Dorchester County
Dorchester County, located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, is the birthplace of the Underground Railroad. By 2100, the Eastern Shore is expected to see up to 4 feet of sea level rise, a reality that is already flooding properties in low-lying communities. In this county of 32,000 people, 30% of the residents identify as Black or African American. Experts say rising water caused by climate change is coming more quickly than just about anywhere else on the East Coast.
One result is that Dorchester County homebuyers increasingly pay in cash to avoid the skyrocketing flood insurance premiums that mortgage lenders require.
In addition, Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth (DCPG) has been raising concerns about the Valley Proteins chicken rendering plant in Linkwood, Dorchester County since 2012. The group knew from water sampling and testing that the Transquaking River was becoming polluted by the wastewater and sludge being dumped in the river and on the surrounding land by Valley Proteins, Inc. DCPG became alarmed that the pollution might be seeping into the regional aquifer, tainting their drinking water.
A recent study by Climate Central identified imminent flood risk to areas crucial to understanding Tubman and The Underground Railroad – priceless treasures that can never be replaced.
Read more:
“Environmental Justice Advocates Sound Alarm Over Eastern Shore Pipeline,” Maryland Matters, Oct. 30, 2020.
“Maryland’s Dorchester County is washing away, leaving its residents with hard choices,” Baltimore Sun, August 19, 2020.
“Rising sea levels, erosion -- already impacting Maryland -- expected to worsen in next 2 decades,” WBAL, April 22, 2022.
“Sea level rise film 'High Tide in Dorchester' screened,” May 15, 2018, Dorchester Star.
“Opinion: Here’s Why We Need an Environmental Human Rights Amendment in Md.,”Maryland Matters, Feb. 22, 2022.
“Historic Harriet Tubman Sites at Risk of Rising Seas on Eastern Shore,” Climate Central, April 12, 2021.
“Historic Harriet Tubman sites threatened by rising sea levels,” United Press International, Feb. 22, 2022
Film: High Tide in Dorchester