Fellow Supporters,

This is serious business. For four years Mary Kay Sigaty has been working against the health and safety of your children and your families, first with the Mulch Task Force, then with CB60-2017 and CB21-2018 where she decided that Type 2 feedstock, defined as food waste, animal mortality and manure, could be trucked in for composting on farmland, all to be trucked out for commercial sale. She thought this was a good idea for Howard County, but only the case if you are one of the industrial mulch/compost facility owners playing farmer that the bills she sponsored favor. What do we think? We think Sigaty has shown poor leadership and been completely irresponsible when it comes to safeguarding the health and welfare of your families.

We worked hard as a community to fight back against this nonsense and protect our rights to basic health and safety in our neighborhoods from the possibility of Howard County farmland turning into satellite landfills (aka garbage dumps). The problem remaining, however, is that Mary Kay Sigaty is now running for a Maryland State Senate seat where she will take her same skewed thinking and continue to plague us with a disregard for your health and safety. Maryland House Bill HB-171, which is being considered right now, focuses on creating statewide rules for composting with “yard waste, food residuals and other organic materials.” Does anyone really want Sigaty in a position to be a part of any decision-making that concerns the health and welfare of our families?

Please remember, for four years Mary Kay Sigaty was dismissive of our health and safety concerns relating to industrial mulching/composting on farmland. She pretended to be a medical expert capable of analyzing and rejecting the well-documented facts laid out by renowned physicians, true medical experts, and environmental scientists concerning the many evidence-based health risks associated with industrial mulch and compost with food/animal waste. She portrayed herself as more knowledgeable than the experts of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During multiple County Council sessions she completely ignored the potentially fatal dangers of endless streams of tractor-trailers full of mulch on small rural roads that could wind up killing children waiting for their school bus, which is exactly what happened in March 2017 to two innocent children in rural Virginia. Why is she willing to risk our children’s lives so recklessly?

Primaries are TODAY. Every vote matters, so please place your vote to support candidates who support you, specifically

-- Dr. Calvin Ball for Howard County Executive

and 

-- Jen Terrasa for Maryland State Delegate District 13,

both of whom continually worked for our health and safety these past four years serving us well on the County Council.

And vote AGAINST Mary Kay Sigaty, running for the District 12 State Senate seat, who has shown a complete lack of regard for our well-being.

Please spread the word and forward this web page to others in your family and personal/professional networks, not only throughout Howard County, but also across the State calling on them to vote against Sigaty during the upcoming primaries TODAY, June 26.

As always, thanks for your support in doing what you can to help our cause.

With gratitude,

Fellow Supporters,

We promised to follow up with specifics related to the Bonner/Oak Ridge zoning violations that continue to this day, so you can have fully understand why it is not possible to count on DPZ for effective enforcement of any zoning regulations. If they can’t effectively manage one industrial mulch facility owner who is clearly operating in violation of what is allowed, then how can they effectively enforce what will be allowed, all of which pose health and safety risks to your families? In fact, without community involvement in their process, they wouldn’t even be attempting to manage this one businessman operating illegally.

By their own account, DPZ in unable to manage particulars such as pile heights, size and extent of the mulch and compost piles, number and frequency of tractor trailer/3-axle dump trucks in/out of the industrial processing facility (yes, we consider 4 to 10 acres that allows for industrial processing and ability to truck off for commercial sale an industrial operation) and percentage of commercial sales. Even Kittleman’s suggested amendments, publicized on Apr 23, that proposed commercial sale allowance/limits had no plan to regulate the percentage of mulch/compost that would be trucked off for commercial sale. And why? Simply because it can’t be accurately monitored. Period. To note, the ag preserve easements do NOT allow for any industrial or commercial activities as defined by the terms of the ag preserve program. Those in ag preserve have accepted payment from either Howard County or the State of Maryland for agreeing to put their farmland as farms in perpetuity (“Farmland Forever” signs we see on these farms support that reality).

In the case of Bonner/Oak Ridge, citizens needed to provide definitive proof of ongoing violations in order to force DPZ to take enforcement action. All of this just goes to prove that DPZ can’t be trusted to do their job to enforce their own zoning regulations even in the face of clear violations, especially without citizen supervision. Who’s in charge here, anyway? It all goes back to the point made many times that the burden of enforcement should NOT be placed on communities. This is not sustainable or acceptable. Perhaps the burden should be placed on Kittleman to force his people in DPZ to do their jobs. Hold them accountable for a change.

The timeline below details specific events related to the unallowed activities at the Bonner/Oak Ridge facility that occurred in violation to CB20-2014 zoning regulations. Mulch processing and transfer station activities have been ongoing there for ~8 years, despite several complaints filed to DPZ by residents of Woodbine whose health and quality of life have been compromised. Related documents, several of which were submitted during testimony at the April 16 Public Hearing, are also attached.

1. March 1, 2012:  MALPF, through the MD Department of Agriculture, finds Bonner/Oak Ridge in violation of the deed of easement due to mulch piles from material trucked onto the farm for industrial processing, then trucking out for commercial sale. These types of industrial/commercial activities that result in mulch piles do not support farming operations (material must be from on premises), and are not allowed per the easements issued when accepting the terms and payments related to entering the ag preserve program.
2. December 13, 2013:  Woodbine resident Rob Long writes letter of complaint to Sigaty (also Fox, Kittleman, DPZ, MALPF, MDE, others) seeking help for what is a mulching facility operating in violation to Howard County zoning regulations. No response is given by Sigaty or Fox. No enforcement action is taken.
3. June 2, 2014:  County Council passes unanimously into law CB20-2014 that does not allow industrial mulch processing for commercial sale on either Howard County/ALPP or State of Maryland/MALPF ag preserve farmland.
4. November 25, 2014:  Bonner/Oak Ridge case goes before Howard County Hearing Examiner Michelle LeFavre. Consent Order issued for civil citations for zoning violations calling for shut down of the continued industrial mulch manufacturing operation, and a fine of $1,000 was levied. This is the only fine levied in 8 years of unallowed operation.
5. January 23 and 27, 2017:  25 residents living in proximity to the Bonner/Oak Ridge facility file a complaint with DPZ. Their letter points out that ongoing transfer station and wood waste recycling activities are in violation to current CB20-2014 zoning regulations.
6. March 9, 2017: DRPS sends photos to Kittleman, Sigaty, Fox and DPZ that were obtained from Woodbine residents clearly showing industrial truck traffic for multiple tractor trailer/3-axle trucks in/out of Bonner/Oak Ridge each day (~24-30 big rigs each day), as well as drone photos showing unallowable industrial/commercial activities ongoing on this MD ag farm.
7. March 9, 2017:  DPZ responds to Woodbine residents’ January 23 and 27 letters of complaint. DPZ states that an inspection conducted on February 24, 2017 “failed to reveal any violation of the regulations” at Bonner/Oak Ridge, and that “the case is being closed.”
8. March 14, 2017:  DRPS sends email again to Kittleman, Sigaty, Fox, and DPZ expressing shock that photos previously submitted to them did not lead to further action against Bonner/Oak Ridge for obvious ongoing zoning violations.
9. March 15, 2017:  DPZ issues a follow up letter to Woodbine residents stating that the “the letter closing the case was sent prematurely. This case remains open.”
10. April 19, 2017:  DRPS along with the Concerned Citizens Group meet with Kittleman in person to discuss Bonner/Oak Ridge violations with hard proof/photos of unallowable activities there that are causing health concerns for Woodbine residents.
11. April 20, 2017: DPZ opens a zoning violation case against Bonner/Oak Ridge.
12. April 21, 2017: DPZ sends a letter to Woodbine residents stating, “In response to your complaints received January 23, January 27 and March 6, 2017…a representative of this Division inspected the property on February 24, 2017. The inspection revealed the following violations of the Howard County Zoning Regulations: Operation of a land clearing debris transfer station and/or sawmill, including the storage of related equipment and materials on RC (Rural Conservation) zoned property.” Wasn’t that the same inspection that found no violations according to their March 9 letter?
13. December 8, 2017:  Judge issues a cease and desist order to Bonner/Oak Ridge to immediately discontinue the ongoing mulch processing and transfer station activities not allowed on MD ag preserve farmland per CB20-2104 and other Howard County zoning regulations.
14. Ongoing (May 2018):  Bonner/Oak Ridge continues to perform industrial processing operations on the farm, despite cease and desist order

So now you know the full story and how it takes far too many concerned citizens far too long to supervise DPZ and hold them accountable to do the right thing. The timeline and supporting attachments prove it. It should not take this level of effort to get DPZ to finally take enforcement action over clear violations that pose many health and safety risks for those residing in proximity to these industrial operations.

