Please attend a virtual hearing on MDE Wetlands and Waterways Permit for Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) I-95 Express Toll Lanes (ETL’s) Northbound Extension Section 200 Phase II Set for January 29th, 2025 at 7 PM

Gunpowder Riverkeeper requested a hearing on this project 19NT-0150/201960846 on behalf of its 488 members from 17 states, because of concerns about the increased, potential, cumulative impacts this major modification to the permit will have on sensitive species including plants and animals, regulated resources including wetlands and streams, Tier II catchments, and downstream impaired waterways which are all cognizable under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Gunpowder Riverkeeper is opposed to the project in its current form because of the project’s reliance on off-site mitigation, that neither provides ecological uplift to the impacted area nor protect the communities interest in water quality along the alignment, and because the status of the related 401 Water Quality Certification is unknown. 

MDTA I-95 Toll Lane Impacts at 24 and Winters Run from the MDE Public Notice.

The overall wetland mitigation requirement has increased by 175,025 square feet and the overall stream mitigation requirement has increased by 388 linear feet. The proposed mitigation will be provided off-site at the following locations: Eccleston Mitigation Site adjacent to Greenspring Valley Road and Park Heights Avenue in Baltimore County, Carsins Run Mitigation Site located along I-95 southbound in Harford County, and HT 3012 Stream Restoration Site in Baltimore County.

MDTA I-95 Toll Lane Impacts at Haha Branch from the MDE Public Notice.

From the public notice: File materials are available for inspection online at https://mdta.maryland.gov/I95ETLNB/EnvironmentalStudies

Please note: To access the files materials click on any of the links in the left margin.

MDE has granted a virtual hearing scheduled for Next Wednesday January 29th at 7 PM at the following link and #.

meet.google.com/odv-kpxjheo or dial 475-328-0767, PIN 200 427 736

MDTA I-95 Toll Lane Impacts at 152 from the MDE public notice.

From MDE:

January 8, 2025


NOTICE OF VIRTUAL PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL HEARING


Re: Water and Science Administration, Maryland Department of the Environment
AI No. 160464
Tracking No. 201960846
Nontidal Wetlands No. 19-NT-0150

Project: Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), I-94 Express Toll Lanes Northbound
Extension Section 200 Phase II

Dear Interested Person/Adjacent Property Owner/Elected Official:


A virtual public informational hearing has been scheduled for the referenced project on Wednesday,
January 29, 2025. The hearing will begin at 7:00 P.M. and end no later than 9:00 P.M. To participate in the virtual public informational hearing, please use the following link, meet.google.com/odv-kpxjheo or dial 475-328-0767, PIN 200 427 736#. The hearing record will remain until 5:00 PM on
February 12, 2025.


The public informational hearing allows the applicant and interested persons the opportunity
to present facts and make statements for or against the granting of a permit.

MARYLAND TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, 8019 Corporate Drive, Suite F, Baltimore
21236 has applied for a Modification to Nontidal Wetlands and Waterways Permit No. 19-NT0150/201960846. The modification request includes design changes such as replacement and relocation of the park n ride on I-95 northbound at MD 152 and installation of a deer fence at the Eccleston Mitigation Site. The project is located on I-95 from north of Old Joppa Road to Bynum Run, just south of MD 543 in Harford County, Maryland. The permanent impacts resulting from this modification are: 97,531 square feet of nontidal wetland, 28,331 square feet of 25-foot nontidal wetland buffer, and 389 linear feet of stream. Additionally, this modification results in a decrease in 16 square feet of permanent impacts to the 100-year nontidal floodplain, and a decrease in temporary impacts to 5,587 square feet of nontidal wetlands, 655 square feet of 25-foot nontidal wetland buffer, 178 linear feet of streams, and 6,936 square feet of the 100-year nontidal floodplain. The overall wetland mitigation requirement has increased by 175,025 square feet and the overall stream mitigation requirement has increased by 388 linear feet. The proposed mitigation will be provided off-site at the following locations: Eccleston Mitigation Site adjacent to Greenspring Valley Road and Park Heights Avenue in Baltimore County, Carsins Run Mitigation Site located along I-95 southbound in Harford County, and HT 3012 Stream Restoration Site in Baltimore County. A virtual public informational hearing has been scheduled for the referenced project on Wednesday January 29, 2025. The hearing will begin at 7:00 P.M. and end no later than 9:00 P.M.

To participate in the virtual public informational hearing, please use the following link, meet.google.com/odv-kpxj-heo or
dial 475-328-0767, PIN 200 427 736#.

The hearing record will remain until 5:00 PM on February 12, 2025. For more information regarding nontidal wetland impacts, please contact Jennifer Bird at jennifer.bird@maryland.gov or 410-316-7959. Any further notices concerning actions on the application will be provided only by mail to those persons on the interested persons list. Please refer to Subsection 5-907 of the Annotated Code of Maryland or the Code of Maryland Regulations
26.23.02 for information regarding the application process.

Sincerely,
Amanda Sigillito
Chief, Nontidal Wetlands Division
Water and Science Administration
Maryland Department of the Environment

cc: David Greenwood – MDTA
Erin Markel – JMT

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