Victory at Sea! Dumping Ruled Out at Site 104

In a significant victory for Chesapeake Bay Foundation, its members, and the many others who have been actively fighting against open-Bay disposal of dredged materials, Maryland Governor Parris Glendening on Friday June 30 terminated consideration of "Site 104" as a potential disposal site for dredge material. The state and the Corps of Engineers had proposed to dump up to 18 million cubic yards of materials dredged from Baltimore Harbor approach channels into this area, located half a mile above the eastern high span the Bay Bridge.

"This is a great day for the Bay," said Theresa Pierno, who directs CBF's Maryland Office. "Governor Glendening has done the right thing by removing Site 104 from consideration, and, more importantly, by saying that open-water dumping throughout Maryland’s waters is no longer an alternative for dredge disposal."

The project was terminated after a Corps of Engineers analysis of dredging samples found dioxins, PCBs, and other toxic chemicals in quantities fatal to mussels, worms, and small fish in the Bay.

"CBF has long insisted that open-water dumping has significant environmental impacts and that using `mixing zones' to dilute pollution is an archaic approach to environmental management," said Pierno. "As the state looks at land-based alternatives, it’s critical that it continues to make the health of the Bay and its residents its primary consideration."

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation thanks its many members who have spoken out against Site 104 and open-Bay dumping during the past year.

Posted: 7-11-2000