Thanks to all that attended the Maryland Department of the Environment informational session held at the Joppa Library this afternoon regarding the Mountain Christian Church application and MDE tentative permit determination that would allow for the construction of a minor wastewater treatment plant and a surface water discharge of up to 5,000 gallons a day of wastewater into Indian Grave Run, a small stream that enters the Little Gunpowder Falls at the Historic Jericho Covered Bridge that spans Jerusalem, Harford County and Kingsville, Baltimore County.
For those of you that missed the midday hearing so close to the holiday, MDE indicated on July 1 via email that they would hold another informational hearing and provided an extension to the comment period.
Mountain Christian Church WWTP 18-DP-3850, The Department has decided to host a second informational meeting for those unable to attend the informational meeting on 7/2/2019.
We are also extending the public comment period to 8/2/2019.
Second Informational Meeting Location:
Tuesday, July 16 at 6:30PM
Baltimore County Public Library – Perry Hall Branch
9685 Honeygo Blvd.
Perry Hall, MD 21128
If you cannot attend, written comments will be accepted by the state until August 2, 2019 to:
Yen-Der Cheng, Chief, Wastewater Permits, WSA, Ref: #18DP3850,
1800 Washington Blvd., Suite 455
Baltimore, MD 21230-1708
At this informational hearing, Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER® commented that; native brook trout, a species of special conservation need have been present in the Little Gunpowder Falls Watershed since the last Ice Age and are important key indicator species [for water temperature] and serve much like the canaries that West Virginia Coal Miners brought into the shafts to make sure they could get out safely; the permit states that the entire Little Gunpowder Falls watershed is impaired and on the 303(d) list for temperature and so is it is not meeting its designated use under State Water Quality Standards of 68 degrees Fahrenheit; that state law is explicit in prohibiting discharges into intermittent streams such as Indian Grave Run unless all other remedies are evaluated; that the compliance and enforcement record of the church septic field system must be before the public so the public can comment meaningfully on the best approach to a solution; that Mariner Point Park in Harford county is recently failing safe swimming bacteria tests well downstream of the proposed discharge; that many swim in the Little Gunpowder Falls downstream of the proposed discharge including Bottom Road; that water temperature is protected by state law at “any and all” times which points to the need for continuous monitoring rather than the once a week average stated in the draft permit to characterize the discharge; that folks come up from as far as the Choptank to crab the tidal Gunpowder in the fall and that MDE should consider reducing the Bacteria level of any discharge using shellfish criteria (which is more restrictive that safe swimming criteria) so the permit would be more protective of downstream uses.
Thanks to all of the elected officials who attended the informational meeting including Deputy Minority Whip Lauren Arikan of Legislative District 7 representing Harford and Baltimore Counties, Harford County Council President Pat Vincenti, Harford County Councilman Joseph Woods, Harford County Councilman Andre Johnson and Baltimore County Councilman David Marks.