Maryland leaders question plan to treat contaminated wastewater in Dundalk
BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Department of the Environment is attempting to assure the public that the plan to treat two million gallons of water contaminated by a train derailment in Palestine, Ohio, poses no danger to the state, but local leaders still have questions.
In a statement, department staff said that the level of contaminants in the water "are so low that the water is not considered to be hazardous waste."
Those contaminants "will be fully removed" during the treatment process, staff said.
City leaders learned on Thursday that pretreated wastewater would be sent to the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant—a city-run facility based in Dundalk, Maryland.
The city-run facility, located in Baltimore County, has been under temporary state control due to compliance and permit issues. Last week, an explosion occurred on-site at a contractor building, but no one was injured.
The process of overseeing the contaminated water will be overseen by the state, department staff said.
"The Maryland Department of the Environment will continue to exercise regulatory oversight of the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant and will work closely with Baltimore City and Baltimore County officials to monitor the treatment process and protect both public health and the environment," Maryland Department of the Environment spokesman Jay Apperson said. "We will also continue to work with the federal government to ensure we have the resources and staffing needed to handle treatment."
Mayor Baltimore Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said on Friday that they view the situation as an indication that the troubled Back River plant is on the right track.
As of Friday, the Ohio EPA reported that around eight million gallons of wastewater have been hauled out of town.
Now, local leaders are seeking a legal opinion from the attorney general and have raised concerns with federal officials about being left in the dark.
"That is something I've raised to the highest levels of the federal government: that we should have better communication over things like this—and we know that we can and will in the future," Scott said.
In Baltimore County, delegates Kathy Szeliga (R) and Ryan Nawrocki (R) issued a joint statement on Friday in which they rejected the toxic waste.
"As a member of the Environment and Transportation Committee, I have heard countless hours of testimony regarding the continual failures at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant in Dundalk," Nawrocki said. "This treatment plant has a history of sewage overflows. They certainly should not be trusted to process toxic waste into Maryland's greatest natural resource."
"That is something I've raised to the highest levels of the federal government: that we should have better communication over things like this—and we know that we can and will in the future," Scott said.
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said he, too, was seeking immediate answers from the EPA, such as how it came around to the conclusion that they can assure the health and safety of Marylanders will not be put at risk.
"I've been in contact with them and local officials in Baltimore City and County," Van Hollen said. He said that no plan should be finalized until local leaders are able to get satisfactory answers.
