Since its founding in 2001, the Big Spring Watershed Association has been active in advocating for the protection and enhancement of the Big Spring Watershed.
Proposed Warehouse Complex at 3485 Ritner Highway
Most recently BSWA has been monitoring and commenting on a proposed warehouse complex at 3485 Ritner Highway. The proposed 1.3-million-square-foot warehouse complex just 3,400 feet uphill from the Big Spring poses a serious threat to the groundwater that feeds the Spring, nearby residential wells, and Newville’s public water supply. The proposed plans represent an unacceptably high level of risk to the area’s groundwater and do not adequately align with “Best Management Practices” set out in the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Stormwater Management Manual.
Since early 2023, BSWA has submitted comments to West Pennsboro Township, the Cumberland County Conservation District, and the PA Department of Environmental Protection on the inadequacies of the plan and the danger that it presents to the community’s water resources.
In March 2024, West Pennsboro Township approved the project pending approval by the DEP. The Cumberland County Conservation District and the DEP then began to evaluate the plans as part of the application of the NPDES permit. In November 2024 the DEP issued a letter to the developer that identified 62 deficiencies to the plan. The DEP issued a draft NPSED permit for the project in May 2025. BSWA, the Borough of Newville and local residents asked for a public hearing to voice concerns on the plans. The hearing was held in August 2025. The DEP has not issued a final permit.
The following is some of the documentation of our advocacy work.
Link to DEP website with documents related to AAMPA’s NPDES permit application:
This website provides the background and documents submitted to the DEP by the developer for the NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) permit. .
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/dep-regions/southcentral-regional-office/aampa-warehouse
Links to documents submitted by BSWA and affiliated groups
In the summer of 2024, BSWA submitted comments to the Cumberland County Conservation District and the DEP on the inadequacies of the proposed plans. Here is a link to
Links to BSWA’s public outreach efforts and related media:
Click on the image to the left to read BSWA’s editorial in the The Sentinel laying out our main concerns about the proposed project before the August 2025 public hearing held by the DEP.
Link to the DEP’s November 2024 deficiency letter listing 62 deficiencies in AAMPA’s proposal.
In November 2024 the DEP issued a deficiencies letter to the developer listing 62 deficiencies in the proposed project. The major issues, including the depth of infiltration basins, the required blasting and the inadequate geotechnical investigation of the site have not been sufficiently addressed. Follow this link to read the document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hv_AlJRcz1gsl8IdZPA_9flvaXLTZOXc/view?usp=sharing
Following AAMPA”s revised plans in December 2024, BSWA submitted further comments on the continued inadequacies of the proposed plan. Here is the link to our comments submitted to the Cumberland County Conservation District and the DEP.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C0BZadT7GjXskUKtuWQTwjL30tVXKveN/view?usp=sharing
August 2025 DEP public hearing
In May 2025 the DEP
Big Spring Watershed Association 