Hart-Miller Island Community Benefit Agreement Steering Committee
Hart-Miller Island (HMI) was originally part of a chain of three islands that suffered from severe erosion for decades. In 1970, the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) proposed using dredged material to address erosion issues and restore the remnants of the two larger islands, Hart Island and Miller Island. A dike joining Hart Island and Miller Island was constructed in 1981, and the impoundment received dredged material from the Baltimore Harbor shipping channels from 1984 to 2009. The Maryland State Legislature required the final closure of HMI in 2009, and the property has since been transferred from MPA to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide wildlife habitat and public opportunities for passive recreation continues.
Under the legislation approved by the Maryland General Assembly, House Bill 343 of 2024, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) could consider the placement of dredged material at the HMI Dredged Material Containment Facility, contingent on the approval of a community benefit agreement (CBA) to support HMI and its surrounding communities—as well as pending state regulatory compliance. Material placement would be limited to no later than December 31, 2027.
Temporary dredging material placement at the existing HMI Dredged Material Containment Facility would accelerate major port infrastructure efforts currently underway at Tradepoint Atlantic (TPA), the 3,300-acre global multimodal logistics hub and industrial center located at the former Bethlehem Steel site in Sparrows Point, whose marine terminal remains open and is continuing to accept arrivals and provide additional capacity for redirected cargo.
To support this work, a community-led Steering Committee will be responsible for leading open discussions with core members and other stakeholders to develop options for the framework of a CBA.
Documents and Maps
- All future meetings of the Hart Miller Island Community Benefit Agreement Steering Committee are now canceled. Read the news release and letter .
- Memorandum on the CBA by the Baltimore Bird Club (BBC)
- BBC Statement to CBA Steering Committee About the Dredge Project and Effect on Birds and Wildlife
- HMI CBA Public Commentary
- Tracts Maps
Members
The Steering Committee will consist of the following nine appointees:
- Paul Brylske, Chair—HMI Citizens Oversight Committee
- Brian Hall—Longtime Community Activist, Boat Captain
- Frank Neighoff, President—Chesapeake Bay Association
- Gloria Nelson, President—Turner Station Conservation Teams
- Scott Pappas, President—Fort Howard Community Association
- Josh Sines, President—Essex Middle River Civic Council
- Fran Taylor, President—North Point Peninsula Council
- Sam Weaver, Member—HMI Citizens Oversight Committee and Marine Trades Association of Baltimore County
- Karen Wynn, Member—HMI Citizens Oversight Committee and Baltimore County Commission on Environmental Quality
Share Your Ideas With the HMI CBA Steering Committee
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