Division of Water
Start Date: June 23, 2019
End Date: July 23, 2019

Proximity Malt, a malt generation facility located in Laurel, Delaware, has requested an Agricultural Utilization (AGU) Permit to operate a land treatment system for the agricultural utilization of malting wash water in accordance with Part V of the Department’s Guidance and Regulations Governing the Land Treatment of Wastes. 

During the malting process, grains primarily consisting of barely, wheat, and rye are soaked in water.  Upon the germination of the grain, the wash water is removed from the malting vessel.  The malting wash water can then be beneficially reused as a fertilizer since it contains nutrients, which are essential for agricultural crop production.  Proximity Malt has requested an AGU permit to apply the malting wash water onto continual grass crops.  The AGU permit will require that the malting wash water to be analyzed for a list of specific parameters including nutrient content.  Hydraulic load and nutrient content will limit the application volume onto permitted land application sites. 

Proposed land application sites include the Powell Farm, the Graham Farm, the Walson Farm, the Messick Farm, the Joseph Farm, and the Arvey Farm and collectively consist of approximately 300 acres of land located near Laurel, Delaware.  The malting wash water will be required to be transported to the aforementioned land application sites in accordance with a valid Delaware Non-Hazardous Liquid Waste Transporters Permit.

Part V of the Department’s Guidance and Regulations Governing the Land Treatment of Wastes allows for the above activities pending public notice. 

A copy of the permit applications referenced above are available by contacting:

Brian Churchill
Surface Water Discharges Section
89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901
302-739-9946
Brian.Churchill@Delaware.gov

A public hearing on the above application(s) will NOT be held unless the Secretary of DNREC determines that a public hearing is in the public interest or if a written meritorious objection to the application is received 4:30 p.m. July 23, 2019.  A public hearing request shall be deemed meritorious if it exhibits a familiarity with the application and provides a reasoned statement of the action’s probable impact.