Allen Harim wants to amend Harbeson plant wastewater permit
Allen Harim Foods has submitted an application to the state asking for an amendment to the on-site wastewater treatment and disposal system operations permit for its Harbeson processing facility that would allow the facility to increase the maximum volume of poultry wastewater from facilities in Dagsboro and Millsboro.
The state’s Division of Water issued a public notice Jan. 23.
According to the notice, in addition to its own processing flows, the Harbeson facility is currently authorized to receive and treat up to 40,000 gallons per day of poultry wastewater from Allen Harim’s processing facility in Millsboro and from its hatchery in Dagsboro. The amendment request would increase the combined maximum volume received and treated from 80,000 gallons per day to 120,000 per day, and remove a per-site split.
“The current limits are overly restrictive and do not allow the operational flexibility needed to manage daily business variability, particularly given the limited options available for wastewater management,” said Mike Little, Allen Harim Foods CEO, in a letter to the state included as part of the public notice.
The Harbeson facility’s permit allows for a seven-day average of 1.5 million gallons per day, with a peak daily discharge limit of 2 million gallons. According to the notice, Allen Harim is not seeking to increase the Harbeson facility’s own operational flows.
“The Harbeson processing plant has sufficient capacity to manage these increased influent volumes while remaining fully compliant with all effluent restrictions,” said Little. “The requested flexibility will allow the facility to manage incoming flows more efficiently without compromising environmental protection or regulatory compliance.”
All of the plant’s treated wastewater effluent is pumped by force main to Artesian’s Sussex Regional Recharge Facility, a 700-acre network of spray irrigation fields and a 90-million-gallon lagoon, which runs along Route 30 between Route 16 and Cedar Creek Road.
Comments to the state’s Division of Water are due no later than Saturday, Feb. 7. For questions regarding the application, to submit written comments or to request a meritorious public hearing, contact the Commercial and Government Services Section by calling 302-739-9948 or emailing Commercial_Government_LegalNotice@delaware.gov.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
