Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection officials on Thursday night heard the concerns of around 20 local residents, lawyers and environmental activists, all who urged the agency to deny a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for a proposed 420,000-square-foot warehouse project.

The project is planned by Blue Ridge Real Estate Inc. along Route 903 in Kidder Township and the permit would allow the discharge of pollutants from construction activities into a nearby tributary of Black Creek, a high-quality waterway home to migratory fish.

James Miller, a resident of Coolbaugh Township to the northeast of Kidder, was among the first to speak at the hearing. He passionately urged DEP to deny the permit, highlighting the broader implications of warehouse development on the local environment and community.

“The addition of this truck terminal will result in over 2.2 million square feet of warehouse space in Kidder Township alone, leading to an estimated 3,400 vehicles per day on our roads,” Miller said. “This type of development will have a detrimental impact on multiple watersheds, including Black Creek and the Lehigh River. In 2023, the American Rivers Association named the Lehigh River as one of the 10 most endangered rivers in the United States due to the explosive growth of warehouses in its watershed. Are we doomed to repeat the mistakes of the Lehigh Valley and then react to the damages when it’s too late?”

Many others, including Paul Lorigan, who has lived in Snow Ridge Village for several years, echoed Miller’s concerns. Lorigan addressed the impact the construction could have on local wildlife and the pristine environment that residents cherish.

“I’ve been fishing at the confluence of the Tobyhanna Creek and Lehigh River for three years, and since construction on another warehouse started, I haven’t caught a single trout there,” Lorigan said. “That’s the only thing that has changed. I used to catch three or four nice size trout in just a half-hour. The peeper frog population on Jack Frost Road has also disappeared, and I can’t help but wonder if these are early signs of the damage that development is causing.”

Environmental attorney Emma Vast also weighed in, raising legal concerns about the permit application and the DEP’s responsibility under state and federal laws. Vast argued that the application failed to meet the strict requirements necessary to protect high-quality streams, which are classified as special protection waters in Pennsylvania.

“The antidegradation requirements of Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law are very clear — high-quality streams may not be degraded without serious justification, and that justification hasn’t been provided here,” Vast said. “DEP has the obligation to conduct a thorough review of these applications to ensure that natural resources are maintained and protected. The applicant has not demonstrated that cost-effective, environmentally sound, and non-discharge alternatives are not available. Therefore, DEP must act to deny this permit.”

In addition to environmental concerns, residents raised issues related to traffic, pollution, and the potential strain on local infrastructure. Pat Bach, a Kidder resident, pointed out that the application failed to comply with local zoning ordinances and comprehensive plans, and that the traffic impact study used to assess the project’s impact was outdated.

“Our community residents will be exposed to significant pollution from thousands of trucks per day emitting diesel exhaust fumes and noise,” Bach said. “Roadway flooding is likely due to inadequate stormwater management, and the traffic impact study from 2019 does not properly address the current traffic situation. Nearly 800 concerned residents have signed a petition against approving this warehouse. We would appreciate the DEP listening to our concerns and denying the final permit.”

Representatives from Blue Ridge Real Estate, which submitted the NPDES application in November 2023, were at Thursday’s hearing but did not speak.

DEP spokesperson Colleen Connolly said the agency would review the hearing transcript as it moves forward. The written public comment period on the permit application is open until Sept. 13.