Kent Recycling and Land Reclamation, LLC
(Rubble Dump)
At the October 4th meeting of the Kent County Commissioners, Commission president Ron Fithian announced that the Commissioners, “were unanimous” in their opposition to the rubble fill proposal. “We needed to do our due diligence, and take into account both sides” said Fithian. An audience of more than 80 citizens gathered to demonstrate before the Commissioners' meeting and applauded Commissioner Fithian's announcement. Although the Commissioners have announced their opposition to the rubble dump proposal, they have not yet taken an official vote on the matter. Instead the Commissioners have indicated that they will produce a written resolution stating their decision, which is expected to be released in the next few weeks. SRA is closely monitoring this issue to ensure the rubble dump project does not move forward, and to protect the River from any future threats.
The Kent Commissioners’ declaration of opposition came after more than two months of grassroots organizing and campaigning against the project by the SRA, the Kent Farmland Preservation Coalition, and concerned citizens throughout Kent and Cecil Counties. In those two months, nearly three hundred citizens participated in protests, 499 citizens signed a petition to stop the rubble fill, and a flood of correspondence came into the commissioner’s office voicing opposition to the project.
YOUR help in raising awareness, writing the commissioners, and supporting SRA's opposition to the rubble dump was critical in this key success! But SRA still needs your support to ensure the rubble dump is permanently stopped. Contact the Kent County Commissioners to voice your opinion on this project. Tell your friends and neighbors that this project is bad for the Sassafras River. "No Rubble Dump" signs are available FREE at the SRA office to post in your yard. Join SRA today in advocating for the protection of our precious River.
What is the Rubble Dump?
The rubble dump is a construction and debris dump, proposed in the northern portion of Kent county, which would receive trash from cities like Wilmington, Philadelphia, and portions of New Jersey and New York. A facility of this magnitude would present severe threats to the environmental health of the surrounding area, as well as to the quality of life for the surrounding communities. The site is located at the head of Jacob’s Creek, a highly sensitive headwaters stream of the impaired Sassafras River (as listed by EPA 303d list). The proposed site is not suited for an industrial operation of this nature and lacks an adequate riparian buffer and safe distance from the shallow groundwater aquifer.
The proposed rubble dump site lies between Rt. 301 and Rt. 299 in Massey, Maryland – directly adjacent to Jacobs Creek, a tributary of the Sassafras River. Contact the Kent County Commissioners to voice your opinion on this project, and join SRA in advocating for the protection of the Sassafras River Watershed.
County Commissioner Contact Information:
President Ronald Fithian, rfithian@kentgov.org
Commissioner William Pickrum, wpickrum@kentgov.org
Commissioner Alexander Rasin, arasin@kentgov.org
Commissioners' Office, kentcounty@kentgov.org
(Direct your emails to all four of these addresses)
Mailing Address:
Kent County Commissioners
400 High Street
Chestertown, MD 21620
More information on this project can be found below, in the provided documents and links.
SRA Comments on Rubble Dump, Submitted to County Commissioners, August 16th 2011
SRA Comments on Rubble Dump, Submitted to County Commissioners, July 31 2011
Developers Rights and Responsibilities Agreement (DRRA)- July 30 2011 This agreement lays out the conditions and expectations between the County and developer, regarding the Kent Recycling and Land Reclamation Facility.
Board of Appeals Report, for Kent Sand and Gravel, LLC. Report States that final land use of site would be returned to agriculture, in the form of aquaculture.
"Commissioners hire lawyer to look for land", Kent County News Article, April 16th, 2009
"More Time for Landfill Comments", Kent County News Article, August 18th, 2011
SRA Full Page Advertisement, Printed August 25th, 2011
You Tube video of a protest at the commissioner's meeting
Rubble Dump (2009 Proposal)
SRA advocated against a similar proposal in 2009 to create a rubble dump located at the same site proposed for Kent Recycling and Land Reclamation LLC. You can follow the links below to the relevant documents: