Comments on: Army Corps to Earleville Dump Victims: No Free, Safe Water for You; FedsThumb Nose at Citizens, Cecil County Council

By: Rick O'Shea

Rick O'Shea — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 09:36:19 +0000

Holding the government accountable is key to this situation. They should fix the prior problem. Thanks,Erin.

By: Erin M.

Erin M. — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 03:09:53 +0000

Here is what I haven’t been able to determine from any of the available news articles (I have not attended any of the PR sessions which may have provided the answer)– In the Environmental Report (assuming one has been completed) is there any recommendation for a Public Health Assessment? A request for such an assessment MUST be answered. It should be requested from and performed by the State Dept of the Environment but they will request the funds from the feds. This is one of the primary ways to “slow the roll” of a federal agency.

I would also be interested to know if the waste itself falls under RCRA (which means if the waste contains anything on the fed Haz Waste list ( for example, chromium) then that waste must be disposed of in an approved Hazardous Waste Facility. The exception to this law would be if dredging waste has specifically been exempted from RCRA the way mining waste is exempted.

If they are not exempted, the Corps of Engineers is in violation of the Clean Water Act. The final act of protest for when dumping is imminent is to file for an emergency injunction, which I hope the county’s attorney is planning to do if the Corps and Port continue to hold the county hostage this way.

[CECIL TIMES replies: Thanks, Erin, for your informative comments and suggestions for dealing with the water issues due to the Pearce Creek dumpsite. The US Geological Survey only tested well water and examined water flow through the underground aquifers and did not actually test dredged material within the dumpsite itself. But we’ll try to pursue whether chromium showed up in any of the well water samples taken by the local health department.

As far as the county government and county attorney possibly getting involved with an emergency injunction, that would seem to be unlikely. They have taken a back seat to the involvement of the mayor of Cecilton on coming up with the plan to run a water pipeline to the area– which is viewed as ‘the middle of nowhere’ by the PTB in Elkton. The Bay View Estates civic association has played a crucial role in examining the science behind the dumpsite. We will pass along your astute observations to the Bay View folks for their review.]

By: Vincent Pfeiffer

Vincent Pfeiffer — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 00:34:35 +0000

Sounds like a post on a national media is in order. Does anyone remember Times Beach, MO.? What about the brownfields in Wilmington?
Whatever happened to the flush tax money we have to pay to “PROTECT THE BAY” Every solution anyone comes up with involves the individual to pay through the nose, or in this case, hose…

If this is how Maryland intends to make this area a tier 4 area only territory, turning our water into soilage is a wonderfully brilliant plan. Reduce property values first, then kick everyone out, just like Maryland did to most of Grove Neck road. Then the fingers point to every other agency while no agency accepts responsibility for any of it.

The corp of engineers should never be permitted to ever dump bay sludge onto our soils anywhere especially Pierce Creek. Period!

I would support dumping that crap onto the collective properties of county council. Why not use it to fill the craters over at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. That is an uninhabitable area close enough to Pierce Creek to accomplish their need to dump sledge and provide a limitless supply of land to blow up. Win Win

Just saying…