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County told to file earmark application by March 8; LNG company representatives discuss interest in St. Mary's County
Summary
A county commissioner relayed guidance from a staffer in U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen's office urging an earmark application by March 8 and reported private-sector outreach from representatives linked to the Cove Point LNG facility and Berkshire Hathaway.
A St. Mary's County commissioner (name not specified) said Friday that a staff member from U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s office urged the county to file an application by March 8 for a federal earmark the office and other lawmakers would support.
The commissioner relayed that "Mister Roderick Lewis, who is now with United States Senators Van Hollen's office, told me that we need to have our application in by March 8 for the earmark" and said Lewis sees "the potential for $500,000 more on top of the $850,000 they got last year." The commissioner identified Sen. Van Hollen, a senator named Brooks, and U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer as supporters mentioned by Lewis.
The nut graf: If pursued and awarded, the additional federal funds could supplement prior earmarked funding the county received, but the commissioner did not specify the program that would receive the money or how the funds would be used.
The commissioner also said he met people connected with Berkshire Hathaway and the Cove Point liquefied natural gas facility in Calvert County at a recent Southern Maryland legislative reception in Annapolis. He described the meeting as an opportunity to explore private-sector interest in involvement with projects in St. Mary's County but provided no details about potential projects, investments, or timelines.
Remarks did not include formal commitments, departments responsible for the potential funds, or application materials. The application deadline and the $500,000 figure were reported by the commissioner based on his conversation with Roderick Lewis; the county has not publicly released an application or project plan tied to the possible earmark.
