November/December 2013
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The Port of Baltimore
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Charmaine Dahlenburg, National
Aquarium Project Manager. “We
educate them through a hands-on
experience.”
In 2011, salt-tolerant shrubs were
planted at the site; today, they are
fully grown. “It’s great to come back
and see it thrive,” Dahlenburg said.
Formerly the location of Kurt
Iron and Metal and the Maryland
Shipbuilding and Drydock Company,
Masonville Cove was also utilized
by the MPA beginning in 2007 as a
DMCF to hold material dredged from
the channels of the Baltimore Harbor.
When the Masonville Cove Nature
Area officially opened in 2012, public
access was allowed to the restored
site for the first time in more than 70
years. Today, it is an urban oasis with
walking trails, a fishing pier and a
floating dock for kayaks and canoes.
The Masonville Environmental
Education Center opened in 2009.
The National Aquarium’s efforts
have been supported by the MPA
and other groups while engaging
more than 1,000 volunteers to plant
more than 45,000 native plants
along the shoreline.
“The MPA is brilliant,” said
Stephanie Pully, National Aquarium
Conservation Technician. Pully
added that it will be “trial and error”
to come up with the best way to
keep Masonville Cove pristine.
MPA Sails Through
Stormwater Permit Inspection
MPA Digs Up a Plan to
Protect Groundwater
N
ot one to bury an environmental threat, the Maryland Port
Administration (MPA) celebrated a milestone recently by removing the
last underground storage tank from its marine terminals. Digging up
the 10,000-gallon heating oil tank was also associated with an HVAC system
change to natural gas, which is a more efficient fuel.
The Port’s Environmental Management System had identified underground
storage tanks as a potential environmental issue since leaks could develop and
be hard to detect. The tank was not leaking and was in full compliance with
regulations, but removing the tank eliminated any potential risk.
“The MPA recognizes the importance of a healthy Chesapeake Bay and is
committed to making water-quality improvements,” said William Richardson,
Environmental Manager for the MPA. “By taking our tanks above ground or
changing to alternate fuel, we have improved our release detection or eliminated
the potential altogether.”
The MPA has removed more than a dozen underground tanks at the marine
terminals and does not authorize the installation of any new underground storage tanks.
“We’re really happy about this accomplishment,” Richardson said.
T
he Maryland Port Administration
(MPA) treats and discharges
the stormwater that runs across
the terminal when it rains, and has
a permit from the state to do so.
Known as an MS4, the permit requires
compliance in six areas, and one of
those areas is an annual inspection.
Last year was the first for completing
inspections on all 10 marine terminals,
and as of early October of this year,
eight of the 10 terminals had been
inspected. Inspectors pay particular
attention to activities and areas
with a potential to contaminate
stormwater, such as construction
work, materials storage, fueling areas,
mobile fueling tanks, equipment
and vehicles, litter and sediment,
waste storage and leaks and spills.
“They’re intense inspections,” said
Jamie Smith, MPA Environmental
Specialist. If any violations are
found, the state allows 90 days for
corrective action to be taken, and
then re-inspects the problem area.
This year, Smith said, the MPA
invited tenants who occupy space
on the marine terminals to come
along for the inspections.
“They’ve been very cooperative
and open to improvements,” Smith
said. “We’ve found dramatic
improvements this year, so the
tenants are very cooperative.”
She added, “Right now, we are
focusing on a preventive action
measure with materials storage — we
have found some materials stored
outside that are exposed to weather,
and we’re helping tenants know what
should be inside or under cover, or
out in the day while they’re working
and then put away at night.”
The MPA has developed a
brochure that gives tenants
guidelines to help them minimize
stormwater contamination.
As part of its best management
practices, the MPA conducts its
own inspections of storm drains and
schedules cleanings as needed; recently
the storm drains at the Dundalk and
Locust Point marine terminals were
cleaned. The cleaning of storm drains
removes sediment and trash, which can
go a long way toward improving the
health of the waterways of Maryland.
KATHY BERGREN SMITH
