Rising Sun outlines $1.75M MS4 burden and pursues federal grant to decommission lagoon

Rising Sun’s town administrator told the board Dec. 27 that the town faces a substantial unfunded expense to comply with a state MS4 stormwater reporting requirement and is pursuing federal grant funding to tackle a costly lagoon decommissioning. "By December of 2025 ... the town will have to spend the equivalent of about $1,750,000 in today's money to basically reduce our nutrient footprint by 20%," the administrator said.

He said decommissioning the town lagoon was previously estimated at about $3 million to $4 million and that an additional $1.5 million to $2 million would likely be needed to install sludge processing (a belt‑filter press) so the town can haul and land‑apply sludge once it can no longer offload into the lagoon. The administrator said these projects could be counted toward the MS4 requirement if the town secures federal assistance.

To close the funding gap, the town has applied to the federal Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program through the Maryland Department of Emergency Management. "Our grant application is progressing through the multiple layers of the bureaucracy, and it's actually in front of the state clearing house," the administrator said. If awarded, the BRIC funds could cover lagoon decommissioning and count toward the town's MS4 obligations, he said.

The administrator framed the grants as a "blessing in disguise" that could address both environmental compliance and a longstanding infrastructure liability. He cautioned, however, that the MS4 mandate is unfunded at the state level and that Rising Sun does not currently have a dedicated tax revenue stream to pay the projected $1.75 million compliance cost.

The board did not take formal action on the MS4 or lagoon items at the meeting; the administrator said staff will continue to pursue the grant and report back as the application moves through state and federal review.