Chemical Metals Industries, Inc.

Overview

Chemical Metals Industries, Inc. sits on two separate parcels along Annapolis Road in the Westport neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. One parcel housed a chemical manufacturing facility and precious metals recovery operation. The other served as storage for waste and scrap metal, and had previously been a gas station. The site was proposed for the Superfund National Priorities List in 1981 but was never finalized on it, and was formally deleted in December 1982 after initial cleanup work was completed.

The main contaminants are 1,1-Dichloroethane, Tetrachloroethene (PCE), and Trichloroethene (TCE), found in soil and groundwater. The primary health concerns are contact with or inhalation of these compounds. Early response actions addressed a more immediate danger: some drums on site contained cyanide stored next to acidic materials, a combination that can release lethal hydrogen cyanide vapor. EPA removed those damaged tanks and leaking containers in 1981 and 1982, then capped and paved the affected areas.

A 1998 inspection found the asphalt cap deteriorating and exposing contaminants, so EPA returned to remove additional contaminated soil beneath it. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), with EPA support, also installed vapor intrusion mitigation systems in three nearby homes and an onsite building to reduce exposure risks. Soil and groundwater sampling and subsurface screening were conducted as part of further site characterization.

Current assessments show human exposure is under control, meaning no unacceptable pathways exist for people to contact the contamination. Groundwater migration is also under control. Physical cleanup construction is complete. However, the site has not yet met all cleanup goals across its entire area, and some land-use restrictions remain. MDE now handles ongoing operation and maintenance under a Memorandum of Agreement with EPA, continues groundwater monitoring, and operates an emergency response field office at the chemical manufacturing property. The former gas station parcel sits vacant.

Community members or interested parties can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator, Angela Unoarumhi, by phone or email for questions about the site. The Remedial Project Manager, Mitch Cron, is also available through EPA Region 3. Administrative records and decision documents can be reviewed online or in person at the EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with an appointment required for in-person visits.