If you use the Little Gunpowder Falls for fishing, hiking or swimming or are downstream please attend an upcoming meeting to learn more about the Mtn. Christian Church, (located at 1824 Mountain Rd Joppa, MD 21085) permit #18DP3850 to discharge up to 5,000 gallons of treated wastewater per day into a tributary that flows and enters into the Little Gunpowder Falls at the Jericho covered bridge.
Riverkeeper is concerned about the potential for an increase in bacteria levels and a decrease in downstream water quality for trout waters (Use III) and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) related to this new surface water discharge. In the past the Church has used a septic field but this permit would allow a minor wastewater treatment plant to be built and managed on the site.
The meeting will be held by the Maryland Department of the Environment on Tuesday July 2, 2019 from 1:30-2:30 PM at the Harford County Public Library: Joppa Branch located at 655 Towne Center Drive, Joppa, MD 21085.
If you cannot attend, written comments will be accepted by the state until July 15, 2019 to:
Yen-Der Cheng, Chief, Wastewater Permits, WSA, Ref: #18DP3850,
1800 Washington Blvd., Suite 455
Baltimore, MD 21230-1708
At the last hearing on this permit, Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER® asked that the state; recognize impairments for bay-wide pollutants like Nitrogen, Phosphorous and sediment in the downstream waterways; provide the compliance record of the church septic field system; put stricter limits on temperature and bacteria and provide more representative monitoring in the draft permit. One of the attendees asked how are wells and recharge areas might be impacted.
Because of our efforts and the comments from downstream and adjacent residents that attended the first hearing, MDE agreed to host another informational meeting that is open to the public at large.
The State of Maryland does not have a requirement for proximity notices on these permits. RIVERKEEPER® has posted this notice so folks are aware of the draft permit, the upcoming meeting and how they might input into this permitting decision.
The map in this post was created by a Gunpowder Riverkeeper member/volunteer (Thank you Howard!) and indicates a high quality Tier II waterway directly upstream of the discharge and the Use III (cold water-trout waters extending upstream of the Rt. 40.