Maryland reaches $4.1 million settlement with housing development accused of polluting Gunpowder River
Maryland reached a $4.1 million settlement with Ridgely's Reserve, a housing development, for polluting the Gunpowder River with runoff during construction, the Attorney General's Office said Tuesday.
Gunpowder River is a tidal estuary of the Chesapeake Bay.
"Maryland's rivers and streams are public resources that belong to every resident of this State, not dumping grounds for construction runoff," said Attorney General Anthony Brown. "This settlement holds polluters accountable and directs meaningful funding into the communities and waterways that were harmed."
WJZ has reached out for a statement from the companies involved in the settlement: D.R. Horton, Inc., Forestar (USA) Real Estate Group Inc., and Kinsley Construction, LLC.
Terms of the settlement
The settlement, between the state's Department of the Environment (MDE) and the developer, homebuilder and contractor, requires that improved measures be put in place to prevent pollution and ensure compliance with environmental laws.
The settlement also included a civil penalty of $2 million and another $2.1 million, which will be used for remediation projects aimed at improving the water quality and restoring aquatic habitats in the Foster Branch and Gunpowder River drainage basins. The funding will also be used for competitive grants for non-profits, community organizations and local government projects to restore the watershed.
"These violations were not minor. They were repeated. They were preventable. And they caused real harm to the Gunpowder River and the communities that depend on it," said MDE Secretary Serena McIlwain.
Discovering alleged pollution
The state discovered the runoff while inspecting the 121-acre site and a related sewer line project in the Joppa area of Harford County in 2022 after citizens complained about sediment-filled water downstream, according to the Attorney General's office.
The MDE filed a lawsuit in September 2024 alleging that construction at the site led to the unpermitted discharge of sediment.
The department found that the discharges can have harmful impacts on marine life, the loss of underwater grasses, topography changes and disruptions to habitats.
