Student Environmental Alliance (SEA) has been diligently working on preventing a rubble build near Unicorn Lake. Unicorn Lake, located in an old milling town and founded over 100 years ago, is the former site of the Old Forge Mill. The lake is a tributary of the Chester River, which ultimately feeds into the Bay.
"The lake is believed to be one of the freshest bodies of water on the Eastern Shore", SEA member Dylan Gish said. Unicorn Lake, which is 42 acres, is only one of four hatchery sites (fishery management area) on Eastern Shore due to purity of water.
The lake is located above 3 aquifers as well as several natural springs, supplying lake with pure water, one of the best freshwater habitats on Eastern Shore. The lake, in addition, is surrounded by many acres of wetlands and some old growth forest, and farmland.
Unicorn Lake and its surrounding woods are the habitat to many animals, birds, and plants. It provides a home to endangered species such as the bog turtle and the bald eagle.
In addition to being the habitat to many species, it also serves as a
great resource for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, picnicking, hiking, and
is even used by WC biology classes for water sampling. As one can see the
lake serves as an asset to community.
A rubble landfill is being proposed to be placed less than a mile uphill
from the lake. Days Cove is the company presenting this idea. Alana Wase
described a rubble landfill as "not like a community dumping ground.
A rubble landfill is where demolition pieces, for instance from September
11th, are disposed into the fill." The disposal can be toxic.
Richard Klein prepared an Assesment of the Potential Effects of the Days Cove Rubble Landfill on Aquatic Resources. He said that leacjate toxicity is a major concern. He says that this occurs "when rainfall or other waters pass through the construction and demolition debris buried in a rubble landfill, a highly toxic liquid known as leachate forms. Data from monitoring conducted at rubble landfills in Maryland and elsewhere in the nation, shows that metals are the contaminants of greatest concern."
It is predicted that the rubble fill could be be 9 stories high containing 90 millions square feet of trash. SEA is also concerned with the proximity of wetlands to the proposed rubblefill. The rubble fill proposes that it will have a cap and liner, but there is no guarantee with how long the cap and liner will hold up. If the liner broke down, leachate could leak into groundwater and into the lake, and finally into the Chester River.
There are also intentions to widen the 1-mile of Hackett Corner road and 1-mile of Glanding road for incoming traffic of dump trucks, this will put more land under asphalt, overlapping into old growth forest. Days Cove estimates that one tractor-trailer will travel on these roads once every 90 seconds. At this rate, according to Wase, 1000 pounds of diesel emissions containing carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and sulfur dioxide are emitted per day 6 days a week. This figure is also equal to 150 tons of emissions per year see into Unicorn Lake and the Chester River at a point only 25 miles away from the Chesapeake Bay.
SEA has begun taking action to prevent the rubblefill from arriving. They collected 600 signatures on a petition and have written many letters. Members also attended a hearing on the Unicorn Lake situation. Six students testified at the hearing. Members have spoken to Chestertown mayor, Congressmen Gilchrest, who opposes the rubble fill. Alana Wase and Astra Halderman were also able to broadcast on the 90.15 radio station. The broadcasting could be heard from anywhere south of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The station got a positive response from the information they provided.
SEA is planning to work with the government class at Queen Ann's High School. They plan to discuss the environmental effects and political issues at hand with the rubble fill.
Cassie Slentz, another SEA member, said that the club is "coordinating into the curriculum, with the political approach, it would be addressed who one could go to." The club had decided that they would have the students take political action through postcards sent to Eihrlich. There is also a plan to meet with rotary clubs such as the League of Women Conservation voters, the Elks club, The Lion's Club, and the American Legion. If any students have questions about the issue, they can send an email to unicornlake2000@yahoo.com. Keep posted for next week's article addressing the town's approach to the issue.
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