Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission backs draft solid waste plan after Midshore extension delays regional host date
Summary
County staff told the Planning Commission the Midshore regional landfill agreement was extended through 2042, giving Queen Anne's County more time to site a Midshore Three facility; the commission recommended the 2025–2036 solid waste management plan to the county commissioners.
The Queen Anne's County Planning Commission voted April 9 to forward a favorable recommendation on the county’s draft 2025–2036 Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, after Department of Public Works staff said a regional agreement will likely push Queen Anne’s hosting date for the Midshore regional landfill beyond the originally projected 2030 timeline.
The recommendation follows a presentation by Shane Moore, chief roads engineer for the Department of Public Works, who told commissioners that Caroline County agreed to extend use of its Midshore Regional facility and the Midshore agreement now projects an operational horizon for that facility through 2042. Moore said that extension gives Queen Anne’s County a three‑year window to reconsider the location of a potential Midshore Three site and that the draft plan also incorporates the planned opening of Baker Cell Three this summer and MDE’s requested removal of prior siting criteria from the draft.
Why it matters: the Midshore program is a four‑county coalition (Kent, Caroline, Queen Anne’s and Talbot) in which each county hosts a regional facility in turn. Extending Caroline County’s term reduces immediate pressure on Queen Anne’s County to open a new regional landfill and alters the timing and permitting schedule county staff had been planning.
Moore said the 2042 date is tied to projected capacity at the Caroline facility and that the 2035 date previously cited for a Queen Anne’s‑owned transition point reflects an earlier projection tied to different ownership and permitting timelines. He also told commissioners that the Baker rubble landfill (Baker Cell Three) on the west side of Route 18 should meet near‑term county needs for rubble and road‑maintenance debris.
Commission discussion focused on the reasons for Caroline County’s extension, capacity projections, and whether the extension effectively shifts Queen Anne’s scheduling by roughly two decades. After questions from commissioners that sought more detail on capacity assumptions and permitting duration, the Planning Commission voted to send a favorable recommendation that the draft plan is consistent with the county comprehensive plan. The record shows the plan was submitted to the Maryland Department of the Environment in January 2026 and that the county commissioners will hold a public hearing on April 14 for adoption.
What’s next: The Planning Commission’s favorable recommendation will go to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration at the April public hearing on the draft plan. If the board adopts the plan, the county will continue permitting and siting work consistent with the Midshore agreement and state review comments.