We hope the tabling of CB21-2018 announced at the May 7 County Council legislative session brings an end to this hotly contested issue on June 4 when the bill sponsors are expected to withdraw the bill. The farmers behind this are not fighting for CB21-2018 to sustain true farming activities, rather industrial mulch and compost facility operators/owners are, exposing children/families to contaminated groundwater and a litany of health risks that are absolutely and unequivocally unacceptable. Thank you for staying vigilant on these matters in the past, present and in the future. As always, we are truly grateful for your continued and proactive support.

Best,
John Tegeris, PhD
President, DRPS

Fellow Supporters,

Thank you all for staying the course. As you know, on May 7, the County Council decided to table CB21-2018 instead of killing the bill. June 4 is their opportunity to make this right for you, your children and your families. On that night, CB21-2018 MUST be withdrawn.

Why is this bill alive at all? To put thousands of children and families at risk for the benefit of only 3 industrial mulch manufacturing business owners who want to expand their industrial operations and locate them on the farmland to harvest mulch (maybe it’s really a vegetable) and to create satellite landfills in proximity to your homes. You must be joking. Drive throughout the farmland in rural western Howard County and tell us how many mulch farms you see along the way (make sure you have a full tank of gas, you will be driving for quite a while to find any). And now Sigaty and Fox want to make it worse by adding food waste, animal mortality/parts and manure (Type 2 feedstock) to compost and allow for trucking in of materials for limitless mulch/compost industrial processing with food/animal waste, and trucking out using 3-axle dump trucks and tractor trailers to haul this mess off the farm purely for commercial sale. If I hadn’t spent thousands of hours battling this on many levels over the past 4+ years, I wouldn’t have believed it myself.

How is it possible that elected leadership could arrive at this point in Howard County, one of the most desirable counties to live in across the entire United States? I have answers, but none are good. What we know is that even when CB21-2018 is withdrawn this issue will still be debated, but this time at the state level, and with MDE involvement. We asked for this, plus MALPF, to be on the panel for the Mulch Task Force when Resolution 74-2014 put forth by Sigaty and Fox was voted on by the County Council in June 2014, but not surprisingly it didn’t happen.

DRPS also sent a certified letter to MDE to formally request they take into consideration the wealth of factual scientific data to document that these types of mulch/compost facilities cause evidence-based heavy metals groundwater contamination, posing neurological and development risks to your children and families. We specifically asked that during ongoing discussions with House Bill 171 signed into action by Governor Hogan the panel take into consideration the disturbing findings in the NY State Report that evaluated several mulch facilities to find significantly elevated levels of manganese in groundwater downstream to these industrial/commercial operations that were beyond allowable, safe limits. MDE officially responded in writing to DRPS on May 15 to acknowledge these health and environmental concerns and committed to take the NY State findings into account as they continue to debate the issue. Finally, a glimmer of hope in what has been a long fight given associated health and safety concerns.

We are prepared to continue to fight for your families to ensure the State of Maryland also makes responsible decisions when it comes to industrial/commercial operations for mulch manufacturing and compost with food/animal waste/parts on the farmland. We will also hold the State of Maryland accountable, not only Howard County, to ensure they stay committed to protecting the health and safety of you and your children from the many unacceptable risks these facilities pose to your families. Again, this burden should not be placed on communities to fight for the County or State of Maryland to do the right thing, but we have learned over the past four year battle that it is a likely eventuality.

The next opportunity to kill CB21-2018 will be during the June 4 County Council legislative session. There have been assurances by Howard County leadership, both by the County Executive and the County Council, that this bill will be withdrawn. June 4 will be the night for the full County Council to finally get it right. Several are running for office, and we will be watching to know where we focus our energies next, and very soon. For the good of all, we sincerely hope that the current path set in motion by Kittleman at his May 3 Town Hall meeting for sponsors Sigaty and Fox to withdraw the bill, finally results in the death of CB21-2018 on Monday. If not, we stand poised and prepared to spring immediately into action for the elections now in full swing. Primaries are only a few weeks away. It won’t be pretty. Many thanks for your continued support and for remaining vigilant and vocal to oppose CB21-2018 and any other bills like it.

Best,
John Tegeris, PhD
President, DRPS

Fellow Supporters,

Fellow Supporters,

Hope everyone is doing well. Time to ramp up our support base once again. Below is a call to action with an immediate 24-hour request for everyone. Thanks for reading on and stepping up to help support all of our communities and for quickly forwarding this email to those in your personal and professional networks to help spread the word. It all matters and we can only hope for success if you decide to make it a priority to get involved.

Hard to believe that our fight is now entering its fourth year, almost to the day, but here we are.

Councilmembers Sigaty and Fox have put forth ZRA-183, and this time County Executive Kittleman declined to add his name to the proposal. Interesting. We will not let him off that easily, though. He will see what we think of his poor leadership on a huge issue potentially affecting the welfare of tens of thousands of families throughout Howard County, all the way up to the voting polls this Fall.

ZRA-183 is still full of loopholes that will allow for industrial mulching and composting across Howard County. At the Planning Board public hearing on January 11, Councilmember Sigaty acknowledged that commercial operations would be allowed under ZRA-183. Several of us testified at that meeting to oppose ZRA-183. We were pleased that the Planning Board chose to postpone their work session and vote in order to review all the points raised during the public testimony. This is definite progress over what transpired back in May 2017. That Planning Board open work session will be held this Thurs Feb 1 back in the Banneker Room within the George Howard Building, and looks to be last on the agenda.

Here is the pressing ask for your participation and action by noon on Thurs Feb 1. Please copy and paste the following statement (or write your own) and email to the Planning Board at planningboard@howardcountymd.gov by noon this Thurs Feb 1.

Our sincere thanks to the Planning Board for thoughtfully considering our health and safety concerns, and doing the proper due diligence in reviewing all testimony submitted. Thank you for taking the time needed before rendering a recommendation that will potentially affect thousands of families across Howard County, especially the rural communities in the West. This is even more problematic given that the ZRA sponsors acknowledged that this legislation would allow for commercial operations on ag preserve farmland, which is not allowed per the easements.

We urge the Planning Board to realize that this legislation would allow 1 acre of industrial mulching and 3 acres of industrial composting with Type 2 feedstock (food waste, animal mortality, manure) to be trucked in, processed and trucked out for commercial sale. This will increase disease burden through groundwater contamination, including heavy metals, carcinogenic wood dust, pathogenic endospores, and unbearable stench. Legislation resulting from ZRA-183 could potentially make Howard County farmland a collection of satellite waste dumps that will translate into health risks to families and safety risks to children waiting for school buses on rural roads that would be filled with tractor-trailer and 3-axle dump trucks carrying waste into and out of these facilities all day long. ZRA-183 also contains provisions that will allow for a total of 10 acres of industrial mulch/compost and the resultant tractor-trailer and 3-axle dump trucks traveling along residential community roads along their path. 

