Registration Now Open for Quarterly Responsible Alcohol Service Training Class
LEONARDTOWN—Are you a restaurant manager, owner, seller or server interested in learning responsible alcohol policies? Then the quarterly Responsible Alcohol Service Training (or R.A.S.T.) is the course for you.
R.A.S.T. allows participants to review issues identified by enforcement agencies as well as to meet and network with peers and county and state officials. The training, which is held quarterly, is now accepting applicants for its next session, scheduled for Tuesday, August 26, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. The training will take place in Room 14 inside the Potomac Building on the Governmental Center campus, 23115 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown.
R.A.S.T. does not fulfill the state mandated alcohol awareness training certification requirement.
The training is free, space is limited and an RSVP is required to attend. For more information call 301-475-7844 ext. 1600 or email Tammy Hildebrand at tamara.hildebrand [at] stmarysmd.com.
CPV Secures Financing to Move Forward With County Energy Project
LA PLATA—The Charles County Commissioners announced that Maryland-based Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) and partners Marubeni Power and Toyota Tsusho announced today they have closed financing with GE unit (NYSE:GE) GE Energy Financial Services and 14 other lenders for the $775 million CPV St. Charles Energy Center under construction in Waldorf, Md.
The project has strong support from Charles County and other key stakeholders in Maryland and will provide substantial reliability, economic, socioeconomic, and environmental benefits to residents and electric consumers. It is expected that approximately 350-400 construction jobs will be created during peak construction, and about 24 well-paying permanent jobs will be created once the project is completed. It is expected to become one of the largest taxpayers in Charles County.
Located 25 miles southeast of Washington DC, the CPV St. Charles Energy Center is a state-of-the-art 725-MW combined-cycle natural gas-fired power plant using GE’s FlexEfficiency 60* combined-cycle engineered equipment package, including highly efficient 7F.05 Gas Turbines and a 16-year GE contractual services agreement. The project will be constructed by SNC Lavalin Constructors Inc. and operated by EthosEnergy Power Plant Services, LLC.
“The St. Charles Energy Center project is one of the largest economic development projects in Charles County's history. A project that involves capital investment of over a half-billion dollars is enviable for any jurisdiction,” said Kwasi Holman, director of the Charles County’s Economic Development Department. “Some 15-plus years of time and planning has been invested by many to reach this milestone, and we are so pleased that CPV has completed their financial closing and is moving toward construction.”
The project will sell its capacity, energy, and ancillary services into the transmission-constrained Southwest Mid-Atlantic Area Council (SWMAAC) zone of the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) Interconnection market, the world's largest competitive wholesale electricity market, powering 700,000 homes. The benefits of a reliable water supply for efficient wet cooling, as well as the site’s proximity to PEPCO 230 kV transmission lines and the Dominion Cove Point natural gas pipeline, make this one of the most cost competitive projects in PJM.
Once constructed and operational, the CPV St. Charles Energy Center will be one of the most efficient combined-cycle facilities in PJM.
Hoyer Announces Federal Grant for Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department
WASHINGTON—Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) announced that the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department in Calvert County has been awarded $209,430 in grant funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The funding will be used to replace their Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) equipment and air compressor.
“This grant will help firefighters in Dunkirk respond quickly to emergencies and keep Calvert County families safe and secure,” stated Congressman Hoyer. “Helping to secure federal funding to enhance the work of local first responders continues to be a major priority for me in Congress, and it is critical that Assistance to Firefighter Grants like these can go toward helping fire departments across Southern Maryland that serve our communities with such distinction.”
“This grant is a significant accomplishment for our department and clearly shows that hard work does pay off,” said Shawn Allen, Assistant Chief of the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department, an all volunteer department. “This will allow us to begin replacing our aging SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) and air compressor.”
County Launches Septic Pump-out Reimbursement Program
LA PLATA—The Charles County Planning and Growth Management Department is implementing a Septic Pump-out Reimbursement Program to meet nutrient load reduction targets that are set in the county’s phase two Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) strategy.
The WIP strategy recommends pumping out 20 percent of the county’s septic systems on an annual basis to help meet WIP nutrient pollution reduction goals. The county developed the septic pump-out reimbursement program to encourage residents to pump out their septic systems every three to five years. Septic system pumping is recommended to maintain the effectiveness and longevity of the system and provides a reduction of nutrient leaching over time.
The reimbursement rates are:
-- 50 percent of the pump-out cost for septic systems located in Charles County.
-- 75 percent of the pump-out cost for septic systems located within the critical area of Charles County.
To apply for reimbursement, residents are required to complete the Septic Pump-out Reimbursement Program application, attach the contractor’s invoice and proof of payment, and mail to:
Charles County Government
Department of Planning and Growth Management
P.O. Box 2150
La Plata, MD 20646
To view the Septic Pump-out Reimbursement Program application, click here or copy and paste link into your browser: http://www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/sites/default/files/pgm/planning/septicpump_reimburse_app.pdf
Upon receipt of the application, the pump-out receipt and property location will be verified before a check is dispersed. Properties with a septic system are eligible for reimbursement of system pump-outs once every three years. The max reimbursement amount per pump-out is $187.50.
For more information, contact Rachel O’Shea at 301-396-5237 or OsheaR [at] CharlesCountyMD.gov. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
Calvert Sheriff Awards Scholarship
PRINCE FREDERICK—Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans presents Zachary Forschen with the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association Scholarship Award for $500 along with a Sheriff Salute. Zach will be attending the University of North Dakota in the fall and majoring in Criminal Justice.
According to their website, "Each year the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association offers a Scholarship Award opportunity to full-time post-secondary education students enrolled or planning to enroll in a law enforcement curriculum. Residents of the State of Maryland between the ages of 17 and 21 may compete for this prestigious $500.00 scholarship award. Selection of the scholarship recipients will be based on scholastic achievement and community/school involvement."