BALTIMORE COUNTY — Wastewater from the Ohio train derailment is not coming to Maryland. It's one obstacle those who live along Back River have overcome from the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Now, they say the plant has bigger issues that have been going on for a while.
But when WMAR-2 News' Ashley McDowell reached out to DPW Tuesday, they said there are no safety concerns at the plant at the moment.
"Right now, maybe it is ok and that's very possible, but we need to keep in our minds what could happen what we just saw last year,” said Desiree Greaver, Project Manager for the Back River Restoration Committee.
RELATED: Baltimore will no longer treat, discharge wastewater from Ohio train derailment
This was a group that was formed back in 2009 by people who live on the river and look to keep it clean.
She says in March of 2022, the Maryland Department of Environment stepped in after an inspection showed decline in the plants performance.
"We actually had someone send us videos of stuff popping up out of the water, floating all over the river. MDE comes in and really let everybody know 'hey this is a lot worse than the city was really not forthcoming with how bad the plant was,'” said Greaver.
A report from MDE on its website states it determined during that month the maintenance of the plant risked "catastrophic failures" that could result in adverse public health effects.
That's when she says the committee took it on themselves to start sampling the water every week. But the results fluctuated in the levels of bacteria in the water.
"It's very often dangerously high, there were several occasions last summer where samples came back indicating sewage levels, the E.Coli was dangerously high,” said Greaver.
Residents say Back River used to be a place of enjoyment, catching crabs, fish and swimming, but that was ruined by problems from the plant.
One year later, people who live along the river say they’re still skeptical.
"I wouldn't even fish off the pier now, I would not eat anything out of this river at all,” said Cindy Baumgartner, who lives across the plant on the river.
Baumgartner says the facility is not clear about what it’s releasing from the plant into the river, "If we can see solids in the river and they're saying its algae but we've lived along the river for many years and we know what algae looks like, that's not algae. And if they can't explain what it is than I just don't feel like anything out of here can be consumed.”
Those who live along the Back River say they just want transparency from officials at the treatment plant and a consistent low level of bacteria in the water when tested.
Until then, they will continue to test the water and share results with the public, posting them to their website and Facebook page.
Mayor Brandon Scott issued the following statement on Clean Harbors' response to disallowing discharge of East Palestine wastewater into Baltimore system:
As Mayor, ensuring the protection and safety of Baltimore residents is of utmost importance to me. Recently, I denied Clean Harbors' request to discharge the pretreated wastewater from the cleanup of the Norfolk Southern Railroad derailment in East Palestine, Ohio into their Baltimore facility. I am pleased to announce that due to my denial of Clean Harbors' request, they have confirmed that they no longer plan to discharge any wastewater originating from East Palestine, Ohio into Baltimore's wastewater system.
My heart goes out to the community of East Palestine, Ohio, and I remain dedicated to prioritizing the well-being of our residents. Baltimoreans have my unwavering commitment to taking all necessary actions to protect our communities and ensure they have the quality of life they deserve.
