Conservation organization questions proposed clean-up plan for Bear Creek Superfund site
BALTIMORE - A conservation organization raised concerns over a proposed clean-up plan for the Bear Creek Superfund site ahead of the deadline for the Environmental Protection Agency's call for public comment.
By boat Monday, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation highlighted an area of the Baltimore Harbor that was formerly the home of steelmaking giant Bethlehem Steel Corporation at Sparrows Point for 125 years.
The company filed for bankruptcy protections and was later purchased by what's now known as Tradepoint Atlantic.
About 61 acres of contaminated sediments have been documented in Bear Creek south of the Baltimore Beltway and adjacent to the western shoreline of the Sparrows Point Facility, according to the EPA.
In February, during a public presentation, the EPA went over its preferred clean-up action plan with the goals of reducing exposure to the contaminated sediment and to minimize changes for the contaminated sediment to move elsewhere.
The proposed $45 million plan would include dredging and disposing of approximately 30 acres of sediment to an off-site landfill and to cap the entire 61-acres of sediment with 2 feet of clean sand, according to the presentation.
The EPA would look to start the project by 2025 and wrap-up in 2027; a speed that also raises red flags for CBF.
"As we go through the process, we really just want to make sure that EPA is looking at all of the exposure of the pathways that we're aware of and taking into account that everyone's going to be impacted by this is going to be heard," scientist Gussie Maguire said.
In 2022, the site was added to the National Priorities List under the Superfund program, which is charged with cleaning up some of the nation's most contaminated lands, according to the EPA.
Previous site investigations and toxicity testing conducted by the EPA detected several hazardous substances including polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) and metals, plus oil and grease, which were primarily released from the Tin Mill Canal discharges at the Sparrows Point Facility, an evaluation by the agency documents.
These results were then used to perform human health and ecological risk assessments, the EPA stated.
According to the U.S. government agency, the human health risk assessment did not find unacceptable risk to human health.
However, the ecological risk assessment concluded aquatic and benthic organisms (community of organisms that live on, in or near the bottom) are potentially at risk from metals and PCBs in the sediment and cyanide from surface water only during storm events, and wildlife that consume these organisms are potentially at risk for selenium and total PCBs in sediment in the Tin Mill Canal samples, the EPA stated.
The Maryland Department of the Environment issued a fish consumption advisory for 10 species of fish and blue crab caught in the Patapsco River-Baltimore Harbor Watershed due to the PCBs.
"Hazardous substances detected in the sediments of Bear Creek and attributable to the historical activities at Sparrows Point include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo(a)pyrene; metals such as arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc; and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Oil and grease have also been observed in the sediments of Bear Creek in such high percentages that benthic invertebrate organisms cannot survive," MDE stated.
The CBF and other groups submitted comments that flagged concerns with the clean-up plan, which includes how dredging may impact organisms living around the habitat of its man-made reef of more than 6 million oysters near Fort Carroll and the people caring for the project.
"We don't necessarily think that the oysters are going to suffer drastically from this pollution," Maryland Oyster Restoration Coordinator, Kellie Fiala said. "The oysters themselves are pretty hardy. They filter, so they're used to filtering a lot of nasty things out of the water but the organisms that are living in and around them are going to be incredibly impacted,"
"The concern is that if contaminants drifted over to our sanctuary reefs, some of those sediments have a really dramatic impact on benthic organisms. Like instantaneous toxicity kind of a situation," Maguire said.
Scientists with the conservation organization also voiced worries that stretch to shore.
Maguire said the EPA's project assessment should consider the potential exposure pathways through which contaminates could impact people, such as through skin contact with floodwaters.
A community situated across from the superfund site, Turner Station, historically floods.
"Is there going to be floodwaters in their neighborhoods contaminated by some of this liberated sediment?," Maguire asked.
"Phew, I've been here to see boats come down the street," Turner Station resident Eugene Moss III said.
Moss III is not only a resident in the neighborhood but said he's a former Bethlehem Steel worker.
He and others hope to one day see resolve from the company's lasting choices.
"We're the forgotten land," Moss III said.
"Protect the area. Keep the area safe. Keep us safe," Turner Station resident Melvin Jacobs said.
In a statement to WJZ, the EPA wrote:
EPA is currently receiving comments on the proposed cleanup of the Bear Creek Superfund Site from citizens, non-governmental organizations, and nearby industry. Each comment will be carefully considered by EPA as the Agency finalizes its cleanup plans. EPA's goal is to complete the cleanup in a manner that is protective for nearby community members during remediation activities, and remains protective into the future.
The EPA's public comment deadline has been extended from March 10 to April 9, 2024.
You can submit comments three different ways:
- Mail - Postmarked no later than April 9:
U.S. EPA Region 3
Attn: Kate Lasseter
Four Penn Center
1600 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19103
- Email: lasseter.kate@epa.gov
- Voicemail: Call 215-814-2009 to leave a message.
