for a long-term and successful reintroduction," McDaniel explained. "We still have a long way to go to build a sustainable metapopulation in the area but with this very important first step accomplished we are hopeful for the future."

If everything goes well, the first caterpillars will be born at the site and then if they eat well through fall and survive the winter, they will have a good chance of making it to their adult stage as a full new wild generation.

"We still have lots of monitoring and perhaps some management throughout the rest of the year but with over two dozen Checkerspot Butterflies emerged from chrysalis, marked, and released we are happy with the progress so far," McDaniel said. "We are hopeful they will all mate and the females will continue laying eggs to make plenty of hungry caterpillars this summer."

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is helping with this project.

McDaniel adds "We have taken the steps to ensure a successful reintroduction at our site by planting and protecting a few hundred white turtlehead plants for the caterpillars to eat and created acres of pollinator meadow to provide nectar for adult butterflies."

The group is currently raising funds to complete and open the wildlife center to the public.

For more information or how you can help, click here.

300-acre land donation along the Susquehanna River will further the conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed’s natural and cultural resources

BALTIMORE (Oct. 17, 2022) — Maryland Governor Larry Hogan joined officials from Harford and Cecil counties, the Chesapeake Conservancy and Constellation on Oct. 15 to celebrate the company’s commitment to donate approximately 300 acres of land near the Conowingo Dam to the State of Maryland. As the nation’s largest producer of clean, carbon-free energy, Constellation’s donation will support conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and enhances public access to local, state and national park systems.

“As governor, I have looked for opportunities to bring people together and build partnerships between state and local government, the private sector and non-government organizations to create results that improve the quality of life for Maryland residents,” Gov. Hogan said. “Constellation’s donation of land to support recreation and conservation is a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together.”

A ribbon cutting to celebrate the donation was held at the trailhead of Wildflower Trail on Shure’s Landing Road in Darlington, Md., on Saturday.

“This donation builds on Constellation’s ongoing sustainability leadership, including advancing environmental stewardship, protecting local wildlife, and supporting local recreational opportunities,” said Kathleen Barrón, Constellation’s Chief Strategy Officer. “As a Maryland company and as owner and operator of the Conowingo Dam, the state’s largest source of renewable energy, Constellation’s donation will complement our existing investments in environmental programs and projects that directly benefit water quality, aquatic life and recreational resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, particularly locally here along the banks of the Lower Susquehanna.”

The land donation is a collaborative effort between Constellation, the State of Maryland, and local, county and state conservation and environmental agencies and non-profit organizations, including the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Park Service, Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway, Inc., Port Deposit, Havre de Grace, the Harford Land Trust, Cecil Land Trust and the Chesapeake Conservancy.

“The donation of this land will expand Susquehanna State Park and local parks in Havre de Grace and Port Deposit. It is a dream come true for local communities and park enthusiasts,” said Joel Dunn, president and CEO of the Chesapeake Conservancy. “Thanks to Gov. Hogan and Constellation, this critical habitat and world class outdoor recreation opportunity will never be lost to development and there will be more public access to the Susquehanna River. We commend Constellation for choosing conservation and recreation for the future of this land.”

The property will become part of local, state and national park systems and conservation projects consisting of parks, trails and other public lands in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that bring national and international attention to the Bay’s significant natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources. The donated land will be permanently preserved for conservation purposes for the benefit of the public. Such protection will promote healthy ecosystems and habitats, bolster environmental stewardship and literacy and support climate resiliency.

"The Susquehanna River is part of our identity in Harford County. It brings us tremendous joy to know that the riverfront will remain undeveloped forever," said Kristin Kirkwood, Harford Land Trust's Executive Director. "A land donation of this size and significance is truly remarkable and we thank Constellation for this forward-thinking gift."

The property is nearby the Conowingo Dam, which operates 11 turbines that produce the majority of Maryland’s in-state renewable energy, enough to power 165,000 homes on average, preventing 880,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to taking 170,000 cars off the road each year.

Between the Conowingo Dam in Darlington, Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Station in Lusby and three wind projects in Garrett and Alleghany Counties, Constellation produces over 90 percent of Maryland’s in-state clean, zero-emission electric generation. Constellation is investing $700 million in environmental programs and projects that directly benefit water quality, aquatic life and recreational resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, particularly along the banks of the Lower Susquehanna.