Please recommend that current CB20 remain active, or eliminate any ability to truck off product for industrial/commercial/retail sale, as well as eliminate allowing any Type 2 materials, such as food waste and animal by-products from slaughterhouses, into the farmland throughout Howard County. Thank you for your time and attention.

There will be several updates in the coming weeks to recap what has transpired over the past few months since the vote on Nov 6, and to unveil new strategies leading up to the next legislative vote soon as we become more aggressive in our efforts to win this go round. What we did together was amazing (thank you) but clearly not enough given we lost the vote 2-3 for CB60. If we are going to have any chance, either in the short-term (Planning Board/Feb 1), mid-term (County Council vote; likely March) or long-term (County Council and County Executive elections) to achieve our outcome to kill this bill once and for all, we need everyone to be prepared to do their part once again. Stay tuned. Many Thanks.

Best,

John Tegeris, PhD

President, DRPS

August 17, 2017

Hello Fellow Supporters,

First of all, thanks to an amazing support base for stepping up to support the cause to oppose CB60 on July 17!  

One of our goals was to ensure we showed up in numbers to force the vote intended for July 26 (to sneak this by us) to get tabled, and together the strong turnout did just that. In just three short weeks we were able to get over 100 emails sent to County Council Mail stating opposition to CB60, 50 to sign up to testify against the bill and once again pack the Banneker Room on July 17. Again, no way we win this one without a huge turnout from each of you for what continues forward in Sept, and the results from 2014 and on July 17 prove just that. But we can’t stop here.

The Public Hearing for CB60 will continue on Mon Sept 11 at 6:30pm back in the Banneker Room. We need more emails to hit the Council mailbox, more people to sign up to testify against CB60 and even more to show up for a night that will undoubtedly influence what amendments find their way into CB60. We had an amazing group of kids show up on June 29 for our first community meeting to highlight the major concerns and loopholes associated with CB60. If we could get some of those same young future leaders to sign up to testify on Sept 11, it would make for a very strong statement to our County Council.

Before the recap of events that unfolded at the County Council Public Hearing on July 17 where CB60 testimony began, let’s first clearly state what amendments we absolutely need to be a part of what is incorporated into this bill before it goes to a legislative vote so we protect the health and welfare of our families. To note, it is important going forward that all of your emails to County Council and your testimony include these amendments (repetition is the mother of invention):

1. No Natural Wood Waste Recycling (NWWR) facilities on Rural Residential (RR) and Rural Conservation (RC) parcels; RC includes both Howard County and State of MD ag preserve farmland
2. No food waste in compost produced exclusively to support farming activities for use only for/by/on the farm on all RR and RC parcels
3. No commercial or retail sale of compost produced exclusively to support farming activities for use only for/by/on the farm on all RR and RC parcels
4. No three axle or tractor-trailer trucks on/off the farm for compost produced exclusively to support farming activities for use only for/by/on the farm on all RR and RC parcels

For clarity to all, as we oppose the current zoning language in CB 60 given the many obvious loopholes it creates, our Amendment 1 by default absolutely prohibits the following on all RR and RC parcels:

1. No commercial sale of mulch or compost product
2. No three axle or tractor-trailer trucks on/off the farm with mulch or compost product
3. No industrial grade tub grinders, normally used to support typical industrial mulching facilities
4. No mulching on Howard County ag preserve or State of MD ag preserve farmland
5. No retail sales of mulch or compost product onsite

Bottom line, what these amendments translate into for NWWR facilities is the reality that these operations belong on M1/M2 industrial zoned parcels and need to be covered to responsibly prevent mulch dust and endospores from airborne contamination to put nearby residential communities at risk for medical concerns.
  
Let’s recap the events that unfolded at the July 17 Public Hearing. To start off the testimony for CB60, DPZ went after our Recipe for Disaster in an attempt to discredit what we have stated are serious loopholes in CB60 that will allow for industrial mulching and industrial composting. Their argument was weak and only addressed a portion of our concerns over the zoning allowances in CB60. DPZ stated that on Howard County ag preserve farmland the mulching operation needed to be “accessory” to the primary farming operation. What this means is that the mulching operation needs to be subordinate to (less than) the primary activity on the farm. This translates into the ability to do 2 acres of mulching and 3 acres of composting (with food waste, animal carcasses and manure) for a total of five acres with essentially no restrictions and can be completely unrelated to the primary farming activity. There are ~60 Howard County ag preserve parcels of 100 acres or more.

Essentially what this means for Howard County ag farmland is that wood waste can be trucked in, processed industrially, and trucked out for commercial sale using tractor-trailer trucks in/out of the facility, with no restrictions on truck size or on amounts (i.e., endless/limitless scale in/out). Per our Recipe for Disaster, if 13.3 acres of trees are planted on a Howard County ag preserve parcel then 2 acres of mulching (15% of the total area of trees) can occur with no tie-in to any other activity on the farm, so long as it “accessory” to the main activity on the farm (Note: there appears to be no working definition for ‘tree farming’, so what constitutes “up to 15% of the area actively farmed in trees” is vague and uncertain). We define this as industrial mulching since limitless trucking in of wood waste for industrial processing then trucked out for commercial sale is allowed with no association to any other activity on the farm. This is one of several concerning loopholes that exist with CB60.

If one does the math, then all 60+ Howard County ag preserve parcel owners could have their primary farming activity occur on ~80+ acres, plant trees on 13+ acres and do 2 acres of industrial mulching plus 3 acres of industrial composting for 5 acres in total without restrictions. This does not account for the State of MD ag parcels throughout Howard County that are not even mentioned in CB60.

DPZ also questioned our comment that up to 40K tons could be processed annually when they state the correct amount is 24K tons. How can DPZ be confident to defend this number when they admit they cannot enforce pile height (i.e., the higher the mulch pile the more is processed and produced annually)? Even more concerning is the fact that it will be difficult to determine what is mulch and what is compost since both essentially come from the same process, therefore very difficult to enforce even if DPZ was capable and willing. This could translate into not just 2 acres of industrial mulch on Howard County ag parcels, but 5 acres instead. That is another way that the industrial mulch operator through CB60 can easily get to 40K tons processed annually on just “2 acres” on Howard County ag preserve farmland.

Bottom line, how will DPZ enforce what is accessory when it clearly has proven to be ineffective in enforcing CB20 against the clearest of violators (at one point the Bonner/Oak Ridge complaint was dismissed for lack of evidence to support a violation when residents had presented overwhelming evidence through photos to the contrary; it is not acceptable to place the burden of enforcement on the citizens of this county most affected by the violation)?

What DPZ conveniently failed to reference, which is the biggest loophole in CB60 and the greatest element of our Recipe for Disaster, is that CB60 allows for 5 acres of mulching plus 5 acres of composting (with food waste) on all RR and RC in Howard County, with absolutely no restrictions other than the need to go through a Conditional Use hearing, which will undoubtedly be approved if it adheres to what is allowed per zoning regulations in CB60 anyway. It is also important to note that RC also includes this 10 acres total allowance on State of MD ag preserve farmland that was somehow overlooked from being addressed in CB60. Expanding on the continuing concerns over lack of DPZ enforcement action noted above, it is even more frightening that on all RR and RC other than Howard County ag parcels there could be 10 total acres of mulching since hard to distinguish one processed wood pile from the other, rather than 5 acres each for mulching and composting. We ask our County Executive, DPZ and the Councilmembers that crafted this bill to explain to the many residential communities at risk for numerous well-documented health and safety concerns what part of this does not constitute industrial mulching and industrial composting.

If one does the math, then all numerous owners that have 100+ acres of RC farmland alone (150+ have at least 20 acres on RC) could have their primary farming activity occur on 100+ acres and do 5 acres of industrial mulching plus 5 acres of industrial composting (10% of the total acreage) without restrictions. This does not account for the State of MD ag parcels throughout Howard County that are not even mentioned in CB60, which could represent another 30+ parcels.

