The following is an opinion piece from Baltimore County Fifth District Councilman David Marks.
The Days Cove Reclamation Company has operated a rubble landfill on state-owned property at 6425 Days Cove Road for more than three decades. The company has applied for a renewal of its permit to discharge treated leachate into a swale that leads to the Gunpowder River. This prompted the community hearing held at the Perry Hall public library on September 16th.
That public hearing was among the most contentious I have ever attended as a County Councilman—but also, one of the most unified. Not a single individual spoke in favor of the permit, except perhaps the representative of the company who briefly introduced himself.
That’s because it is clear the Days Cove Reclamation Company no longer deserves the opportunity to lease this state-owned property. The company certainly has not earned the ability to modify or increase its discharge into the Gunpowder River.
The “trash juice,” as some have called it, comes from a variety of construction materials. Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows that discharges exceeded pollution limits at least 16 times in 2023; for four months, the facility failed to test leachate for trivalent arsenic, a potent human carcinogen.
The Bird River and the larger Gunpowder River Valley are under assault from both chemical pollution and sediment contamination. Not only does this pollution impact our health and the viability of our fish and wildlife, but it increases the desirability and economy of a region directly tied to our waterways.
Enough is enough.
A company with this record on respecting the environment and engaging the community does not deserve another permit, nor the opportunity to lease this state-owned land.
Senator J.B. Jennings and Delegates Ryan Nawrocki & Kathy Szeliga joined me in opposing the permit.
The Gunpowder Riverkeeper and the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy testified against the plan.
Josh Sines, president of the Essex Middle River Civic Council, has helped lead community opposition.
Anyone who purports to care about the Eastside needs to make their opposition clearly known. Comments should be sent to the Maryland Department of the Environment at [email protected].
Who will stand with the community and the Gunpowder River?
Photo via Councilman David Marks
