Landfill Wants To Dump More Wastewater In River, Residents Push Back

WHITE MARSH, MD — A dump in White Marsh wants to discharge more landfill water into a river, leaving Baltimore County and Harford County residents concerned about pollution.

The Days Cove Rubble Landfill is seeking a permit that would let it release up to 25,000 daily gallons of treated wastewater from the dump into the Gunpowder River via the Bird River, multiple reports said. The Gunpowder River forms part of the border between Baltimore and Harford Counties.

The landfill already releases 12,000 daily gallons of this treated water called leachate, The Baltimore Banner and The Baltimore Sun both reported.

About 150 residents attended a Tuesday hearing, telling the Maryland Department of the Environment to reject the proposed increase in allowable discharge. During the meeting at the Perry Hall library, attendees displayed signs reading "We deserve safe water" and "Protect the Gunpowder."

The Sun said the facility received a permit in 2013 to discharge leachate, but it trucked the wastewater offsite until April 2023.

Since that date, the landfill has exceeded the limits of its existing permit 20 times, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

"Why would you even consider letting a permit be applied for when they violated the permit they have 20 times?" said Josh Sines, president of the Essex Middle River Civic Council, according to The Banner.

The last exceedance was in October 2024, the EPA data shows. The Banner said the exceedances resulted in a $15,000 fine from state regulators.

The Gunpowder Riverkeeper said the exceedances include:

• 131% over permit limits for alpha-terpineol
• 221% Trivalent Arsenic
• 65% Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
• 122% over Copper
• 100% over Nitrogen
• 51% over Zinc
• Limit violation for pH

"Unless the discharge is as clean as our waterways are, there’s going to be pollution," said John Berry, president of the Rumsey Island Residents Association in Harford County, according to The Sun.

The Sun reported that Lindsey Crone, executive director of the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, said allowing more discharge would be a "major setback" to the Gunpowder.

"We’re quickly approaching a river in which our children cannot swim, our dogs cannot drink and no one would dare to eat a crab," Crone said, according to The Banner.

The Republican lawmakers representing the area— State Sen. J.B. Jennings, Dels. Ryan Nawrocki and Kathy Szeliga and Baltimore County Council Member David Marks— all oppose increasing landfill discharge.

The landfill, located at 6425 Days Cove Road, only accepts commercial waste and demolition materials. It doesn't take household trash.

When Patch called Days Cove for a comment, the landfill said its designated media representative was out of the office until next week.

"We understand there’s some concerns and questions that everybody has. I hope that we’ll be able to address all those," said Darren Hunt, the landfill's vice president of operations, according to The Banner, adding that "We always strive to be a good neighbor."

The MDE extended the deadline for public comment by a month, The Sun and The Banner both reported. Residents must email their comments to paul.hlavinka@maryland.gov by 5 p.m. Oct. 22.