With this new and major concern for RR and RC throughout Howard County, our fight to prevent industrial operators from playing farmer in disguise only to exploit the ag preserve program to conduct industrial mulching for personal gain has now expanded to concerns over farmers that will now potentially conduct our definition of industrial mulching and/or composting as an additional means to generate revenue on the farm other than the existing farming activities.

Councilmember Fox pressed hard during my testimony on July 17 to ask how our DRPS submitted ZRA 160, which represented the views of the Concerned Citizens on the Mulch Task Force (dismissed out of hand by the Planning Board on May 25 in favor of ZRA 180 which is now CB60), differed from CB60. He stated that if we really had concerns over medical risks why we would allow even 1 acre of mulching when CB60 is essentially similar in allowing 2 acres of mulching. Here is why Councilmember Fox is off the mark and indirectly is downplaying any of the well-documented data-driven medical risks in allowing even 2 acres of mulching:

1. As stated in response to Councilmember Fox’s challenge on July 17, our ZRA 160 allowed for 1 acre for only legitimate tree farmers to export mulch only if a part of the trees, shrubs or plants to be taken off of the farm, but did not allow for any commercial or retail sale of the mulch product. This amounts to our estimate of only a total of 3-4 acres throughout all of Howard County given the small amount of tree farmers located in the county. We would prefer 0 acres of mulching on ag preserve given health and safety concerns for even 1 acre of mulching, but we settled on 1 acre for only a few tree farmers in Howard County in the spirit of compromise.
2. CB60 allows for 2 acres on any Howard County ag preserve parcel to be trucked out without association to any farming activity and no restrictions on commercial sale or truck size in/out of the farm. This equates to the potential for 2 acres of limitless processing on the many Howard County ag preserve parcels located throughout the county.
3. What is important to note is that this is not only a comparison of 1 vs. 2 acres but 1 vs. 5 acres since three acres of composting can also occur on these same Howard County ag preserve parcels in addition to the 2 acres allowed for mulching. The medical risks for carcinogenic potential for wood dust also apply to compost that originates from wood waste. The medical risks for composting with food waste are even worse since it provides a breeding ground to result in increased microbial activity to raise the potential for groundwater contamination and increased exposure to microbes that can cause serious infection and disease.
4. The new and also very serious concern on RR and RC is that it will expand the comparison from 1 vs. 2 acres to 1 vs. 10 acres (5 acres mulch + 5 acres compost) throughout many parcels of RC farmland alone throughout Howard County that are 100 acres or more (max of 10% of the farm size; NO restrictions)

We are making progress and our strategy is working. We would prefer to stick with CB20 and reject CB60 out of hand, but to what extent we get the right amendments incorporated into CB60 before the legislative vote is up to us. Great testimony, continuing to voice your opposition to CB60 given the many loopholes that put not just the rural communities but now also many residential communities throughout Howard County at risk, and a great turnout to pack the Banneker Room again on Sept 11 (this time with 1,000 adults and children) are key as to what level we succeed. Thanks to everyone for making the time to show in mass as one voice together on Sept 11 for a night hugely important to our success. With much appreciation,

Best,
John Tegeris, PhD
President, DRPS

Call to ACTION from the President,

July 1, 2017

Dayton Rural Preservation Society,

Hello Preservers!

We request that EVERYONE send an email to the County Council over the next week to express your concern over CB-60 and call for amendments to protect the rural communities it will put at risk as it currently stands

Send an email to County Executive Kittleman at akittleman@howardcountymd.gov to voice your disappointment in CB60, which is unacceptable without major amendments. Send an email also to the five county council members:

Email councilmembers -- gfox@howardcountymd.gov, jweinstein@howardcountymd.gov, cbball@howardcountymd.gov, jterrasa@howardcountymd.gov, mksigaty@howardcountymd.gov

Urge your neighbors, friends, family and community to take action now to send emails to both the County Council and County Executive. Please include reference in emails to key amendments needed, noted below:

-- Compost/Mulch on RR/RC/All Ag

-- Limit shipment to that required for the farming product produced, i.e. shipment with trees, shrubs, plants

-- Limit truck size to small trucks (include definition) that must contain product from the farm

-- Restrict Industrial Shipment to M1/M2

-- Add restrictions on M1/M2 (covered facilities)

-- Add State Ag to County Ag – same rules

-- Ban these uses on cluster subdivision parcels

-- Stricter enforcement, larger fines that escalate as violations continue, and more aggressive enforcement for violation

-- Further define “Emergency NWWR”

NEXT STEP: If you are willing, we need you to sign up on July 5 to testify Mon July 17 at the first County Council meeting that will take place then (Banneker Room, George Howard Building). You can sign up to testify at http://cc.howardcountymd.gov by clicking on ‘Testify’ along the top bar. You will have up to 3 minutes (you do not need to use the entire time) at the County Council meeting on July 17 to tell the council why you think CB-60 is a bad idea for Howard County.

We are urging everyone to make plans to overflow the Banneker Room as a strong show of support for our opposition to CB-60 without major amendments. We need 1,000 people to be present on July 17. From that meeting to introduce the legislation and for those who signed up July 5 to testify, the County Council will hold another session to vote on the legislation two weeks later. That Council meeting (also in the Banneker Room) will take place on Mon July 31.

It is imperative we have an amazing, even astounding, turnout of 1,000 people also on July 31 to ensure the full County Council feels the weight of our strong opposition as they vote on this important zoning legislation.

County Executive Kittleman made a strong campaign promise back in 2014 when we gave him a platform to voice his position on the issue of industrial mulching. He publicly stated:

"In response to your inquiry regarding industrial mulching on agricultural farm land, I can unequivocally state that I am opposed. There have been three major public hearings on this issues: one at Dayton Oaks Elementary School, one in Sykesville and another at the Ten Oaks Ballroom with an estimated attendance of over five hundred, where I stated that I firmly opposed industrial mulching. As County Executive, I will actively continue my opposition.”

From the content of CB-60 that was presented by County Executive Kittleman, we are very disappointed that he has not even kept half of his campaign promise, at best. This new industrial mulch/composting legislation does NOT include any restrictions on State of MD (MALPF) ag preserve farmland. Essentially half of Howard County is State of MD ag, with the other half Howard County ag (ALPP). The county council, with Calvin Ball as Chair, introduced Amendment 5 to CB-20 which prohibits industrial mulching on MD ag farmland. We argued then, and again now, that not addressing both MD and Howard County ag farmland is tantamount to fencing only half of your yard and expecting that to prevent things from wandering in.

Beyond this huge oversight, which is intentional negligence in our opinion, there are loopholes in the current CB-60 that will allow industrial mulching and industrial composting to occur. We will talk more on June 29 and in the coming weeks about what amendments are absolutely needed to keep order to this industrial mulching issue. As it stands, industrial operators playing farmer in disguise will be able to purchase ag preserve on the cheap, only to move their industrial processes onto the farmland and into your communities, to present risks to families that we simply will NOT accept.

To quickly recap, please plan on taking action on these dates:

July 5, online. Sign up to testify at http://cc.howardcountymd.gov by clicking on ‘Testify’ along the top bar. You will have up to 3 minutes at the County Council meeting on July 17 to tell the council why you think CB-60 is a bad idea for Howard County.

July 17, 7pm. Attend County Council meeting at George Howard Building, Banneker Room, to show opposition for CB-60. We need 1,000+ people here.

July 31, 7pm. Attend County Council meeting at George Howard Building, Banneker Room, as County Council votes on CB-60. We need 1,000+ people here.

Best,
John Tegeris, PhD
President, DRPS

Dedicated Supporters,

Hope our DRPS support base is doing well and ready to mobilize again. That time is coming soon with two meetings where we absolutely need a strong showing from our supporters (detailed separately below). We have intentionally delayed an update to our followers while the Mulch Task Force (MTF) navigated its way through nine months of proceedings, now concluded after 24 weekly meetings that lasted 3 hours each, in order to arrive at a good stopping point to share with you where things stand from a high level. We will provide the important specifics/granularity when we hold our first community wide meeting for 2015, likely within the next two months.