About Constellation

A Fortune 200 company headquartered in Baltimore, Constellation Energy Corporation (Nasdaq: CEG) is the nation’s largest producer of clean, carbon-free energy and a leading supplier of energy products and services to businesses, homes, community aggregations and public sector customers across the continental United States, including three fourths of Fortune 100 companies. With annual output that is nearly 90% carbon-free, our hydro, wind and solar facilities paired with the nation’s largest nuclear fleet have the generating capacity to power the equivalent of 16 million homes, providing about 10% of the nation’s clean energy. We are further accelerating the nation’s transition to a carbon-free future by helping our customers reach their sustainability goals, setting our own ambitious goal of achieving 100% carbon-free generation by 2040, and by investing in promising emerging technologies to eliminate carbon emissions across all sectors of the economy. Follow Constellation on LinkedIn and Twitter.

WASHINGTON (CN) — Clean water activists have a reason for optimism after the D.C. Circuit on Tuesday vacated a half-century license between the federal government and Maryland's Constellation Energy for the operation of the controversial Conowingo Dam.

“The court’s decision today is a cause for celebration among all who fight for and appreciate clean water,” Alison Prost, Chesapeake Bay Foundation's vice president of environmental protection and restoration, said in a statement. “Maryland’s sweetheart deal with Constellation let the utility off the hook for what would have been decades of pollution related to the dam’s operations.”

Under the Clean Water Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can issue a 50-year license for the operation of a hydroelectric facility if the state where the dam operates certifies it will comply with water quality standards or waives its authority to do so.

In 2018, Maryland granted a certification for the Conowingo Dam, about an hour outside of Baltimore, that required Constellation to develop a plan to reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the dam’s discharge, improve fish and eel passage, make changes to the dam’s flow regime, control trash and debris, provide for monitoring, and undertake other measures for aquatic resource and habitat protection.

Constellation argued the requirements were too strict and asked Maryland to reconsider. The state and utility reached a settlement with less stringent water quality regulations for the dam to follow.

FERC then issued a 50-year license for the dam on the basis that Maryland waived its authority under the Clean Water Act by entering into the settlement with Constellation.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation, or CBF, and Waterkeepers Chesapeake challenged the license, arguing Maryland had no authority to waive its 2018 certification retroactively and that FERC exceeded its authority under the Clean Water Act by issuing a license that failed to incorporate the conditions of that certification.

The D.C. Circuit agreed with the environmental groups on Tuesday, finding the state took action when it issued the certification in 2018 and therefore gave up its ability to waive the certification. A three-judge panel led by Senior U.S. Circuit Judge David S. Tatel, a Bill Clinton appointee, vacated the license granted by FERC.

The ruling is a big win for those seeking stricter regulations imposed on the dam.

“We urge the state to use this opportunity to force Constellation to invest in upstream environmental projects that will offset the harm caused by the dam’s presence and protect the Chesapeake Bay for generations to come,” Prost said.

Though the case has been formally remanded back to FERC, the appeals court said the agency does not have authority to issue the same license again.

“Given that FERC had no statutory authority to issue the license under review, there is no possibility that FERC may find an adequate explanation for its actions on remand,” Tatel wrote.

Tatel was joined on the unanimous panel by Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Sri Srinivasan and U.S. Circuit Judge Patricia A. Millett, both appointees of Barack Obama.

The Conowingo Dam is located on the Susquehanna River, the Chesapeake Bay’s primary tributary, in Darlington, Maryland, and sits less than 10 miles from the river mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Commissioned in 1928, the dam provides energy and drinking water to the city of Baltimore.

The dam initially worked as a pollution preventer, trapping sediments and debris into a reservoir behind the dam. But over time as the pool has filled, the polluted water has found its way into the Chesapeake Bay through storms that cause erosion.

On average, 20% of all sediments that enter the bay through storms come from the dam’s reservoir, according to Maryland’s 2015 Lower Susquehanna River Watershed Assessment. The deposits contribute to algae blooms in the bay, causing dead zones devoid of oxygen where marine life can’t survive.

“Maryland leaders now have the opportunity to directly address the negative downstream impacts of the dam through a new license complete with a state water quality certification,” Prost said.

