Federal, state, and Baltimore city leaders have shifted to the remediation phase of the large-scale cleanup after thousands of gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the Baltimore harbor. The fuel flowed from an outfall in the Harbor East neighborhood. In the days following the spill, we have learned it was much larger than originally thought.
The spill was first announced by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) as being “approximately 100 gallons of oil from an unknown origin”. On Wednesday just before 1 p.m., it sent a red sheen over the water near the Living Classrooms Foundation docks, under the bridge connecting the Harbor Point development with Harbor East. Some diesel fuel is dyed red to indicate it is for use in heavy equipment like off-road vehicles or generators, and is exempt from the taxes on-road vehicles face.
MDE says about two hours before a 911 caller first reported the red sheen near Harbor East Marina, Johns Hopkins Hospital had reported a “contained 200-gallon” diesel spill at their East Baltimore facility at 1780 E. Fayette Street, about 1.3 miles from the outfall. But by Wednesday evening, MDE updated the amount of diesel fuel in the water to 2,000 gallons and determined the spill was not, in fact, contained. By Friday afternoon, Johns Hopkins reported that a total of 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel had spilled.
The Baltimore City Fire Department responded along with MDE, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland – National Capital Region, and Miller Environmental Group, and other contractors, who used oil absorbents, skimmers, and a 4,000-gallon pump truck to remove fuel from the water. The spill was limited to a 100-by-250-yard area of the docks.
By Thursday afternoon, the Coast Guard says 18,000 gallons of oil-water mixture had been collected by skimmers along with 400 gallons of fuel collected by sorbent material.
Blue Water Baltimore, the waterkeeper organization for the city’s waterways, says the spill’s location in a canal is really lucky, since emergency responders were able to deploy booms across the canal. However, the Blue Water team observed that some diesel was escaping the containment area, which is expected. The Coast Guard categorizes this kind of escaping pollution as “non-recoverable”.
The Coast Guard said it is still working with Tri-State Bird Rescue to monitor any wildlife impacted. Blue Water Baltimore noted that a few waterfowl were removed from the spill area and loaded into animal crates to be cleaned. It’s good news, however, that no evidence of a fish kill surfaced, says Waterkeeper Alice Volpitta.
The spill is in the canal where Baltimore’s first “turtle island” was placed in 2022 and is a popular spot for aquatic turtles to sun themselves. The National Aquarium and Maryland Department of Natural Resources have also been consulted about wildlife in the area.
Road closures disrupted traffic between Southeast Baltimore and downtown as crews worked for days to contain the diesel.
The spill brought up questions about the Waterfront Partnership’s upcoming events, the Baltimore Flotilla on Saturday, June 14 and the Harbor Splash on Saturday, June 21. At the flotilla, several dozen paddlecraft launch from various locations in the city and rally at the Inner Harbor to raise awareness about water pollution. As of Tuesday, the Baltimore Floatilla is still on for Saturday.
The Harbor Splash allows 200 pre-selected swimmers to jump into the harbor as a celebration of the progress Baltimore has made in water quality. The swim, which sold out in less than 24 hours, takes place at the Bond Street Wharf in Fells Point, on the opposite side of Harbor Point from the site of the spill.
Adam Lindquist, Executive Director of the Waterfront Partnership, said he was “deeply saddened and frustrated” by the fuel spill, but expressed gratitude to MDE, the Coast Guard, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Maryland Governor Wes Moore for taking quick action to clean up the spill.
Lindquist said the spill is not “substantially impacting the larger harbor” but points out it is a dynamic situation. “Waterfront Partnership will be monitoring it closely to assess any potential impacts on water recreation events scheduled for later this month, including the Baltimore Floatilla and Harbor Splash,” he tells us.
Blue Water Baltimore, who routinely test water quality at several areas around the harbor and posts them for the public, encourages people to check water conditions to determine the risk for themselves. “This type of episodic pollution [one-time spills] is one of the unique challenges facing an urban waterway,” Volpitta says. “Things like this are unpredictable.”
