Written by: Ted Shockley
Staff Writer
POCOMOKE CITY — The state environmental department alleges Pocomoke City broke the law by operating an “open dump” at the site and seeks a cleanup plan by Jan. 31.
Municipal officials say they were following a state recommendation to solidify a berm at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The resulting construction debris hadn’t been removed.
Pocomoke City Mayor Bruce A. Morrison said the town likely will submit the plan to the state Department of the Environment by Friday.
“We are in the process of correcting the problems, in the process of getting the plan together,” he said.
An environmental department spokesman said inspectors found “piles of soil containing sewage sludge, concrete, asphalt and solid waste” at the city wastewater plant.
The department ordered the refuse removed in accordance with a cleanup plan, but Morrison said removal was the idea all along. He said the city moved concrete and soil to stabilize a berm on an asphalt-lined retention lagoon. The state asked that the berm be reinforced.
But the state also asked that the grass on the berm be mowed, and the rocky surface left no way to keep the grass down, Morrison said.
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Just as I suspected. MDE can look at a pile of dirt and if they find 3 ounces of sludge, one chip of concrete and a bubble gum wrapper they consider it contaminated. Horrors! Then they announce to the world that the offender is destroying the earth and needs to be punished severely with huge fines and jail time for all concerned. These people are out of control and the only politician who has a record of standing up to them is Mike McDermott.
ReplyDeleteYour friend,
Slim
Slim, I certainly agree with what you have stated.
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