The modified permit was never granted because some people appealed to MDE to hold a contested case hearing, said Jim Dieter, administrator of MDE's wastewater permits program. He said the plant is still operating under the conditions of the old permit, which expired in April 2001.

MDE issues the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the Kent Narrows Stevensville Grasonville (KNSG) sewage treatment plant, located on western Kent Island. The treated effluent is discharged into the Chesapeake Bay.

The new permit being sought by the county will have provisions for reducing the amount of nitrogen discharged into the Bay. Jeffrey L. Rein, deputy administrator of MDE's water/wastewater discharge permits program, said sewage treatment plants with capacities of at least 500,000 gpd are required to install biological nutrient reduction (BNR) technology. He said the KNSG plant currently empties about 100,000 pounds of nitrogen into the Bay a year, an average of 21 milligrams per liter, based on treatment flows of 1.5 million gpd. The goal is to reduce the nitrogen discharge to 35,800 pounds a year, an average of 3.9 milligrams per liter, based on treatment flows of 3 million gpd.

About 30 people attended the hearing. Robert W. Foley, a 30-year resident of the Castle Marina community, said Kent Island was "being ripped to hell by developers." He said it seemed like a sewage treatment plant was being forced in an area where it doesn't belong.

"I personally will do whatever I can to prevent the development from going through," said Foley.

Kent Island resident Winn Krozack praised MDE for its effort to reduce nitrogen levels in the Bay, but said expanding the KNSG plant will have a negative effect on a tidal island in the Bay. He said almost half the additional capacity - 454,000 gpd - would be allocated for the Four Seasons at Kent Island project. Krozack said residents with failing septic systems would not benefit from the additional 1 million gpd plant capacity.

Four Seasons, a planned residential community north of U.S. Route 50 in the Chester and Stevensville areas, would have up to 1,350 homes for people age 55 and older. Approval for the Four Seasons plan is tied to county infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to the public water and sewer systems. Alan Quimby, chief county sanitary engineer, said after the hearing that Four Season would probably require about one-third of the additional 1 million gpd plant capacity.

Chester resident Rick Moser said the county does not appear to be addressing the septic system failures on southern Kent Island with the planned KNSG plant expansion. He also said he "takes issue" with the fact the reduced nitrogen levels are not enforceable limits on the permit, but goals to strive for. Dieter said a jurisdiction that holds a NPDES permit to operate a wastewater treatment plant has to make an effort to meet the nitrogen reduction goal.

Greg Nizza, county public information officer, said after the hearing the county needs to expand the capacity of the KNSG plant so development can be directed within the county's designated growth areas. He said the growth areas account for 6 percent of the land area in Queen Anne's County. 

Todd Mohn, acting county public works director, said if there is not enough sewage treatment capacity to handle the growth areas, more homes with on-site septic systems would be built outside the growth areas. Mohn said the southern Kent Island area will be served by public sewers at some point, but the KNSG plant has to be expanded first.

According to the county's draft 2002 comprehensive plan, one recommendation for the sanitary sewer system is to expand and upgrade the KNSG plant to a capacity of 3 million gpd or 4 million gpd to meet identified needs. Another recommendation is to further expand the plant capacity to 5 million gpd within 
 
©The Star Democrat 2002 

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM KIDL:
Persons who wish to do so may submit a written statement to the Department no later than April 9, 2002  to the Maryland Department of the Environment, Water Management Administration, 2500 Broening Highway, Baltimore, MD  21224, Attn:  Stephen Luckman

E-mail Address(es):
  sluckman@mde.state.md.us