WSSC Header
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission 14501 Sweitzer Lane Laurel, Maryland 20707-5902
Navigation Bar

Home

Public Information

News Releases

 Calendar of Events

 Budget

 Clean Water
Partnership


 2006 Water Quality

 Tap Analysis

 Water Conservation







Adobe Reader is
required to view
documents with
this symbol  .
Download the
latest version.

   
WASHINGTON SUBURBAN SANITARY COMMISSION
14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, Maryland 20707-5902. (301) 206-8100. Fax:(301) 206-8186.
E-Mail:communications@wsscwater.com
____________________________________________________________________________________

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS & COMMUNITY RELATIONS


MAY 11 UPDATE:

DUE TO RAIN, 10:30 a.m. Ceremony Moved to WSSC Headquarters, 14501 Sweitzer Lane in Laurel.

Tour with Lieutentant Governor Brown Remains Set for 9:30 a.m. at Patuxent Water Filtration Plant in Laurel.

NOTE: The two locations are a short drive (one-half mile) apart.

MEDIA ADVISORY

May 12th, WSSC Powers Up! With Wind

Wind Farm in SW Pennsylvania Starts Providing WSSC with
One-Third of Its Power for the Next 10 Years, Saving $20 Million



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jim Neustadt
John C. White
(301) 206-8100
jneusta@wsscwater.com
jwhite@wsscwater.com


Laurel, Maryland – May 11, 2008: Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown will join the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) and Constellation Energy Monday, May 12th to celebrate WSSC’s Power Up! of a wind farm in southwestern Pennsylvania. Fourteen 403-foot high turbines will deliver one-third of the Commission’s power for the next ten years, lowering WSSC’s energy costs by an estimated 20 million dollars.

Starting at 9:30 a.m., Lt. Gov. Brown will join officials from WSSC for a tour of the Commission’s Patuxent Water Filtration Plant located at 6101 Sandy Spring Road (Rt. 198) in Laurel. This portion of the program remains unchanged.

Lt. Gov. Brown will join WSSC and Constellation Energy officials following the tour to speak about the project and to mark the occasion with a ceremonial Power Up! of two, built-to-scale, wind turbines. DUE TO RAIN, this portion of the program has been moved to the Lowel Level of WSSC Headquarters, 14501 Sweitzer Lane in Laurel, approximately 1/2 mile south of the Patuxent Water Filtration Plant. This ceremony will still start at 10:30 a.m.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WSSC’s initiative will make it the #1 local government direct purchaser of clean, renewable energy in the United States. WSSC is starting to use approximately 70,000-megawatt hours of wind power per year, fixing a significant portion of our energy costs while replacing traditional energy sources.

The environmental benefits are substantial. WSSC's use of wind power will reduce pollutants in the Washington Metropolitan area’s airshed by approximately one billion pounds over the next decade. In the first year alone, it is estimated that the wind farm will cut carbon dioxide by 83.7 million pounds, sulfur dioxide by 583,000 pounds, and NOx (a precursor to ozone) by 188,000 pounds. That’s the equivalent of taking 10,000 cars off the Capital Beltway.

VISUALS: B-roll and still photos of the Stoystown, Pennsylvania wind farm will be provided. Two 15-foot high wind turbine models will be used for the ceremonial Power Up. A brief tour of our Patuxent Water Filtration Plant with Lt. Gov. Brown will take place at 9:30 a.m. An additional tour without Lt. Gov. Brown will take place after the event to supply late arrivals with additional b-roll.

WHO:       Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown, WSSC, Constellation Energy Officials

WHAT:     WSSC Power Up!

WHEN:     Monday, May 12th, 2008, 9:30 a.m. Tour with Lt. Gov. Brown starts at 9:30 a.m.                 Power Up! ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE:   9:30 a.m. - WSSC’s Patuxent Water Filtration Plant, 6101 Sandy Spring Road (Rt. 198),                 Laurel, Maryland. 10:30 a.m. - WSSC Headquarters - Lower Level, 14501 Sweitzer                 Lane, Laurel, Maryland.

NOTE: Guests and media for the 9:30 a.m. tour are asked to use the plant’s entrance located on the eastbound side of Route 198 just prior to the Sweitzer Lane intersection. Parking is available at WSSC Headquarters for the 10:30 a.m. ceremony.

###

WSSC is the 8th largest water and wastewater utility in the nation, serving nearly 1.8 million residents in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. We operate and maintain seven water and wastewater plants, nearly 5,500 miles of fresh water pipeline and more than 5,300 miles of sewer pipeline. In our 90-year history, our drinking water has always met or exceeded federal standards.




WSSC Home  |  Contact Us   |  Privacy Policy  |   Web Master 
 
14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, Maryland 20707
Main: 301.206.WSSC (9772)       Toll Free: 1.800.828.6439
Emergency: 301.206.4002
E-mail:cust-relations@wsscwater.com

 

WSSC homepage