Before providing the summary, let’s highlight the first all-important meeting that requires a strong DRPS presence, which follows here:
 

The time to again mobilize as a united DRPS is now upon us. One meeting already scheduled is the HCCA annual meeting that will take place on May 13 starting at 6:30pm and showcase County Executive Allan Kittleman in attendance to answer any questions of concern for our communities, both rural and residential. This includes our farmers, who we fully support and appreciate. We would be grateful if you could visit the HCCA website now through the weblink below to register for the event, as well as to mark it off on your calendars to ensure you will attend. HCCA will be providing free pizza for those in attendance, so Stu Kohn, President of HCCA, would like for those planning/able to attend to register online so he knows the headcount to place the right order.

Here you go:

http://howardcountyhcca.org/ 

to register online (thank you!). There will be a sign-up sheet at the May 13 HCCA meeting for those who want to ask County Executive Kittleman any questions. 

Now to the background and high level summary for the MTF proceedings:

1. June 2, 2014 we succeeded with a County Council vote of 4-0 to get CB-20 passed into legislation that prohibited industrial mulch/NWWR on both Howard County and State of MD ag preserve farmland; we remain vigilant to oppose these industrial facilities on any ag preserve farmland
2. A resolution (Resolution No. 74-2014) was passed by our County Council calling for formation of a Mulch Task Force to more closely examine the needs of farmers regarding mulching and composting restrictions outlined in CB-20 and impact on true farming operations regarding sustainability
3. We support the farming community for true farming operations and feel our recommendations outlined in the Concerned Citizens Report (attached) meet the needs of our farmers that reside in Howard County
4. We stand firm in our evidence-based concerns over real health, safety and environmental risks that industrial mulching/NWWR and industrial composting pose on residents near to these large industrial operations
5. We feel strongly that industrial mulch/NWWR and composting facilities should continue to be prohibited on any ag preserve farmland in Howard County given the associated health and safety risks to nearby communities
6. Another Zoning Regulation Amendment (ZRA) will likely be developed based on the findings of the MTF, which will then be presented to the County Council for vote during a future legislative session; we will absolutely need your active support/attendance for this battle that, again, lies ahead (possibly early Fall 2015)
   
   

Attached here for your review is what is entitled the Concerned Citizens Report we crafted along with our experts and key DRPS core team members to present our recommendations resulting from the MTF meetings that began in July and ended with recent submission of these two reports to the County Council. To note, we pushed to ensure our experts were given the opportunity to present their findings at the appropriate time during the course of the MTF proceedings. Our report addresses the need to find ways to ensure farming is sustainable, but is completely opposed to industrial mulching/composting on ag preserve farmland.

A majority of the time spent by the MTF addressed the need for composting, following a matrix developed to guide us through our many meetings. This introduced another level of health concerns with the proposed industrial scale for composting (up to 10 acres; far in excess of what is needed to sustain any farmer for true farming operations in the County). Notably, animal mortality and food waste in composting was introduced, and with setbacks in proximity to residents, presenting significant opportunity for high bacterial and pathogen levels that could contaminate groundwater and result in disease/infections to undermine the health of families living nearby to these industrial operations. This, now in addition to our existing health and safety concerns for industrial mulching/NWWR operations, validates that where we ended up at the end of the MTF proceedings is potentially far worse than when we started.

To summarize, five individuals serving on the task force panel signed on in support of our Concerned Citizens Report for the entities/organizations we respectively represent. We became accustomed to being the minority on most MTF voting (typically 15-5 against us), however, we were diligent to deliver the same and very consistent evidence-based opposition message, regardless of the final vote count. While we were the minority on the panel itself, we clearly represent the majority when viewing this from the perspective of both the rural and residential community of voters we collectively represent throughout Howard County that opposes industrial mulching/NWWR on any ag preserve farmland. This type of operation is not agricultural nor a farming activity, but clearly an industrial process that is proposed for the benefit of only a few who are not farmers but industrial business operators interested in exploiting the ag preserve program for personal gain.

Those MTF panel members that supported the Concerned Citizens Report follow:

Rick Lober, representing the County Executive’s Office
John Tegeris, PhD, representing Dayton Rural Preservation Society (DRPS)
Stu Kohn, representing the Howard County Community Association (HCCA)
Ted Mariani, representing the Concerned Citizens for Western Howard County (CCWHC)
Brent Loveless, representing Howard County District 3

We encourage you to take time to read this final report (LINK BELOW), to be appended to the majority report that was also submitted to the Council (we are told both reports will be available through the Howard County website soon; up first is review by our County Council). What we hope is clear from the content is that we remained vigilant to stand by our position throughout the long, arduous proceedings to strongly oppose industrial mulching/NWWR and industrial composting on both Howard County and State of MD ag preserve farmland. This, based on well-documented health, safety and environmental concerns for our rural/residential communities, consistent with what we accomplished on June 2 with passage of CB-20 to prohibit same.

The second event that requires a strong DRPS turnout will be when the reports are formally presented to the County Council, as part of the process to come full circle since that time when the MTF was initially established for this purpose to inform them of our collective findings. Once we see this on the agenda for what will likely be a Mon evening legislative session, we will alert our followers. We are told that budget issues predominate the agenda and the reports could be before the County Council from the May to the June timeframe. Please stay tuned for this very important update when we learn more for the DRPS call to action.
 
 

It is important to DRPS leadership to maintain your trust, to believe that when we call on our supporters, you and your family will step up to attend these meetings given we feel a show in force is necessary to clearly message that we remain motivated and committed to the cause.
 
 

We greatly appreciate whatever sacrifices you and your family make to continue actively supporting this common cause for our communities, to protect what we accomplished together to date, as well as your continued support as ‘One Voice’ for what lies ahead. More to follow. With much appreciation,

Best,
John Tegeris, PhD
President, DRPS

Council Bill 20-2014 was enforced!  We are giving thanks this Thanksgiving morning!

November 27, 2014

DRPS Supporters,

Congratulations go out to all of our rural communities in Howard County for the recent victory on Nov 25th. We had a strong turnout of about 80 supporters in attendance at the George Howard Building to be a respectful yet forceful presence at the case brought before the Hearing Examiner between Howard County/DPZ and Oak Ridge Farm in Woodbine. We are grateful that so many could take the time on a work-day and during this holiday week to attend this hearing on behalf of the communities we are working hard to represent.

The outstanding result of the hearing is that CB-20 was enforced upholding CB-20 which prohibits industrial mulch manufacturing on all ag preserve farmland in Howard County. This is precedent-setting and a tremendous outcome resulting from almost one year of the community working together with our Howard County government!

Oak Ridge Farm and the County entered into a Consent Order and placed it on the record before the Hearing Examiner. In it Oak Ridge Farm has admitted to the violation in the civil citation pertaining to mulch manufacturing and has agreed to pay a $1,000 fine for the violation. Oak Ridge Farm has also agreed to cease all mulch manufacturing operations, including importing, grinding, or exporting feedstock, until such time as the zoning regulations are changed, if they are changed.

We, of course, continue to work diligently on the Mulch Task Force against difficult odds to keep CB-20 and the current zoning regulations in place while trying to strike the right balance to advocate for the needs of true farming operations. The issues are complex, but we remain vigilant to put forth our evidence-based recommendations through what is likely to be a minority report. This serves as a reminder that the fight continues, and the likelihood exists that the community will once again need to show numbers in support of keeping the legislative intent of CB-20 no matter what the Mulch Task Force majority report recommends.

