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Massive Chromium Works Cleanup Completed

Release Date: 6/21/1999
Contact Information: David Sternberg (215) 814-5548

BALTIMORE - In one of the largest privately funded efforts of its kind in the nation, AlliedSignal, Inc. along with federal and state environmental officials announced today the completion of the cleanup at the former Baltimore Chromium Works, along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

The massive, 10-year cleanup effort was fully funded by AlliedSignal which, owned the Baltimore Chromium Works Plant, a facility that produced up to 50,000 tons of chromium a year during its 140 years of operation in the Fells Point section of the city. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Maryland Department of the Environment provided oversight of the cleanup under the terms of a 1989 consent decree. Under the agreement, AlliedSignal has spent an estimated $90 million to clean up pollution that resulted from nearly a century and a half of industrial production at the site.

Officials from the EPA and the state, along with federal and local elected officials joined AlliedSignal executives at the announcement.

Timothy Fields, Jr., the head of EPA’s site cleanup programs said, "The AlliedSignal remediation at Baltimore Harbor has features that the EPA would like to see in many more cleanups across the country. The cleanup demonstrated a high degree of collaboration between industry and government agencies, innovative technical approaches to addressing complex and demanding site conditions, and most importantly, a significant environmental benefit for the local community."

Although the plant ceased operations in 1985, large quantities of chromium were found to be migrating into the waters adjacent to and below the site. An estimated 50 pounds of chromium were seeping into Baltimore Harbor daily and an additional 12 pounds a day were getting into the deep groundwater on site. The Baltimore Harbor has been listed as one of three regions of toxics concern by the Chesapeake Bay Program. Surface water samples today, verified by EPA and the state, indicate no detectable levels of chromium are now getting into the harbor.

The remediation was considered one of the most complex and expensive projects of its kind. The cleanup included demolition of the old industrial plant and removal of numerous contaminants from the surface. A specially designed hydraulic barrier wall extends from the surface down to bedrock and a multi-layer cap keeps any remaining chromium in the soil from escaping. A computerized ground water monitoring and extraction system is in place and operational.

EPA and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) have worked together to share oversight on this project under terms of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. "EPA is proud to be a partner in this project, with the State of Maryland and AlliedSignal -- all sharing the same objective -- to successfully clean up and redevelop this land while at the same time, protecting human health and the environment," said EPA regional administrator, W. Michael McCabe.

The location now represents a prime redevelopment opportunity.


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