The Harford County Council met on Tuesday November 4th in part to discuss a resolution proposed by Councilwoman Nolanda Robert to oppose the updated permit for Days Cove Rubble Landfill which would double the amount of leachate the landfill could dispose of into the Gunpowder watershed. The resolution was passed unanimously, echoing the sentiment expressed on the subject from the Baltimore County Council on their side of the river last month.
County Executive Robert Cassily also put the county on the record strongly opposing the permit with his letter to MDE citing the numerous ecological and economical effects that the proposed increase would cause. He writes, in part:
“The requested increase of discharge … would have detrimental adverse effects on the local ecosystem
and undermine our continuing efforts to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay … The proposed
discharge allowance by Days Cove would allow for a substantial increase in ammonia, nitrogen, PCB’s,
iron, and sediment loads in the Gunpowder River. Harford County strongly opposes this discharge
increase.
He ends his request by “[emphasizing] the importance of mitigating pollution discharges that would impact [Harford County’s] precious resources” and asks that MDE “Please take our opposition to this new permit into consideration and understand that this increase in discharge allowance and change to the pH parameter would have significant and irreversible consequences to the Chesapeake Bay watershed and its surrounding communities.”
Resident Bill Temmink also had thoughts on the matter, “The Gunpowder River cannot be used as a metropolitan sewer. … We have a chance to stop this from getting worse. Only then will we be able to help the river recover.”