Special thanks to our County Executive, County Council, Hearing Examiner, DPZ and the County Solicitor's Office for the collective work to arrive at this favorable point for the rural communities to protect our health and safety. We are grateful for their efforts and also for the support of so many throughout Howard County that stand by our side. Our work continues starting again next week at the Dec 2nd task force meeting.

Until our next update, wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a good start to the holiday season. With much appreciation,

Best,

John Tegeris, PhD

President, DRPS

November 20, 2014 - It's time to shutdown the illegally operating Woodbine industrial mulch facility!

Hello to our DRPS Supporters,

It was a real pleasure to see so many from our support based at Dayton Oaks throughout election day. The heartfelt thanks conveyed for our efforts to protect our rural communities from the health and safety risks of industrial mulch manufacturing is greatly appreciated. As sincerely stated to everyone then, what we accomplished with passage of CB-20 to prohibit industrial mulch/composting facilities from operating on ag preserve farmland throughout Howard County could NOT have been achieved without each of you taking ownership to play a big part in attending all of the important meetings and legislative sessions with the County Council.

We want to take this opportunity to congratulate Allan Kittleman for winning the election to serve as Howard County’s new County Executive. We have complete trust and faith that, together with our County Council, he will make our great county even stronger while keeping our communities safe. We also want to extend congratulations to Council Chair Dr. Calvin Ball, Council Members Greg Fox, Mary Kay Sigaty, Jen Terrasa and newly elected Jon Weinstein for their respective wins to serve on our next County Council. We look forward to working together on not only our issue but on other matters of importance to managing sensible growth for Howard County. We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to Ken Ulman and Courtney Watson for the all-important, active role each played in CB20 to not only keep industrial mulch manufacturing business owners from operating on ag preserve farmland, but for active enforcement action through DPZ to move forward to shutdown illegally operating mulch manufacturing facilities also on ag preserve farmland.

In fact, that movement forward to shut down illegally operating mulch manufacturing continues next Tues, Nov 25th, AND WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT. On Tuesday, Nov 25, the County will present its case before the Hearing Examiner for enforcement action against Oak Ridge Farm, LLC industrial mulch manufacturing operation located in Howard County. This facility currently exists on State of MD ag preserve farmland in Woodbine, Howard County, and is owned by Erich Bonner and John Hughes. A large turnout from the community will send a strong signal that we remain organized and committed to keeping facilities that pose unacceptable health, safety and environmental risks permanently off of ALL ag preserve farmland. The hearing will begin at 9:30am in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building in Ellicott City. I know it’s a work-day…and I also know that this hearing represents a precedent-setting event for our rural communities. We won’t be providing testimony, but we have to make sure our voice is heard loud and clear with our presence.

Please understand that this case being heard is not just about Woodbine – this is about MD ag preserve farmland, which also surrounds us here in Dayton and throughout Western Howard County. We need to let everyone know that just because you relocate your industrial mulch manufacturing operation onto farmland, that doesn’t suddenly make it farming. Thank you for making time to be at the George Howard Building with us at 9:30am on the 25th.

And just to give you a little background on what we’re up against, and what we have to continually stand guard against, here is a brief timeline of events relating to Oak Ridge Farm and Recycled Green Industries, with both companies sharing the same owners:

1. March 1, 2012:  Oak Ridge Farm, LLC was issued a Violation to Deed of Easement from the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MD Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation/MALPF), stating: “In summary, we viewed the mulch processing operation that was being conducted on the farm. MALPF guideline for uses of the land other than normal agricultural practices has a section that addresses mulch operations. One condition that is required for approval is that ‘Majority of the products must be produced on site…’ Based upon your representation, all of the product comes from outside sources and is trucked onto the farm for processing…your deed of easement states that the grantor relinquishes ‘The right to develop or subdivide the above described land for industrial, commercial, or residential use…’ From the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation’s perspective, your operation is commercial and is a violation of the Deed of Easement. We, therefore, require that you correct the violation immediately by removing the mulch pile from the property.”

• March 5, 2013:  Recycled Green Industries was issued violations from the Maryland Department of the Environment related to their composting facility operating in Woodbine/Carroll County on industrial zoned property. As stated in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General Environmental Audit Report – 2013: “From June through December of 2011, Recycled Green Industries accumulated food scraps and yard waste at its composting facility in Woodbine without controls in place to screen out inorganic refuse or to prevent pollution of ground and surface water, and without the required refuse disposal and discharge permits. MDE documented discharges of wastewater containing elevated levels of nutrients and bacteria from the facility…On March 5, 2013, MDE and Recycled Green entered into a settlement agreement and consent order to resolve violations of solid waste management, sediment pollution, and water pollution control.  Under the consent order, the company agreed to perform a nature and extent of contamination study to determine the extent of groundwater and/or surface water pollution from its composting facilities…In addition, Recycled Green agreed to pay civil penalties of $50,000; an additional penalty of $25,000 was held in abeyance pending completion of the required corrective action.” Recycled Green no longer processes food scraps as part of the composting operation at the Woodbine/Carroll County industrial facility. 

• Fall/Winter 2013:  Residents of Woodbine submitted 17 complaints in Nov/Dec 2013 (one in Mar 2014) relating to health/other issues stemming from the illegally operating Oak Ridge Farm industrial mulch facility, requesting that DPZ conduct a zoning inspection of Oak Ridge Farm. 

• Dec 17, 2013:  DPZ inspected the Oak Ridge Farm property and issued a violation notice stating that “The following violations of the Howard County Zoning Regulations were noted and a violation notice issued for: The operation of a mulch manufacturing, soil processing and compro processing business on a RC (Rural Conservation) zoned property, and, Storage of two refuse/recycling shipping containers on a RC (Rural Conservation) zoned property.”

• Feb 10, 2014: DPZ issued civil citations for the above-mentioned violations since there was no attempt to rectify them.

• Sept 15, 2014: DPZ sent a notice to Oak Ridge Farm that said: “This is a reminder notice of the zoning violations cited in the civil citations issued to you on February 10, 2014.” The notice went further to state that, “The Conditional Use petition you submitted on April 4, 2014 (BA-14-12C) for Bulk Firewood Processing and Mulch Manufacture under section 131.N.46 cannot be used to approve mulch manufacturing or soil processing since these uses are no longer allowed on Agricultural Land Preservation Easement properties with the passing of Council Bill CB20-2014, and therefore, will not abate the violations. If the violations are not corrected by September 30, 2014, the County will refer the outstanding civil citations to the Hearing Examiner for further enforcement.” [Emphasis mine] Hence, action was taken by Ken Ulman, DPZ and the County Council in Oct to bring this case before the Hearing Examiner on Nov 25.

• 9:30 am, Nov 25, 2014:  (FUTURE EVENT) Concerned citizens must crowd the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building in Ellicott City to ensure that big business interests are not allowed to exploit low cost ag preserve farmland for personal gain at the expense of the health, safety and quality of life of the rural communities that would surround these types of industrial facilities.

Again, please join us on Nov 25 so that your presence can be seen with a large turnout to support the actions DPZ and Ken Ulman have taken together with our County Council for bringing Oak Ridge Farm’s violations before the Hearing Examiner for shutdown enforcement for the current industrial mulch manufacturing operation.

The next Note from the President will highlight the ongoing battle of the Mulch Task Force, as those committed to protecting your collective interests are holding a hard line, but are in the minority to impose limits that keep industrial mulch manufacturing/composting off the rural farmland for other than smaller scale needs of true farming operations. Just to keep you engaged and concerned, the task force majority recently proposed to allow composting that contains animal mortality/waste located only 50 feet from the nearest dwelling, and up to 5 acres in size with only an administrative permit (not a Conditional Use permit) required. This is all new ground in terms of regulations, and while we do support these activities for farming operations and sustainability, it is yet another area of concern regarding health and safety issues. Discussions have been both long and extremely complex with residents’ groups in the vast minority.  Stay tuned and committed, DRPS supporters.

See you Nov 25. Many thanks.

