February 25, 1999 marked the second anniversary of Bethlehem Steel's promises to reduce pollution from its Sparrows Point plant in exchange for settling state and federal lawsuits. Since those promises were made very little has been done that has resulted in less pollution on the site. In addition, the company actually has asked the state to increase the amount of copper and nickel that its Sparrows Point facility is allowed to dump in Baltimore Harbor.

According to William C. Baker, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, when the consent decree was signed, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Maryland Department of Environment officials were quoted as saying the agreement would "go a long way towards resolving the facility's environmental problems" and "improve the health of the local community and contribute to current progress being made in the Chesapeake Bay." "Two years later, little has been done, and Bethlehem Steel remains one of the single biggest polluters of the Chesapeake Bay," Baker said.

The federal Toxic Release Inventory documents the amounts of toxic metals, carcinogens, and reproductive toxins that companies report releasing to the environment. It reports that in 1996, the last year for which the record is available, Bethlehem Steel Sparrow's Point plant discharged 1,532,566 pounds of toxic chemicals, with 237,944 pounds of them discharged into four rivers-Old Road Bay, Bear Creek, Jones Creek, and the Patapsco River--that feed directly into the Chesapeake Bay. Those discharges included:

• 1,246,522 pounds of toxic metals, 47,711 of them into the water;
• 111,758 pounds of carcinogens, 9,579 of them into the water;
• 7,900 pounds of reproductive toxins, 3,150 of them into the water.

Baker noted that in the consent decree, Bethlehem Steel promised to:

• assess the plant's releases of hazardous wastes, address immediate threats, and propose clean up plans;
• reduce polluted wastewater discharges to the Bay;
• minimize wastes and begin recycling;
• reduce air pollution from the plant's basic oxygen furnace;
• improve operation of two landfills;
• reduce the amount of fine, metallic dust (called "kish") released into the air.

To date, according to Bethlehem Steel officials, the company has studied current conditions at the Sparrow's Point mills and grounds and filed a report with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The report describes the facility, identifies the nature and extent of contamination, and documents interim cleanup measures being undertaken at the site. The next required step is actually to document the nature and extent of contamination and to gather information to support a proposed remediation plan.

"Citizens simply should not be satisfied by this slow progress--or by the fact that the EPA seems to be satisfied with it," said CBF's Baker. "At this rate, the children born on the day the agreement was signed will have their drivers license before Bethlehem Steel completes cleanup of the site."

Furthermore, examination of state records by CBF reveals that even while Bethlehem Steel slowly fulfills its obligation under the consent decree, the company has asked the state to increase the amount of copper and nickel its Sparrows Point facility is allowed to dump in the harbor. Specifically, Bethlehem Steel is asking for special permission to discharge 50% more copper and 100% more nickel than allowed under the current state water quality standards.