Attn: Governor Larry Hogan Comptroller Peter Franchot Treasurer Nancy Kopp Maryland Board of Public Works 80 Calvert Street, Annapolis MD 21401 Dear Members of the Board of Public Works, We, the undersigned organizations and elected officials of Maryland, urge you to oppose Chesapeake Utilities’ proposal to build two interconnected natural gas pipelines along Maryland’s Eastern Shore. We believe this fracked gas pipeline goes against the state’s goal of curbing the negative health impacts from fossil fuels and that the project deviates from Maryland’s commitment towards addressing the already visible consequences of climate change. The Board of Public Works will soon be considering two inter-related proposals for wetlands permits for this Eastern Shore pipeline project: a proposed 6.8-mile Del-mar pipeline that would start in Delaware and extend through Wicomico and Somerset Counties, before connecting to a 2nd proposed 11-mile pipeline that would transport fracked gas further south. Given that Maryland banned fracking in 2017, it is counter to our state’s existing energy policy to bring the same public health risks to our residents by way of a new fracked gas pipeline. This guiding principle was a major reason for the denial of the shorter 4-mile Potomac Pipeline in 2019 and it should guide this decision now. We also fear that the excavation methods necessary for the pipeline’s construction will use significant amounts of water; cause sediment to build up in the streams and wetlands; and have the potential for "blowouts" that would release drilling mud into nearby streams. The Del-Mar segment pipeline, alone, will impact 1,239 square feet of streams and more than 16,000 square feet of wetlands. We are also worried that a recent analysis found that this project would run primarily through majority-minority and low-income communities. The predominance of Environmental Justice (EJ)-eligible census block groups near the citing of the two proposed projects will place undue toxic burdens on these communities. We all recognize that we must prioritize economic development for communities like those on the Eastern Shore. Unfortunately, the state only advanced a single option in this case, when there are better options that would provide long-term economic benefits without requiring the community to sacrifice health and environment. We urge you to deny any permit for the buildout of the Eastern Shore natural gas pipeline. Sincerely, ● Senator Jill Carter ● Delegate Brooke Lierman ● Senator Shelly Hettleman ● Delegate Robbyn Lewis ● Senator Delores Kelley ● Delegate Karen Lewis Young ● Senator Ben Kramer ● Delegate Lesley Lopez ● Senator Clarence Lam ● Delegate Sara Love ● Senator Susan Lee ● Delegate David Moon ● Senator Paul Pinsky ● Delegate Palakovich Carr ● Senator Charles Sydnor ● Delegate Edith Patterson ● Senator Jeff Waldstriecher ● Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk ● Delegate Gabriel Acevero ● Delegate Lily Qi ● Delegate Sandy Bartlett ● Delegate Kirill Reznik ● Delegate lisa Belcastro ● Delegate Mike Rogers ● Delegate Jon Cardin ● Delegate Sheila Ruth ● Delegate Al Carr ● Delegate Emily Shetty ● Delegate Lorig Charkoudian ● Delegate Stephanie Smith ● Delegate Charlotte Crutchfield ● Delegate Jared Solomon ● Delegate Kathleen Dumais ● Delegate Dana Stein ● Delegate Eric Ebersole ● Delegate Vaughn Stewart ● Delegate Jessica Feldmark ● Delegate Jen Terrasa ● Delegate Wanika Fisher ● Delegate Kriselda Valderrama ● Delegate Cathi Forbes ● Delegate Alonzo Washington ● Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo ● Delegate Courtney Watson ● Delegate Michele Guyton ● Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins ● Delegate Terri Hill ● Delegate Nicole Williams ● Delegate Julian Ivey ● Delegate Marc Korman ● Delegate Mary Lehman .