Best,

John Tegeris, PhD
President, DRPS              

10.4.14

DRPS Supporters,

My sincere apologies that it has been so long since our last letter keeping you posted on the situation regarding our strong and united opposition to industrial mulch manufacturing on ag preserve farmland throughout Howard County. It has been a summer of mixed results, both good and concerning for our movement.

Let’s start with the highlights. The Council Bill 20 (CB20) approved on June 2, 2014 with the unanimous vote by our County Council, and signed into action by County Executive Ulman, went into effect on August 4, 2014. Again, this would not have been possible without the community’s support and contributions, and our County Council’s bold decision to take corrective action. This now translates into no industrial mulch operations being allowed to operate on either Howard County or State of MD ag preserve farmland.

Based on the legislative intent and zoning language of amendments incorporated into the approved CB20 Bill, DRPS and affected neighbors pursued necessary DPZ enforcement action after August 4 to ensure the Woodbine/Oak Ridge industrial mulch manufacturing facility, located on MD ag preserve, ceased operations. The County Executive’s office issued a letter in mid-September instructing DPZ to finally take shutdown enforcement action against the Woodbine/Oak Ridge operation. Per discussion with the County Executive’s office, the basis for the shutdown enforcement action is that “the conditional use process is no longer a viable path forward for industrial mulch manufacturing facilities operating on any ag preserve farmland in Howard County.” The letter gave the Woodbine/Oak Ridge facility a two-week period in which to stop its operations. As of October 1, the Woodbine/Oak Ridge industrial mulch facility appears to have ceased operations. DRPS has requested a copy of the DPZ enforcement letter and is awaiting a response from County officials. If not in hand soon, a formal PIA request will be made to DPZ to obtain the shutdown enforcement letter per our understanding that the case is now closed given that the two week period has elapsed.

Tempering our enthusiasm over that apparent victory, however, we have recently learned that last week, in direct conflict with the DPZ shutdown enforcement letter, MDE granted a Natural Wood Waste Recycling (NWWR) permit to Woodbine/Oak Ridge.  Because current Howard County zoning regulations do not allow its operation on MD ag preserve, this facility cannot operate with its MDE permit and we believe there were deficiencies in the permitting process that can be and will be challenged.

In the coming days, through our attorney, we will formally contest MDE’s decision to issue the NWWR permit. As part of the task force, DRPS is working to recommend that a system be put in place to ensure that MDE and Howard County are better aligned on the issues/rules in order to eliminate the inconsistencies clearly in play for the Woodbine/Oak Ridge industrial mulch facility.

As part of the passage of CB 20, a task force was formed to study composting and mulching and recommend measures that would help ensure our local farmers’ needs were being met.  DRPS was encouraged by this development and hoped it would be an opportunity to sit down with our local farming community and better understand the issues they face with regard to these zoning laws.  

The task force is comprised of 19 panel members, collectively representing the interests of farmers, residents, business owners and other entities within the county. DRPS has a seat on the panel along with Rick Lober, who was specially appointed to the task force by the County Executive’s office. The task force has met on a bi-weekly basis July through August, and as of September, we are meeting every week. The stated purpose of the task force is to put forth recommendations to the County Council to tweak the language of CB20 in order to ensure that true farming operations remain supported. Honestly, we have made little progress. Meetings have been contentious from the start. Several DRPS members and supporters, including local farmers and myself, have attended and debated the opposition at the meetings. Those of us committed to protecting the progress we have made with CB20 are, however, seemingly outnumbered on the task force.

Despite our repeated efforts to craft recommendations to push up to our County Council that support farmer mulching/composting to ensure the sustainability of true farming operations, we have made little progress. Those that oppose us on the task force appear to be working for a complete reversal of what was accomplished with the June 2 vote in order to allow unlimited NWWR on ag preserve farmland. DRPS has been vocal at every meeting, committed to continuing opposition of industrial mulch manufacturing on ag preserve farmland throughout Howard County.

We have fought to ensure our evidence-based position is articulated to the task force. As such, we have pushed for and been given the opportunity to bring in experts to speak to concerns over (1) groundwater contamination, (2) mulch fires, (3) traffic concerns for safety and road integrity (tractor trailer/3-axle dump trucks) and (4) health/medical consequences (slated for Oct 7).

It is abundantly clear that if Howard County wants to allow NWWR facilities within our county, it must create such opportunities intentionally and strategically in M1 industrial zoned areas within the county. If Howard County continues to promote conversion of industrial zoned tracks of land for residential growth, the solution is NOT to locate NWWR facilities on rural farmland but, rather, to process wood waste outside Howard County if it cannot support such growth within the confines of M1 zoned property currently located in our county.

We are hopeful that our persistence, and the facts we have presented, will allow us to make progress during this final month before the task force report is due to the Council on Nov 15. We will also ensure that both a majority report (likely not in our favor) and a minority report (to represent the viewpoint of the communities we represent) are pushed up to the County Council so that both sets of recommendations are under consideration when the Council reviews the respective reports.

We will keep our support base closely apprised of our progress going forward. We urge our followers to choose wisely during the elections, and to vote for those candidates who have clearly supported our efforts to oppose industrial mulch manufacturing on ag preserve farmland throughout every corner of Howard County. We also call on our supporters to be prepared for more challenges that may lie ahead.

While unfortunate that the June 2 vote did not signal an official end to the fight, we remain vigilant and committed to maintaining the protection afforded our rural communities with the passage of CB20, and we hope that the community will again be ready and willing to stand up to oppose efforts to expand industrial operations into our communities. We will not stop working to protect what we have accomplished together over this 6+ month journey. Thank you for trusting us to be good stewards, continuing to protect your interests. More to follow.

Best,

John Tegeris, PhD
President, Dayton Rural Preservation Society

Fellow Supporters,

Heartfelt thanks to everyone from all reaches of our County that made it out for the May 19 County Council Hearing where we had the opportunity to present our case to oppose industrial mulch manufacturing/composting on rural farmland in Howard County. Your solidarity and show of support as “One Voice” was both remarkable and inspirational. We took great pride in standing by your side to present the facts and our position to an attentive County Council. We also greatly appreciate the professional manner that everyone has shown during this entire process.

We can’t fully convey just how privileged DRPS is to represent all of you in our efforts to keep industrial Natural Woodwaste Recycling (NWWR) off rural farmland throughout Howard County given the many unacceptable and well documented health, safety and environmental risks that now put us in harms way. This situation has materialized thanks to “unintended consequences” resulting from Comprehensive Zoning where all too convenient and seemingly innocuous changes to the definition of farming were slipped in at the 11th hour. That said, we will continue to push forward for amendments to result in the necessary change.

My apologies for taking a few days longer than anticipated to send out this update. It has been a very busy week engaged in smaller meetings and several one-on-one follow up calls with Council Members. We are proactively managing the path forward to get to our outcome, building on the momentum we created together on May 19. There have been a few twists and turns since the latter part of last week that have now settled out to allow us to convey the following information to you:

Sincere thanks for trusting both DRPS and the County Council to ultimately put forth needed amendments to the current zoning regulations to keep industrial NWWR off rural farmland in Howard County. Please stay closely tuned to updates later this week to inform you of whether June 2 is truly the date the Council will vote on our issue. We will follow up with more fliers urging our supporters to fill the Banneker Room once again to witness our Council make historic change, change that you made happen. Bring your pins, bring your full family and bring your positive energy! Make plans to celebrate a huge win for our community! Together with our County Council, we will make this right to protect all of our rural communities in Howard County who will once again show up as “One Voice” to call for the needed change. We will leave no stone unturned to make this happen. Thanks to all!

