Days Cove Task Force – Updates

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Bookmark this blog post! We’ll be adding updates here to keep you informed.

The Days Cove Task Force, made up of representatives from Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER®, Mad About Mud, and Sierra Club’s Greater Baltimore Group, meets twice a month to inform the state’s decision-making process for the Days Cove Rubble Landfill discharge permit and lease.

March 23, 2026

The Task Force has been in discussions with Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) about the State’s plans regarding the closure of the more than 40-year-old landfill at the Days Cove portion of Gunpowder Falls State Park. These talks have focused on several key priorities we believe are essential to a successful closure process:

  • Establishing a secure escrow account to fund closure and long-term monitoring of the site
  • Developing clear closure project plans and timelines
  • Strengthening monitoring and compliance oversight

We recently wrote a letter to DNR clarifying the status of our negotiation. We outlined actionable steps to implement the above priorities in a transparent, timely fashion. From the community’s perspective, an extension of no more than one year of additional operation—including the current five-month extension—would be appropriate. We shared that our community remains deeply engaged in this process and looks forward to more concrete plans.

And we plan to share those concrete plans here for you! Don’t forget to sign up for the second Annual Flotilla for the Gunpowder River. This gets you on Mad About Mud’s announcements and river update emails. Plus, it is a great way to ENJOY the beautiful resource we are all working hard to protect and restore.

February 19, 2026

Community efforts have resulted in Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Maryland Park Service, and Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) meeting regularly with community stakeholders, as directed by the Board of Public Works for “coordination and dialog” around the closing of Days Cove Rubble Landfill.

Together, to date, we have:

  • Motivated 200+ citizens to attend the 9/16/2025 MDE discharge permit hearing. 700+ comments were submitted to MDE within the extended comment period that was requested and granted at the hearing.
  • Engaged the County Councils of Baltimore (pop 856,174) and Harford (pop 266,257), representing both shores of the Bird and Gunpowder Rivers, to pass resolutions against the proposed discharge permit and asking for the earliest closure possible.
  • Generated 200+ comments and 35 pages of emails in < 12 hours on the 12/17/2025 Board of Public Works agenda item of the proposed DNR lease of 5 years with the current Rubble Landfill operator. Due to our efforts, the agenda item was postponed for negotiations.
  • On top of over 1200 petition signers of  Mad About Mud to highlight the problem of mud pollution in Foster Branch, a key tributary of the Bird and Gunpowder Rivers.

We channeled energy from these actions to our meetings with state officials.

  • DNR hosted leadership of our groups for an open dialog with DNR, State Park and MDE leadership with the intent of negotiating concerns over the current short lease period which ends May 29, 2026.
  • After introductions, we presented our major concerns setting the stage for detailed negotiations over the coming months.
    • Escrow ownership and control
    • Lease and closure timelines and plans
    • Permits and independent monitoring
    • Alternate waste options
    • Rubble recycling leadership
  • Discussion of each topic informed where opportunities and challenges would be addressed in future meetings. Bi-weekly meetings are occurring.
  • Representatives from our community and environment groups are meeting frequently to prepare and plan next steps and actions.

How you can help in the meantime:

  • Flotilla: Register now and invite others to the second Annual Flotilla for the Gunpowder River. This gets you on Mad About Mud’s announcements and river update emails.
  • Keep in the Know: Recaps of multiple environmental topics are presented and discussed at monthly meetings of Mad About Mud, the umbrella group for Environmental Committees of Tidal Gunpowder Waterfront Associations. Mad About Mud’s next meeting will be Monday, February 23, 2026 at West Twin River Hall.

 

Want a deeper dive? You can catch up on our Press Coverage to Date: