Home / Environment / Maryland Settles With Homebuilder Over River Pollution
Maryland Settles With Homebuilder Over River Pollution
20 May
Summary
- Companies to pay $2 million civil penalty for repeated violations.
- Over $2.1 million allocated for local water quality projects.
- Chesapeake Bay Trust will oversee environmental remediation efforts.
Maryland announced a $4.1 million settlement with a homebuilder and its contractors over significant sediment discharges into the Gunpowder River. The companies, including D.R. Horton, Forestar Real Estate Group, and Kinsley Construction, will collectively pay $2 million in civil penalties. An additional $2.1 million will fund local water quality improvement projects.
The settlement addresses repeated sediment violations that began in 2022, causing visible plumes in Foster Branch and the Gunpowder River. Inspectors found the construction sites failed to manage sediment as legally required. The Chesapeake Bay Trust will oversee the allocation of the $2.1 million towards habitat and aquatic resource enhancement in the affected watersheds.
