Days Cove Task Force – Updates

Logo_Mash_Up

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.

May 5, 2026

Gunpowder Valley Conservancy — Official Position Statement Submitted to the Maryland Board of Public Works | May 5, 2026 Re: Department of General Services, Agenda Item 46-LL

Background

Days Cove was designated as a natural area and the crown jewel of Gunpowder Falls State Park. A rubble landfill was permitted on the site more than 40 years ago, and successive administrations allowed additional leases and discharge permits. The last lease ended December 15, 2025, at which point the landfill was to transition to cap and closure, but instead, the lease was extended again. As early as the 1980s, the DNR Secretary assured Vera Reiner, a Gunpowder River resident since 1936 and the last surviving member of the Gunpowder Falls State Park Citizen Committee, that the landfill would close by 2000. That commitment was never honored.

The Days Cove Task Force, formed in response to the December 2025 lease renewal, includes citizen and environmental groups from Baltimore and Harford Counties. We have regularly engaged with DNR and the Comptroller’s Office on closure terms for the landfill (prior BPW items 53-LL and 63-LL). Our core principle: DNR and MDE must work in tandem for the safe and timely closure of the landfill. The community wants clean water and restored parkland; not bureaucratic silos. We urge the Board to help bridge the divide between DNR’s lease oversight and MDE’s permit authority.

Priority : Escrow Account The closure escrow must be secured under State control. The Treasurer’s Office indicates plans are in place through the new lease, but we have not received written confirmation.

Priority 2: Lease Length We requested the minimum term necessary for safe closure, with strict oversight and enforceable penalties. An MES independent analysis, which we recommended, shortened the lease to no later than December 31, 2029, one year earlier than proposed. The lease addendum reportedly includes five new provisions never seen in prior leases: a binding closure timeline, a prohibition on renewal, a defined end use for the property, third-party engineering oversight at DNR’s discretion, and financial penalties for missed deadlines. These are meaningful gains. However, the Task Force has not been provided the MES report, and the word “reportedly” reflects that gap.

Priority 3: Special Environmental Project (SEP) We requested SEP designation to enable rapid remediation and direct any fines to the Gunpowder watershed, without protracted legal action, especially given that landfill operations in the Critical Areas may have continued since 2003 with no reassessment since 2004. This recommendation has not been pursued.

Priority 4: MDE Discharge Permit & Monitoring Data The permit was granted with no increase in discharge quantity. However, we are still assessing whether quality-related changes adequately protect against future harm. As of May 4, MDE has promised a document detailing protective changes between permits. Any of the 700+ commenters may file for Judicial Review until May 28, 2026, so the permit is not yet final. Critically, Quarter 1 2026 monitoring data has not been released, making it impossible for the public or the State to confirm current site compliance

Position

We thank the Comptroller’s Office for engaging Gunpowder Valley Conservancy in this process, and DNR for its dedication. Meaningful progress has been made, and many changes reflect community recommendations. Nevertheless, significant questions remain unresolved and we have not received outstanding information in writing.

Therefore, Gunpowder Valley Conservancy and the Days Cove Task Force are unable to support Agenda Item 46-LL as currently written.

Submitted on behalf of Gunpowder Valley Conservancy

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: