Historical Society to document history of power plant

Friday, Sept. 5, 2008

The Historical Society has just received a grant from Constellation Energy to document the history of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, as well as the Lusby installation’s effects on the local economy. Constellation, which owns the plant, is part of a consortium currently seeking approval for a third reactor there.

The $2,300 grant will allow the Historical Society to collect photographs, documents and newspaper articles about the plant, as well as train a small team of volunteers to take oral histories from former plant workers and residents.

The society needs about five or six volunteers who are interested in conducting interviews or in helping with the artistic aspects of the final display, according to Historical Society Director Denise Cherry. The society will contact Calvert County high schools and the College of Southern Maryland to ask for volunteers, but retired people and anyone with time to and interest in participating are urged to volunteer. A short training workshop will be provided.

The project is important because ‘‘Calvert Cliffs power plant has been a part of Calvert County for over 40 years, and so much has changed because of it, because of its economic impact 40 years ago,” Cherry said. ‘‘When it first started being built it was a chance for people to have good quality, good paying jobs, and they hadn’t had that chance before, not locally. They always had to move out or commute to work for a fairly large company. Economically, it’s had such a large effect.”

Information about the history of the site before the power plant will be included in the presentation but will not be further researched under this grant, Cherry said.