Opponents In ‘Waiting Period’ Over Chicken Farm Permit

BERLIN – Area residents say they’re committed to making sure a chicken farm proposed for Peerless Road doesn’t harm the already impaired St. Martin River.

Last week, dozens of area residents attended a hearing hosted by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) regarding a water discharge permit for a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) proposed for Peerless Road. While the comment period closed Monday, residents of the Bishopville area say they’re committed to doing what they can to make sure the CAFO doesn’t hurt the St. Martin River.

“Everyone wonders why this would ever be considered in this location,” Berlin resident Gail Jankowski said.

Jankowski and her husband Joe are spearheading a community effort to protect the river. The couple lives on Shingle Landing prong and has been worried about the health of the St. Martin River— which typically rates near a ‘D’ — for years. In the 15 years they’ve lived on the water, the Jankowskis have removed invasive species, installed oyster cages and done what little they could to help improve water quality. They were immediately distressed when they learned last month through Assateague Coastal Trust that a CAFO had been proposed for Peerless Road, close to the impaired river.

More