Feedback

EPA declares victory over Sparrows Point pollution projects actually mired in delays

March 5, 2010 at 11:01 am 2

  • Story Link
  • 2

Categories

by MARK REUTTER

Mission Accomplished? Sure sounds that way if you read the latest Sparrows Point “Corrective Action Progress Report” issued by the Environmental Protection Agency.

 The document trumpets the progress of the waste minimization projects at the Sparrows Point steel mill and, as evidence, cites the completion of two recycling facilities.

Meanwhile, a Brew posting yesterday highlighted the lack of progress in opening these facilities – 13 years after the company promised to install the equipment.

Technically, the report is correct when it says that a fume sludge recycling facility “has been completed.” But the report neglects to say that the facility has been out of service for the last two years and there is no scheduled date for reopening the unit.

A hydrocyclone slurry facility is listed thusly: “Completion of the project is projected in 2008.”

 In fact, Severstal North America failed to authorize capital funds for the unit’s construction. The company has told EPA that the project remains on hold, with no funds expended in 2009 and none expected to be spent in 2010.

Andrew Fan, EPA’s project manager for Sparrows Point, is the author of the report. Fan did not answer e-mails seeking comment. But Donna Heron, press officer for EPA, issued this statement yesterday:

“The discrepancy you noticed was an oversight during the last update in December. The fact sheet is due for another update soon and that information will be corrected.”

  • Jim Jenkins

    Mark, Do you suppose that you could show us the link to the document where the company promised to build these facilities? Also, could you help us understand the reason why the company has shut down some of these facilities? Can you tell us if the company is required to build these facilities by the order and possibly link to that potion of the order? The article left me with a lot of unanswered questions that you could possibly help me with as you seem to have access to more information than I. Thanks. Jim

  • Mark Reutter

    There have been a number of requests from readers, such as Jim, for documents, especially for a copy of the 1997 Sparrows Point consent decree.

    This document is extremely hard to find, but I have an electronic copy and would be happy to send it to any requester. Another important document is the 2009 progress report filed by Severstal Sparrows Point last month. That is also available. You can contact me at reuttermark@yahoo.com.

The Daily Drip

  • February 6, 2012

    • People involved in the Mount Royal Avenue bike lane issue have asked for the full text of the statements issued by Maryland Institute College of Art and the Baltimore Department of Transportation so here’s a link to a page where we’ve pasted up both. In addition, MICA has put Lazarus’ statement up on its website [...]

  • February 3, 2012

  • February 1, 2012

    • Transportation officials don’t like it, but Hampden residents are apparently fed up – they want cross-walks repainted on The Avenue and if the city’s not going to maintain the crosswalks on this busy north Baltimore street, they’re doing it themselves. Deborah Patterson, a former OSI-Baltimore Community Fellow who runs ArtBlocks, is one of the ringleaders. [...]

  • January 31, 2012

  • January 30, 2012

    • RG Steel told Maryland environmental officials today that the weekend fire that lit up the skies around Sparrows Point was caused by the disposal of hot metal from the mill’s blast furnace. “We were told that conditions relating to the idling and subsequent restart of the blast furnace led to the need to dispose of [...]

More of the Daily Drip »

Below the Fold

  • January 27, 2012

    • Catching up on a slew of interesting things to do and read this weekend that we almost lost track of in the Kickstarter hub-bub. Here are just a few: SATURDAY (1/28/12) New Mercury Non-fiction Reading – Check out tell-it-like-it-is education blogger Edit Barry (see below) and a pack of other feisty non-fictional characters from the [...]

Twitter

Facebook