SALISBURY, Md. – Maryland environmental regulators will hold a public hearing Wednesday evening on a water discharge permit for Perdue AgriBusiness LLC, giving residents an opportunity to weigh in before the state makes a final decision.
The hearing concerns the company’s Zion Church Road facility and State Discharge Permit 21-DP-0359, also identified as NPDES permit application MD0000060. The hearing runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury, with a virtual option available for people who register by noon Wednesday.
- Maryland is considering renewal of a discharge permit for Perdue AgriBusiness’ Zion Church Road facility.
- The public hearing begins at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Wor-Wic Community College and will also be available virtually.
- Written comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, before the state makes its final determination.
What Maryland Is Considering
The permit is being handled by the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Water and Science Administration.
According to Maryland’s official notice for Wednesday’s Perdue hearing, regulators have reached the tentative-determination stage of the permit process. Wednesday’s hearing is designed to put public comments about that tentative decision into the official record.
That distinction matters. This isn’t simply an informational meeting where residents show up to learn about a proposal.
Under Maryland’s process, a public hearing is held after publication of a tentative determination. The state presents the proposed permit conditions and then receives testimony from residents and other interested parties. A court reporter transcribes the proceedings, making that testimony part of the permit record.
The state says comments delivered at the hearing and written comments submitted during the comment period receive equal consideration.
Agriculture and Water Quality Meet on the Eastern Shore
Perdue is one of the names most closely associated with agriculture on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, making the permit hearing potentially more consequential than a routine entry on the state calendar.
Discharge permits regulate what facilities can release into waters and under what conditions. The federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, commonly called NPDES, is the permitting framework used to control regulated discharges to surface waters.
Maryland administers that program at the state level.
The Maryland Department of the Environment’s permit-hearing page identifies the Perdue matter as a renewal application for the Zion Church Road facility. The agency makes the application, tentative permit and supporting fact sheet available through its wastewater permit portal under state permit number 21-DP-0359.
Those permit conditions — rather than the Perdue name alone — will be the central issue Wednesday evening.
For communities across the Eastern Shore, industrial and agricultural water permits also carry broader interest because local waterways ultimately feed a region closely tied to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Public Can Speak Tonight or Submit Comments Later
The in-person hearing will be held in Guerrieri Hall 101 at Wor-Wic Community College, 32000 Campus Drive in Salisbury.
The state will begin with introductions and an explanation of the permit process. Maryland environmental officials will then present the draft tentative determination before opening the floor for public comments.
People participating virtually must register by noon Wednesday. A listen-only telephone option is also available.
Missing the hearing doesn’t close the door on public participation.
Written comments can be submitted to the Maryland Department of the Environment through 5 p.m. Sept. 14. The agency says comments received through any of the available methods will be considered before it reaches a final decision on the permit.
That makes Wednesday night’s hearing one step in the process rather than the final word.
The hearing concerns a Perdue AgriBusiness discharge permit renewal.
Maryland regulators are considering State Discharge Permit 21-DP-0359 for the company’s Zion Church Road facility.
Residents have an opportunity to enter comments into the official record.
The hybrid hearing begins at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury.
The state’s final permit decision comes later.
Maryland will continue accepting written public comments through 5 p.m. Sept. 14 before making its final determination.
Sources: Maryland Department of the Environment Water and Science Administration; Maryland official public hearing notice and discharge permit meeting schedule.
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