In the tangled dispute over the proposed Piedmont Reliability Project, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office has drawn its line in the soil of Maryland. With local landowners and the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) locked in a legal clash over access to private property for environmental surveys, Sheriff James DeWees has unequivocally stated his department will "not get in the middle of a civil dispute between landowners and the Piedmont group." This declaration came amid PSEG's efforts to push through a 70-mile high-voltage electric transmission line that proponents argue is critical for Maryland’s energy sustainability, as reported by WMAR-2 News.
Despite PSEG's claims that they haven't sought law enforcement aid when contacting property owners, Sheriff DeWees has publicly announced a different narrative. He said PSEG "have contacted us for assistance" in an attempt to hire off-duty deputies to accompany survey teams onto private land, as reported by WBAL-TV.
The controversy has inflamed local sentiments, with 117 landowners already denying PSEG crews access to their properties. Joanne Frederick, president of STOP MPRP and a landowner affected by the proposed project, expressed her concern, as reported by WBAL-TV, stating that the company's actions feel like "a violation of trust; it feels like a violation of property rights." The opposition has been echoed by the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, which has adopted a similar hands-off directive and urged the Piedmont group to "seek relief through the courts."
While PSEG insists that its $1,000 offer for temporary land access does not equate to forcing easement or eminent domain, many landowners remain unconvinced. Local and state officials have taken notice, with Republican state lawmakers voicing their opposition, and counties including Baltimore and Frederick filing interventions with Maryland's Public Service Commission. According to WMAR-2 News, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has identified potential environmental impacts, reporting that the project could disrupt over 500 acres of state forests and wetlands.
