Hampstead commission approves PFAS treatment site plan contingent on county sign-offs

The Hampstead Planning and Zoning Commission voted Wednesday to approve the final site plan for the town’s PFAS treatment centralization project, contingent on receipt of Carroll County forest conservation and utilities approvals.

The conditional approval lets the town move forward while the remaining county reviews are completed, commission members and project consultants said. Jason Lehi, a project engineer with GMB, told the commission the county has already approved several permits — including health department, ADA, planning and land management, stormwater and soil conservation reviews — and that forest conservation and utilities responses remain under review.

“We modified the plans accordingly and got this back to them so that they’re under review now,” Lehi said, summarizing revisions tied to forest conservation comments. Lehi also told commissioners that the utility reviewer had asked for clarifications on labeling public versus private limits and requested additional profile drawings; those changes were returned for review.

Commission discussion focused on timing. Town staff said the project cannot obtain final Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) approval — and therefore cannot proceed to state funding steps — until the county-level forest conservation and utilities reviews are resolved. The applicant asked that the commission approve the site plan now to avoid delaying the town’s MDE submittal and later Board of Public Works actions.

A motion to approve the final site plan with the stated contingencies carried unanimously. Commissioners noted the difference between approving a town project — for which the town would manage any required fixes — and approving a private development. The commission’s approval does not replace MDE or county sign-off, and officials said those approvals are still required before any state-level or funding action.

Officials also discussed federal and state PFAS guidance. One commissioner noted recent news about changes in PFAS wastewater guidance; Lehi said the town’s project focus and local approvals were unaffected by those federal wastewater adjustments.

The commission did not set additional conditions beyond the two county sign-offs; MDE approval remains a prerequisite before state funding or construction contracts move forward.