LINKWOOD, Md. - The Maryland Department of the Environment has issued a draft discharge permit for the Valley Proteins rendering plant on Linkwood Road in Dorchester County.
The plant, which renders poultry parts into pet food has long faced questions about its environmental impact, particularly on the nearby Transquaking River.
The draft permit would require the plant to significantly increase its water quality improvements. The permit would also include wastewater monitoring tables. It would also enforce financial penalties and corrective actions for non-compliance.
MDE says the permit would reduce total nitrogen by 43 percent and total phosphorous by 79 percent.
Doug Myers, Senior Scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says the permit does not go far enough.
"We were hoping that the permit was going to try to close some of those loopholes in the first place. So making sure all of the provisions of the permit were enforceable and there were built in benchmarks so if they were exceeded it would trigger inspections and fines," Myers said.
In a statement to WBOC, Maryland's Department of the Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles said "Our proposed actions mean cleaner water and a healthier watershed, with greater accountability for environmental violations."
We reached out to Valley Proteins for comment but did not hear back. The Maryland Department of the Environment says it is working with stakeholders including the company.
