WHITE MARSH, MD—A landfill on Days Cove Road in White Marsh is applying for a new discharge permit through the MD Department of the Environment, according to Gunpowder Riverkeeper.
On July 22, Gunpowder Riverkeeper requested a hearing for the discharge application. That hearing will tentatively be held on Tuesday, September 16 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Perry Hall Library.
“Thank you to the Gunpowder Riverkeeper for alerting us to this proposal for a discharge permit,” said Councilman David Marks on Wednesday. “To the best of our knowledge, the company never contacted our office, and the community seems in the dark as well. With those facts in mind, we will be opposing this permit.”
Perry Hall Library is located at 9685 Honeygo Boulevard.
The notice from MDE reads as follows:
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT WATER AND SCIENCE ADMINISTRATION
NOTICE OF TENTATIVE DETERMINATION Application for State Discharge Permit 19DP3782, NPDES Permit MD0071587:
Days Cove Reclamation Company, 6425 Days Cove Rd., White Marsh, MD 21162, submitted an application for a permit to discharge an average of 12,500 gallons per day of treated leachate from a rubble fill located at 6425 Days Cove Rd., White Marsh, MD, to a swale leading to Gunpowder River via Gunpowder Falls (Use II).
The Department proposes to issue the permit with limits at Outfall 002 on biochemical oxygen demand (37 mg/l monthly average, 140 mg/l daily maximum), dissolved oxygen (5.0 mg/l minimum at mixing zone), total suspended solids (10 mg/l monthly average, 30 mg/l daily maximum), ammonia at treatment plant (4.9 mg/l monthly average, 10 mg/l daily maximum), ammonia at point of discharge (0.47 mg/l daily average, 3.1 mg/l daily maximum May through October; 2.9 mg/l monthly average, 19 mg/l daily maximum November through April), total nitrogen (366.42 lbs/yr), α-terpineol (0.016 mg/l monthly average, 0.033 mg/l daily maximum), benzoic acid (0.071 mg/l monthly average, 0.12 mg/l daily maximum), p-cresol (0.014 mg/l monthly average, 0.25 mg/l daily maximum), phenol (0.015 mg/l monthly average, 0.026 mg/l daily maximum), arsenic, total (0.15 mg/l monthly average, 0.34 mg/l daily maximum), arsenic, trivalent (0.0014 mg/l monthly average), copper, total (0.009 mg/l monthly average, 0.013 mg/l daily maximum, total zinc (0.11 mg/l monthly average, 0.12 mg/l daily maximum), and pH range (6.0 to 7.5). There will also be monitoring for total phosphorus, hardness, and dissolved copper and zinc. The permit implements a WLA loading limit on total nitrogen that is consistent with the Chesapeake Bay TMDL which was established on December 29, 2010. The permit also contains a special condition to evaluate the impacts of BOD on downstream DO. The permit also contains industrial storm water conditions to maintain 20SW permit coverage.
Per MD Environmental Article § 1–602(a)(2), an EJ score was calculated for this facility. The EJ Score is 66%. This score has been calculated considering a combination of the following factors: Pollution Burden Exposure Percentile, Pollution Burden Environmental Effects Percentile, and Sensitive Population Percentile. For more information on how the score was calculated, launch the MDEnviroScreen tool from this website – https://mde.maryland.gov/Environmental_Justice/Pages/MDEnviroScreen.aspx.
A copy of the draft permit, draft fact sheet, and permit application may be downloaded from the Department’s website at https://mdewwp.page.link/wwpportal. At that webpage, search for State Number 19DP3782 click “More Info,” and then select the desired document(s) to download.
If a written request is received by July 29, 2025, a public hearing on the tentative determination for this application can be scheduled. The request should be sent to the Maryland Department of the Environment, Water and Science Administration, 1800 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, Maryland 21230-1708, Attn.: Paul Hlavinka, Chief, Industrial Stormwater Permits Division and must include the name, address and telephone number (home and work) of the person making the request, the name of any other party whom the person making the request may represent, and the name of the facility and permit number. Failure to request a hearing by July 29, 2025 will constitute a waiver of the right to a public hearing on the tentative determination for this permit.
Written comments concerning the tentative determination will be considered in the preparation of a final determination if submitted to the Department, to the attention of Paul Hlavinka at the above address, on or before August 8, 2025. Any hearing- impaired person who requests a hearing may request an interpreter at the hearing by contacting Mr. Hlavinka at (410) 537-3631 or 1-800-633-6101, or by written request to the above address at least ten working days prior to the scheduled hearing date.
Information supporting the tentative determination, including the draft permit and fact sheet, may be reviewed by contacting Mr. Hlavinka at the above telephone number to make an appointment or by written request to Mr. Hlavinka at the above address. Copies of documents may be obtained at a cost of $0.36 per page.
