WILLIAMSPORT, Md. – Immigration and Customs Enforcement has opened a public comment period on its plans to convert a warehouse at 16220 Wright Road into a detention facility, including installation of a 750,000-gallon on-site water storage tank and extensive ground disturbances around the site.
A new environmental assessment on the project opened this week by ICE describes interior modifications for up to 1,500 detainees, nearly three times the capacity the agency previously cited in court filings. Public comments are due by July 1.
The plan matches an original 1,500-bed configuration referenced in internal agency documents and the state’s lawsuit, despite ICE distancing itself from that figure in federal court this spring, according to a review of the documents by Project Salt Box.
In April, Rep. April McClain Delaney, whose district includes the area, said the agency was reconsidering the larger scope, which now appears not to be the case.
ICE has publicly described the facility as a short-term processing center.
The assessment details up to six secure recreation yards, two cafeterias, a kitchen, three multipurpose rooms, health services space, laundry facilities and staff amenities that could include training rooms and an indoor firing range.
The existing warehouse has only four toilets and two water fountains with a current municipal water allocation of roughly 800 gallons per day.
A 1,500-person facility would require about 209,000 gallons daily based on ICE planning figures, the assessment notes. The on-site tank and booster-pump system are intended to limit demands on Hagerstown’s water distribution system, the sole supplier for Williamsport.
The notice also outlines a three-phase sewer and water plan that could involve expanding an off-site lift station and securing additional capacity from Washington County. That runs counter to a state order barring increased sewage flow to the property, which is served by a pumping station operating at more than 99% of its allocated capacity.
Beyond the tank, the project would require trenching and excavation for water and sewer lines, fiber-optic cabling, new light poles, a generator, recreational structures, perimeter fencing and a guard shack.
The review stems from a preliminary injunction issued April 15 by U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson. The judge barred retrofitting work on the warehouse – except for maintenance and security – after finding that ICE had likely violated federal environmental law by failing to adequately assess the project’s impacts.
ICE’s only prior environmental review was completed and approved in a single day before the purchase closed. A government lawyer told the court the current review could take years.
The Department of Homeland Security bought the 825,620-square-foot warehouse on Jan. 16 for $102.4 million in cash.
Federal records show a renovation contract awarded to KVG LLC of Gettysburg, Pa., worth $113 million, with options that could increase it to $642 million over three years. Total federal spending on the site could reach at least $215 million.
In the notice seeking public input on potential environmental effects, DHS said it “is not aware of any potential for significant environmental impacts.”
Readers may email public comments to [email protected] with the subject line “Hagerstown Comments” by July 1. They are asked to focus on potential environmental impacts such as water usage, wastewater/sewer capacity, ground disturbance, traffic, or effects on local infrastructure. Readers should include your name and contact information if desired.
The full notice is available on the DHS site here.
