Latest news with #HarborEast
CBS News
20 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Baltimore harbor fuel spill cleanup on track after initial estimate ballooned to 5,000 gallons, mayor says
The diesel sheen remains visible on the water in Harbor East, where 5,000 gallons of fuel spilled on June 4, as estimates surged past initial reports of the amount of diesel in the water. You can still see the diesel sheen on the water in Harbor East where 5,000 gallons of fuel spilled last week as estimates surged past initial reports of the amount of diesel in the water. CBS News Baltimore Bigger than initial estimates At first, authorities thought 200 gallons of fuel had spilled. That quickly grew to 2,000 gallons, then to 5,000 gallons. The latest eye-catching estimate was contained in a single sentence in the third paragraph of a joint news release from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Friday night. "As part of their ongoing cooperation, Johns Hopkins reported an update that approximately 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel are believed to have leaked," the joint statement read. "There continue to be no impacts to drinking water or air quality in the area." Mayor Scott's response At City Hall on Monday, WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren asked Mayor Brandon Scott about ongoing remediation efforts and whether he was confident about the 5,000-gallon estimate. "What we've heard from Hopkins is they are very confident that that is the amount," Scott said. "We obviously as a city cannot be the folks; we're not going to take the responsibility for saying how much because we didn't spill it." The ballooning amount of fuel that made its way into the Harbor came as a shock to some in Harbor East. "How could they not have known that in the first place if the truck had a certain amount of capacity?" asked Maryland resident Eric Smith. "We know that numbers are going to change, and they will be adjusted, but at least give us—best case scenario, it was this, the worst case scenario, it will be this." WJZ saw on Monday more protective barriers in the water and crews monitoring the area. The response is scaled down as the spill transitions from an emergency to remediation, the city said. Streets have all reopened, and water taxi service is back to normal. How did the fuel spill happen? The spill began on the Johns Hopkins Hospital campus on Fayette Street near Broadway when a contractor overfilled emergency generators. That diesel fuel washed through the storm drains to the Baltimore Harbor. Johns Hopkins has promised to pay to clean it up. "As I spoke to [Baltimore Fire] Chief Wallace last night, he felt very confident we were in the place where we needed to be, being able to open up some of the roads and things like that," Mayor Scott said. "The team has done a great job. We'll just continue to monitor as we move forward and make the adjustments necessary. But as of right now, the remediation of this has gone as smoothly as possible," Mayor Scott said. Ryan Workman, from Taylor Oil Company of Brooklyn Park, told WJZ that backup generators can have 10,000-gallon tanks. Environmental impact Dr. Scott Knoche, with Morgan State University, studies the economic impact on the environment from fuel spills. He also directs the Patuxent Environmental & Aquatic Research Laboratory. "It's nice to have a responsible party already identified and one that is committing to the process," Knoche said. "Those longer-term impacts can take months or years, or in some cases longer than that, to fully understand." WJZ cameras spotted many turtles in the canal along Lancaster Street, which has been cleared of pools of fuel. WJZ cameras spotted many turtles in the canal along Lancaster Street, which has been cleared of pools of fuel. CBS News Baltimore That diesel fuel was easy to spot because of its red dye. "The greater the magnitude, the more of the fuel in the water—all else equal—you're going to have greater chances of injuries, but that being said, the response appears to have been fairly quick," Knoche said. "I'm encouraged by the rapid response. Again, no one wants to see anything like this happen, and I'm sure there will be lessons learned to prevent the next one from occurring, and that's important, too." The Waterfront Partnership still expects the Harbor Splash public swimming event for June 21 to continue. The Maryland Department of the Environment is now leading the remediation efforts at the scene.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Baltimore's Harbor East roads back open near the harbor 5,000-gallon fuel spill
Roadways in Baltimore's Harbor East have reopened near where more than 5,000 gallons of fuel spilled into the Inner Harbor on Wednesday, June 4. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said on Sunday that "significant progress" has been made in the clean-up response. The remaining efforts to clean up the harbor are being scaled back. City officials said Central Avenue between Lancaster and Point streets is open ahead of Monday's peak hour traffic time.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Cleanup continues into the weekend after 5,000 gallon diesel fuel spill
Crews returned to Harbor East Saturday to continue cleaning up lingering fuel that spilled into the harbor Wednesday. What was initially thought to be a 2,000-gallon spill is actually a 5,000-gallon spill, according to Johns Hopkins on Friday evening. The red tint seen across the harbor earlier this week is now hard to spot after crews spent the last few days cleaning up the harbor. Though streaks of fuel in the water could still be seen on Saturday. "I was just walking around. I heard about the oil spill," said Baltimore resident Matthew Aubourg. "Just wanted to check it out for myself and see what some of the impacts might be in the area." Aubourg said he's thinking ahead, hoping Johns Hopkins does everything to make things right. "That they also pay for and account for the externalities of the impacts," he said. "So, not just the cleanup but the things that the spill has impacted, and putting in the necessary precautions so that this doesn't happen again." Response updates On Friday, Governor Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott wrote in a joint statement that there continues to be no impact on drinking water or air quality in the area. They said the operation is transitioning from an emergency response to a remediation response. "Contractors hired by Johns Hopkins will continue work to clean the remaining spill onsite," the statement reads. "As the scope of the cleanup remains fluid, the scene is expected to remain active over the weekend." Baltimore Water Taxi service The Baltimore Water Taxi did not operate on Saturday due to the containment boom at multiple locations. That includes harbor trolley services and harbor cruises. The water taxi service said it did not include any private charter bookings, as that vessel was out of the area of containment prior to the boom being placed. Traffic impacts Service along the Harbor Connector Route 1 Line from Maritime Park to Locust Point is suspended until further notice. Harbor Connector Routes 2 and 3 will continue to operate. The Charm City Circulator is starting to run a shuttle service from Fleet and Caroline to Key Hwy and Hull Street for Harbor Connector passengers in need of transport. All watercraft should avoid the area between Harbor Point and Henderson's Wharf until further notice. The Central Avenue roadway will remain closed between Lancaster and Point Street as operations continue. These closures include pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Baltimore scrambles to clean up 2,000-gallon diesel fuel spill in harbor
Crews were working on Thursday morning to contain and clean up a 2,000-gallon (7,570-liter) diesel fuel spill in Baltimore's harbor, according to state and city officials. Initially, the Johns Hopkins hospital reported a contained 200-gallon diesel fuel spill at its East Baltimore facility on Wednesday morning, but a few hours later the fire department responded to a 911 call for a spill at a marina in Harbor East more than a mile away, officials said. The state, city and US Coast Guard began coordinating a response to the spill. In an update at about 7pm, Johns Hopkins reported that 2,000 gallons had spilled, officials said. More than 100 people worked through the night to make sure that the situation was under control and contained, the Maryland governor, Wes Moore, said at a news conference. Baltimore's mayor, Brandon Scott, stressed that there's no evidence to suggest that the spill was affecting drinking water in the area. A boom was deployed on the water and crews later began to skim the heating oil product off the water, the city's fire chief, James Wallace, said. They had begun to flush the storm drain system to push the product to the harbor where there were skimmers to capture it, he said. That effort will continue through most of the day on Thursday. Officials explained that the water appears red due to dye in the fuel. 'Very speedy response, solid coordination, partnership with our state and federal resources have put us into the position right now,' Wallace said. 'That's what's going to drive the remainder of the day and actually the coming days.' Officials expect the containment and cleanup efforts will disrupt traffic well into the day on Thursday, and they encouraged people to avoid the area.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
About 2,000 gallons of diesel spills in Baltimore waterfront, US officials say
June 5 (Reuters) - A 2,000-gallon diesel spill that originated at a hospital facility in Baltimore, Maryland, on Wednesday tainted a waterfront in a popular tourist spot in the city, but there was no impact on drinking water in the area, officials said on Thursday. The spill originated from a Johns Hopkins Hospital facility near the marina and was initially estimated at only 100 gallons, the office of Maryland Governor Wes Moore said in a statement. The spill has been contained in the marina in Harbor East, an area roughly 100 by 250 yards, the statement added. Moore's office said that the water in the area had turned red due to dye in the diesel fuel, and that the U.S. Coast Guard was working with a contractor on cleanup efforts. "My team and I are currently onsite at Fells Point, where there's been an oil spill of unknown origins," Moore said in a post on X earlier on Wednesday, before the origin of the spill was identified. Fells Point is a historic, waterfront neighborhood in the city. Johns Hopkins Hospital was engaged in response, according to the governor's statement. The hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
