MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT WATER AND SCIENCE ADMINISTRATION NOTICE OF TENTATIVE DETERMINATION Washington County Application for State Discharge Permit 22DP0126, NPDES Permit MD0020231: Town of Boonsboro, 21 North Main Street, Boonsboro, MD 21713 applied for renewal of the permit to discharge an average of 0.530 million gallons per day (MGD) of treated wastewater from the Boonsboro Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 6921 Monroe Road, Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland 21713 to an unnamed tributary of the Little Antietam Creek which are Use IV-P waters protected for holding or supporting adult trout for put-and-take fishing, and as a public water supply. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is proposing to reissue the discharge permit within the following effluent limitations: BOD5, 30 mg/l maximum monthly average and 45 mg/l maximum weekly average; Total Suspended Solids, 30 mg/l maximum monthly average and 45 mg/l maximum weekly average, and 48,424 pounds/year maximum annual load; BOD5 and TSS percent removed, 85% minimum as monthly average; Total ammonia nitrogen as N (Interim Limits)*, 1.7 mg/l maximum monthly average and 6.9 mg/l maximum daily average (for May 1 to October 31), and 3.1 mg/l maximum monthly average and 6.4 mg/l maximum daily average (for November 1 to April 30); total ammonia nitrogen as N (Final Limits)*, 1.1 mg/l maximum monthly average and 5.9 mg/l maximum daily average (for May 1 to October 31), and 2.1 mg/l maximum monthly average and 6.4 mg/l maximum daily average (for November 1 to April 30) Total Phosphorus (TP) as P, 457 pounds/year maximum annual load; Total Nitrogen (TN) as N, 6,100 pounds/year maximum annual load, E. coli, 126 MPN/100 ml maximum monthly geometric mean; Total Residual Chlorine, 0.013 mg/l instantaneous maximum; Dissolved Oxygen, 5.0 mg/l minimum at any time; and pH maintained between 6.5 and 8.5. * Total ammonia nitrogen as N final limits will be effective 12 (twelve) months from the effective date of the discharge permit. Interim limits will be effective from the date of discharge permit issuance and will remain in effect until the final limits take effect. TSS, TP, and E. coli limits are in conformance with the approved respective pollutants’ water quality TMDLs for the Antietam Creek watershed. The annual maximum loading rate effluent limits for TSS, TP, and TN are in conformance with the Chesapeake Bay TMDL for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sediment, accepted by EPA on 12/29/2010. The effluent limits are established to ensure compliance with State water quality standards. The minimum monitoring and reporting requirements for the effluent and raw wastewater influent are mandated to ensure adherence to the permit requirements. Per MD Environmental Article § 1–602(a)(2), an EJ score was calculated for this facility. The EJ Score is 56.7. This score has been calculated considering a combination of the following factors: (1) Pollution Burden Exposure Percentile, (2) Pollution Environmental Effects Percentile, and (3) Sensitive Population and Populations Lacking Access Percentile. For more information on how the score was calculated, launch the MDEnviroScreen tool from this website - https://mdewwp.page.link/EJ. Copies of the application, draft permit, and Summary Report & Fact Sheet (SRFS) are available on the Department’s Wastewater Permits Interactive Search Portal at https://mdewwp.page.link/WWPPortal. Search for 22DP0126 under “State Num” and click on the “More Info” button for the permit entry to generate a list of available documents for download. If a written request is received by December 4, 2025, a public hearing on the tentative determination for this application can be scheduled. The request should be sent to the Maryland Department of the Environment, Water and Science Administration, 1800 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, Maryland 21230-1708, Attn.: Yen-Der Cheng, Chief, Municipal Permits Division and must include the name, address and telephone number (home and work) of the person making the request, the name of any other party whom the person making the request may represent, and the name of the facility and permit number. Failure to request a hearing by December 4, 2025 will constitute a waiver of the right to a public hearing on the tentative determination for this permit. Written comments concerning the tentative determination will be considered in the preparation of a final determination if submitted to the Department, to the attention of Yen-Der Cheng at the above address, on or before December 15, 2025. Any hearing-impaired person who requests a hearing may request an interpreter at the hearing by contacting Mr. Cheng at (410) 537-3363 or 1-800-633-6101, or by written request to the above address at least ten working days prior to the scheduled hearing date. Information supporting the tentative determination, including the draft permit and fact sheet, may be reviewed by contacting Mr. Cheng at the above telephone number to make an appointment or by written request to Mr. Cheng at the above address. Copies of documents may be obtained at a cost of $0.36 per page. 11/14, 11/21/25 #11821105