LINKWOOD, MD - A Dorchester County Circuit Court Judge has sided with various environmental groups in challenging the state’s approval of a wastewater discharge permit for a local animal waste rendering plant.
The Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) previously approved a wastewater discharge permit for Valley Proteins in Linkwood, an approval that was quickly challenged by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and other local environmental advocates early in 2023.
According to CBF, the coalition argued MDE failed to use sufficient data in its approval of the permit and the permit would have failed to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus entering the nearby Transquaking River watershed. The permit would have also allowed Valley Proteins to increase its daily wastewater discharge from an average of 150,000 gallons to 575,000 gallons, CBF says.
Earlier this year, MDE fined the Valley Proteins plant, owned by Darling Ingredients, for numerous pollution violations.
The Dorchester County Circuit Court decision now directs MDE to revise Valley Proteins’ wastewater permit to ensure it meets state and federal laws. Online court records show the decision was handed down on November 22.
“We are pleased with the court’s decision to require MDE to revise its permit,” CBF Maryland Advocacy Director Alan Girard said. “Valley Proteins contributes significantly to the annual nitrogen load discharged into the Transquaking River watershed every year. The previous permit did not ensure that the river and Higgins Mill Pond are safe for swimming, fishing, and wildlife habitat, as mandated by Maryland and federal law.”
