[CPEO-MEF] COAST GUARD: Curtis Bay (MD) agreement signed

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

U.S. EPA Region 3 News Release
September 16, 2008

Agencies sign agreement for cleanup of U.S. Coast Guard yard


PHILADELPHIA (September 16, 2008) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency today announced the signing of a federal facility inter-agency 
agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard for the cleanup of the Curtis Bay 
Coast Guard Yard Superfund site in Anne Arundel County, Md.

"This agreement is a significant milestone that will benefit the local 
community and environment. The agreement shows that EPA and the Coast 
Guard are on the same page on how we will move forward to clean up the 
site," said Donald S. Welsh, administrator for EPA's mid-Atlantic Region.

The agreement requires that the Coast Guard thoroughly investigate 
environmental impacts associated with past activities, and that 
appropriate actions be taken in order to protect the community and the 
environment. The agreement identifies roles, responsibilities, 
processes, and schedules EPA will follow to protect the environment and 
support approved land uses.

Federal facility agreements, required by Superfund, are now in place at 
more than 150 federal facilities nationwide. The Curtis Bay agreement is 
the last of those required by civilian federal agencies.

Located six miles southeast of Baltimore, the Curtis Bay Coast Guard 
Yard was listed on the Superfund National Priorities List in Sept. 2002. 
The 113-acre facility provides support for the Coast Guard, including 
the design, construction and repair of ships and boats. During its peak 
use during World War II, the yard was a fully operational shipbuilding 
facility.

Former site-related activities are suspected to have contributed to 
contamination of soils, groundwater, surface water and sediments. Soil 
samples reveal certain areas with semi-volatile organic compounds, 
metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides and dioxin. 
Sediment samples taken in Curtis Creek have indicated elevated metals 
concentrations suspected to be associated with dry-dock operations. For 
more information on the history and status of the cleanup, visit: 
http://www.epa.gov/reg3hscd/super/sites/MD4690307844/index.htm .


...

For the original press release, see
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/c47fac5e75365726852574c600529c09?OpenDocument

--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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