The homes west and south of the site, along Tilley Road and on 143rd Avenue respectively, are presumed served by glacial outwash aquifers that underlie the property. And wells in Maytown are quite shallow. Other wells likely to suffer the effects from a massive Industrial Center are those located northeast of the site area including wells along Angus Drive.
At the time of a proposed quarry development in 2010, numerous environmental organizations expressed concerns over hydrologic review regarding possible impacts of potential groundwater fluctuation from the project on adjacent streams and wetlands. Additionally there will be pollution from the runoff of hundreds of acres of impervious surface affecting Deep Lake, home of Millersylvania State Park.
The property has been identified as the headwaters of two salmon-bearing streams, the Allen and Beaver Creeks. The prairie on the Port property acts like a sponge, storing water during the rainy season and slowly releasing it during the dry season. Not only does this recharge the groundwater, but the slow gradual release of water combined with the springs and wetlands on the property creates the only late summer flow to fill the two salmon-bearing streams.
Any paving of this delicate area would create runoff and flooding, thus dramatically interrupting the balance of water, as well as increasing the potential for contamination from oil and diesel residue on paved surfaces, and from other possible spills. Furthermore, development of the Industrial Center may pose a threat to Deep Lake and Scott Lake because the same headwaters also recharge these lakes.
- NorthPoint is planning a 6,000,000 sq.ft. building with hundreds of acres of supporting paved driving, parking, and storage areas creating an impermeable area the size of 100s of football fields. This would completely change the hydrology of the area, irreparably damaging area streams and wetlands and impacting area wells.
- Supporting NorthPoint's claim of a workforce of 4000 would require 140,000 gallons of water per day. Removing this much water from the local aquifer would most certainly affect area wells.
- There is a real potential for water pollution not only from trucks, locomotives and their related-industries, but also possible leakages from transferred and stored freight containers.
- The proposed Industrial Center is a critical threat to the Black River Watershed.
- A county hydrologist estimated that is would be a matter of hours from the time of a spill to contamination of area wells due to the nature of the hydrology in the area.