Less than 30 minutes away, in the small town of Millington is Unicorn Branch Lake. It is a tributary to the Chester River, which makes it one of our most pristine resources. Unicorn Branch Lake is home to many fish and endangered species such as the Bog Turtle and the Bald Eagle.
The lake stretches across 42 acres and is surrounded by wetlands, old growth forest, and farmland. It is a wonderful asset to the community. Fishing, hiking, boating, and canoeing, are just some of the activities this lake has to offer. Unicorn Lake provides one of the best freshwater habitats on the Eastern Shore, situated on top of three aquifers and several natural springs.
All of this will change if the proposal by Days Cove is granted. Days Cove is a multi-million dollar waste company. The company's proposal calls for 58 acres of land -less than one mile from the lake- to be turned into a rubble landfill. And what exactly is rubble? Rubble, would be construction and demolition waste like the remains of the Twin Towers, which are be highly toxic and corrosive.
Furthermore, the rubble would not even be our state's trash, it would be the trash of neighboring states.
Not only is the land in close proximity of the lake, but the land is a wetland. It is one of 12 Nontidal Wetlands of Special State Concern in Queen Anne's County.
Wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems on earth. They act as natural buffers to pollutants, are quick recyclers of nutrients and are home to many species. If Days Cove is able to get what they wish, the wetlands would no longer be active.
Furthermore, the state requires that wetlands of special concern such as this one, receive a buffer of 100 feet. However, the proposal for the landfill calls for only a 25 foot buffer, ensuring the deterioration of the habitat even faster.In addition, Days Cove is proposing to change the small country two-lane roads, Glanding Road and Hackett Corner Road, into a four lane highway with 11-foot lanes and 4-foot shoulders.
The new construction of roads would require cutting down significant amounts of the old-growth forest, reducing habitat and increasing impervious surfaces, all of which are negative to the environment. Days Cove projects that the once quiet country roads will have 2 dump trucks pass by every minute.
While aquifers make wonderful filters of groundwater, once they are polluted it is highly difficult to restore them to their original purity and effectiveness.
The leachate will pollute the groundwater and reduce the quality of the lake. Eventually, the leachate and other negative effects of the landfill will make the lake unsuitable for many of its fishes, aquatic grasses, and other occupants. Even more so, the lake is a tributary to the Chester River so the repercussions of the dump are felt by all the surrounding communities.
Days Cove projects that this dump will span 58 acres and will be nine stories high, however in reality the confines of this dump are unlimited. The land will be destroyed and with that our community will be reduced to nothing but a dump.
The Student Environmental Alliance urges anyone who finds this disturbing to take action.
Contact Alana Wase or Adrienne Nash (awase2 or anash3) for further information. A petition will be circulated in the dining hall Monday November 10 at lunch and Tuesday November 11 at dinner.
Letters are being written to various departments and politicians in support of preserving Unicorn Branch Lake. There will be a hearing in late November or early December that with high attendance and Washington College's involvement, our lake and its surrounding community can be saved.
300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 | 410-778-2800 | 800-422-1782