Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese (left) and Rev. Denis J. Madden, auxiliary bishop of the Baltimore Archdiocese (right) were among the clergy planning to participate in the “public action” at Clyde’s Sport Shop.

Photo by: the Episcopal Diocese and Baltimore Archdiocese

Saying they represent more than 100,000 people, including five parishes in Dundalk, bishops from the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore and Episcopal Diocese of Maryland have called for an immediate study of pollution in Bear Creek stemming from the Sparrows Point steel mill.

Most Rev. Denis J. Madden, auxiliary bishop of the Baltimore Archdiocese, and Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese, made the request in a letter to Shawn M. Garvin, newly appointed regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“We are writing to express our concern about the Severstal Sparrows Point facility and surrounding community of Dundalk,” the bishops said in a joint letter.

Referring to recent documents and reports that “harmful pollutants exist in areas where people we serve live and play,” the bishops requested “a full investigation into the possible contamination of Bear Creek and other areas where pollution from the site has been identified.”

Alluding to the lack of information about pollution in the creek, despite a 1997 court-ordered cleanup of the steel mill, the bishops added, “We are concerned about the potential risk to public health … and we believe that Dundalk’s citizens have a right to know of any potential risks associated with exposure to such contamination.”

May 11, 2010 letter to EPA administrator Shawn Garvin from Rev. Sutton and Rev. Madden

Offshore Study Challenged by Severstal

Garvin, who is responsible for environmental policy in the mid-Atlantic states as well as the Chesapeake Bay, received the bishops’ letter on May 17.

In his July 6 reply, Garvin rejected the bishops’ call for immediate action and said EPA will wait for an offshore study of possible contamination requested from Severstal Sparrows Point.

How long that will take is anyone’s guess since Severstal is disputing the government’s right to request an offshore study.

If Severstal decides to go forward with a dispute-resolution process, the start of the study may be delayed by a matter of weeks. If the company appeals to the U.S. District Court in Baltimore, the investigation may be delayed for many months.

And if the government loses the case, regulators will be back to square one – trying to obtain data about how much pollution has escaped from Sparrows Point and infiltrated into sediments and waters leading to the Chesapeake Bay.

EPA Cites 13-Year-Old Study

Garvin disputed the bishops’ assertion that studies show harmful pollutants from the steel mill exist in Bear Creek. He cited a study published in 1997 that found elevated levels of zinc, chromium and lead in Bear Creek.

Garvin wrote: “EPA’s toxicological review of the concentrations of these contaminants shows that they do not exceed EPA’s initial screening levels and extrapolations used to determine whether further assessment of a potential human health threat is required.

“Based upon the 1997 study, there is no basis to require Severstal to take action regarding contaminants in Bear Creek at this time.”

EPA regional administrator Shawn M. Garvin (Photo courtesy of the EPA)

Same Study Cited by Environmentalists

But Garvin’s conclusion is odd considering the findings in the study. Led by University of Maryland biologist Joel Baker, the study found that Bear Creek had some of most polluted sediments in the Patapsco River estuary that comprises Baltimore Harbor.

“Concentrations of zinc and chromium, exceeding the ER-M, were primarily found at sites located in Bear Creek. In fact, all sites within the creek exceeded the ‘frequent’ toxicity range for these two,” the study concluded. (ER-M is a measure where the negative effects of pollution on marine life is expected to “frequently occur.”)

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation cited Baker’s study and a 2006 study for AES Energy Corp. as reason for EPA to initiate an immediate investigation of offshore contamination. See our detailed report.

Same Strategy Prevails

Garvin’s rejection of the bishops’ request indicates that EPA is pursing the same strategy it followed during the Bush administration – namely, to wait for further studies by the steel company before deciding what “final action” to take regarding mill pollution.

Garvin, a former aide to Vice President Joe Biden when he was U.S. senator from Delaware, was appointed EPA Region 3 administrator last November. “He will certainly play an instrumental role in our agency’s mission to protect our health and the environment,” EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said at the time.

Garvin joined EPA in 1997, the same year that the comprehensive cleanup of Sparrows Point was supposed to begin.

Mark Reutter can be reached at reuttermark@yahoo.com.