Patapsco River near Key Bridge wreckage site contains no contaminants, governor says

BALTIMORE - The Patapsco River near the Francis Scott Key collapse site is safe and contains no contaminants, officials said on Wednesday.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott says he received messages from residents concerned about the water's safety and the wildlife in it.

Meanwhile, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says water sampling up and down river from the bridge collapse site has been conducted and those samples contained no contaminants, including fuel.

"There is no danger inside of the water right now," Moore said.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, 56 containers totaling 764 tons of hazardous materials were on board the Dali at the time it struck the Key Bridge and caused it to collapse.

Most of the hazardous materials are corrosives and flammables along with other miscellaneous materials like lithium ion batteries. 

It is unclear how many containers holding hazardous materials are in the Patapsco River.

"We are not aware of exactly how many containers are in the water, but we continue to sample to ensure the safety and health of the Patapsco River," said Suzanne Dorsey, the Deputy Secretary of the Environment in Maryland.

Scott says people have shared their concerns about possible contaminants in the river.

"Folks have been tagging on social media videos about not being able to eat crabs this summer and it's going to be all of these things in the water," Scott said. "You heard it from the governor, you heard it from our MDE folks, there is no contamination in the water."

When it comes to removing containers from the Patapsco River, Dorsey says the timeline for removal is up to operations and the safety of the people involved.