Categories / Appeals, Energy, Environment, Regional

Federal court rules arrangement at Conowingo Dam did not follow the process laid out by the Clean Water Act

December 20, 2022 at 5:55 p.m. EST

A deal that exempted a Maryland power company from cleaning up or paying for pollution that passes from its dam on the Susquehanna River into the Chesapeake Bay has been thrown out in federal court in a win for environmental groups.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) “exceeded its authority” in approving an arrangement that issued a 50-year operating license to Exelon, and did not follow the process laid out by the Clean Water Act, a panel of three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled. That license is now void, pending an appeal by the power company, now operating under Constellation Energy.

“This is a national precedent here. Generally these cases don’t go this way,” said Zack Kelleher, the Sassafras Riverkeeper — one of a group of advocates for local waterways. “It impacts not just … our local rivers here, but it impacts waterways across the country.”

A Constellation spokesman said the company was “still reviewing the order” but is “surprised and disappointed.”

The Conowingo Dam, a massive hydroelectric facility in northeast Maryland dating back to 1928, traps nitrogen and phosphorus in the sediment in a reservoir behind its turbines. Over the past 100 years, that debris has built up so that the pool has shrunk from 120-feet deep to barely 15 feet. When storms come through and the dam’s floodgates are open, that pollution travels down into the Chesapeake Bay.

Under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, a federal agency cannot issue a license to operate that may result in any water discharge unless a water quality certification is issued or waived by the relevant state. Four years after the dam’s 50-year license expired, Maryland in 2018 issued a certificate that required the dam’s operator to either dredge the reservoir or pay billions in compensation for the nutrients flowing out.

But the power company challenged those requirements in court, and a year later Maryland made a settlement with Exelon that required the company to pay the state about $200 million over the next half century to address pollution. FERC then approved a new 50-year license.

Environmental activists sued, saying the original certification with requirements attached was legally sound and the new license a violation of federal law.

“The court made very clear that the language of the Clean Water Act is absolute,” said Betsy Nicholas, executive director of Waterkeepers Chesapeake. A state cannot issue a certification with certain requirements “and then change its mind.”

Now Maryland has a new chance to either hold Constellation Energy to the 2018 plan or come up with new environmental standards.

Constellation argued that Maryland’s demands were unreasonable, holding a dam that creates carbon-free electricity responsible for pollution that comes from factories and farms.

“No one who cares about clean air and the health of the Chesapeake Bay should be cheering this decision, which potentially jeopardizes the state’s largest source of renewable energy,” the spokesman said.

The environmental advocates say that by trapping those pollutants and then dumping them all at once during storms, the dam makes the problem significantly worse.

“They claimed it’s not their pollution, they have nothing to do with it, it’s not their responsibility, but it actually is,” said Ted Evgeniadis, the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper. “If they want to use a public resource for private profit, then they have to make sure that that river is maintained.”

The sediment covers underwater grasses and oyster beds, the nutrients feed algae blooms that suck up oxygen and block sunlight, and the influx of water lowers the salinity, which affects oyster growth.

“We’re basically the closest oyster farm to the Conowingo Dam, and we’ve been operating that way for the better part of a decade, and we definitely notice water quality swings,” said Scott Budden, founder of Orchard Point Oyster Company. “When they’ve opened more gates, after 24 hours or so, we see the degradation.”

Advocates also say Constellation could avoid the steep payments by dredging the reservoir, which would cost about $41 million a year. But they agree the problem goes beyond Constellation, to pollution from states up the Eastern Seaboard.

“It’s not total victory; we still have to keep the fight and keep the pressure up,” Kelleher said. “We have to make sure that whatever steps happen next, there’s accountability across the board — not just from Constellation but from Pennsylvania and New York.”

The dam also blocks fish from traveling upstream to spawn, and eels that carry the larvae of freshwater mussels. Millions of fish once traveled up the river; now only a few thousand do. The license approved by FERC included a commitment from Constellation to promote mussel restoration, fish and eel passage, turtle management, and waterfowl nesting, including transporting fish upriver and protecting endangered species. Constellation says that could cost the company up to $500 million.

During oral arguments, an attorney for the Interior Department expressed concern that restoration efforts would by disrupted by the vacating of the license. Nicholas said there’s no reason that FERC cannot put such requirements into a temporary license.

“When you’re talking about a 50-year license, it’s worth a couple of years of delay to get it right,” Nicholas said. “This decision will last longer than I will.”

correction

An earlier version of this article misidentified the location of the dam. This article has been corrected.