Best,
John
President, Dayton Rural Preservation Society

5.16.2014

Fellow Supporters,

It is truly amazing to see the level of continued support that has shown just how united we are to oppose industrial mulch manufacturing/composting on our rural farmlands. We are thankful for each and every one of you. Well over 500 people showed for our Apr 28 community meeting. We are grateful that so many supporters made time to attend. It is clear to anyone following this issue that we are united and gaining momentum. Your voice, our voice, is being heard. Your presence alone is testament to that fact.

And here’s how we know: A statement issued on Apr 28 by County Executive Ken Ulman supporting the current bill introduced by Greg Fox and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Watson and Sigaty, AND promising to take it a step further and make amendments that apply the one acre cap in RC as well as in ag preserve. We are on the right track and making progress, together.  However, as Councilman Greg Fox stated, we need to keep pushing until the end because anything can change!

WATCH video of Ginnie Gick reading statement from Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive:  http://youtu.be/o0h3fkJzs7M

We will send a clear message once again on May 19 at the County Council Hearing as we all stand together to support our case that industrial mulch manufacturing/composting be kept off our farmland, anywhere in rural Howard County. With all of us there together, our Council Members will hear loud and clear that this is what YOU want. We will pack the room and spill out into the lobby area where the hearing will be televised. Rest assured we will hear all of you no matter where you stand in the George Howard Building. Know that we need you. We will be “One Thousand People as One Voice.”

RSVP to May 19th Council Hearing:  https://www.facebook.com/events/468712076595488/

To note, DRPS and our supporters will not be the only ones in attendance. The industrial business interests and others that oppose our efforts will also be there in full force. Please make every effort to attend with your family and to arrive early, before the 6:30pm start.

Let’s run through what has essentially transpired in the two weeks since our strong turnout at the Apr 28 community meeting, in continuing our effort to represent communities from all four corners of Howard County:

1. We met with Chair, Dr. Calvin Ball and Councilmember Mary Kay Sigaty on May 5 to make our case. It was another productive and progressive meeting where we discussed much of the information in higher level form that we presented on Apr 28, including the key videos.
2. DRPS received the full support of the Sierra Club, Maryland Chapter regarding our mission to oppose industrial mulch manufacturing and composting facilities on our rural farmland. We presented our cause and environmental concerns to the local chapter prior to the Apr 28 community meeting and received their official support shortly thereafter.
3. We presented at the Environmental Sustainability Board meeting on May 8, which was attended by DPZ Director, Marsha McLaughin. Although we didn’t get much time to present, what we did convey to the Board was the environmental risks and inevitable impact, which included major concerns for groundwater contamination/heavy metals, mulch fires/inadequate water supply given no public water/hydrants, carcinogenic mulch dust/mulch spores/respiratory illnesses, heavy 18-wheeler truck traffic/equipment, noxious odor/high decibel noise…the list goes on. We believe our team of experts at the table told a compelling story to create unavoidable concerns that the Board must carefully consider. We succeeded as a team to accurately create ‘reasonable doubt.’ That report is due out on May 23, before the County Council convenes again to vote on our issue on June 2. We need you back at the George Howard Building then to witness the vote by our Council to amend the zoning regs!
4. We attended a meeting organized/mediated by Councilmembers Fox and Sigaty held on May 10 between farmers with legitimate farming concerns, Bob Orndorff/Erick Bonner who run industrial mulch manufacturing facilities, DRPS leadership and legitimate farmers who oppose industrial mulch operations on our rural farmland. Both parties expressed their respective concerns and stated their positions. We walked away from the farmers meeting where we started (support true farming, oppose true industrial processes on our rural farmland). Councilmember Fox did make a suggestion that we need to consider a return to the old zoning regs that existed prior to Comprehensive Zoning that took place in July 2013.
5. We met with Councilmember Terrasa on May 14 to convey our concerns, provide the facts and to state our current position to oppose these industrial mulch/composting facilities. We had an informative and productive meeting to openly discuss the path forward.

We remain determined and committed to bring about amendments to the current zoning regs that preserve the well-being of our rural communities, both its people and the environment in which we live. Here is where we continue to stand. We are fully supportive of legitimate farming operations and believe the zoning regs, both old and new, allow a farmer to mulch/compost on the farm if product either originates from, or is to be used on, the farm itself. What we continue to strongly oppose is endless trucking in of natural woodwaste for industrial processing to truck back out for commercial sale. This cannot happen. This is clearly not farming. It is industry, pure and simple.  These types of industrial facilities pose unacceptable and evidence-based health, safety and environmental risks that the families in our communities we represent are NOT willing to allow.

Please join us on May 19 to show your support for our cause as we present your case before our County Council. To finish strong, please also circle your calendars to return to the George Howard Building on June 2 to witness what we believe will be historic change as our County Council votes on our issue and what is best for the families of rural Howard County and the environment in which we live.

Together as “One Thousand People as One Voice” we will make this happen. Thank you all for your support!

Best,
John
President, Dayton Rural Preservation Society

04-18-14

Hello again to everyone in the Dayton Rural Preservation Society network! The big event for this past week was the Planning Board meeting held this past Thursday at the Ellicott City Courthouse. A HUGE thank you to the 300+ people who showed up that night. There were kids, signs, banners and continual standing ovations as supporters made their arguments. In fact, there were so many of us that the hearing had to be moved to a larger courtroom.

An excellent start to these next few weeks of meetings that we are again asking EVERYONE AND THEIR NEIGHBOR to attend (more on that below).  At the hearing, we were able to present our case to the board, asking that industrial mulching not be allowed on Ag Preserve farmland. After much debate amongst the members of the Planning Board, which we were all able to listen to, they unfortunately came back with a recommendation for less than 10% with additional measures to be added to address traffic, fire safety, water quality and health risks. (This is a recommendation only, the final decision on the zoning laws will be made by the County Council).

While this was not the outright victory we were working hard to achieve, it was obvious that the arguments put forth by all who presented, as well as the message delivered by the presence of hundreds of Preserve Dayton supporters, did cause the Planning Board to give our zoning petition more serious consideration than they might otherwise have done. It is clear that Greg Fox is also working to achieve much lower limits than now specified in the current zoning regs, and we will to continue to work closely with him in the near future. This article by Amanda Yeager of the Baltimore Sun is a good summary of the evening - Planning Board Makes Tweaks to Mulching Regulations.

We are making progress and are gaining momentum. Our collective voice is being heard. The next step is to again BE LOUD WITH OUR PRESENCE! 

We need 500+ people at the Community Meeting on Monday April 28, 7-9pm in the Ten Oaks Ballroom, 5000 Signal Lane, Clarksville (next to the Clarksville Fire Dept at the Route 32 and 108 junction). Like it or not, this issue is a political one. All of our local politicians during this election year absolutely need to witness the overwhelming opposition for allowing industrial mulch/composting facilities onto our Ag Preserve farmland. Greg Fox and Allan Kittleman will both be at this meeting and plan to address the audience. We will give a detailed update of our work and our progress, outlining next steps, and answering questions.

And…we need 1,000+ at the County Council Hearing on Monday May 19, 7-9pm in the George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Road, Ellicott City. This is when the DPZ will present its zoning recommendations to the County Council in preparation for the June 2nd vote by our council on the zoning amendment petitions. We will again present the facts of our case and the hazards that come with industry operating on Ag Preserve land, AND our message will be made immensely stronger with 1,000+ supporters standing behind it.

WHAT IS OUR GOAL?  If the County Council decides to vote in favor of amendments to the current zoning regulations to impose significant restrictions for mulch/composting on Ag Preserve farmland, we will succeed in keeping big industrial mulch/composting facilities from operating on rural Ag Preserve farmland anywhere in Howard County. That is what we’re working for in order to protect you and your family. That is our ultimate and long-term win.

Finally, we need to all show up for the County Council Vote on Monday June 2, 7-9pm in the George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Road, Ellicott City. Here the County Council will register its vote on amendments to the current zoning regulations.

Best,

John Tegeris, PhD

President

Dayton Rural Preservation Society