68th Street Dump

Overview

The 68th Street Dump covers 239 acres in Rosedale, Baltimore County, Maryland. Several landfills on the property accepted industrial and commercial waste from the 1950s through the 1970s. The site has been evaluated under the Superfund Alternative Site process, which applies the same investigation and cleanup standards as formal National Priorities List sites. Note: one source states the site was proposed for the NPL in 1999 and re-proposed in 2003 but never formally finalized, while another states it was added to the list in 2003.

EPA identified 24 contaminants of concern at the site. Groundwater contains antimony, arsenic, barium, benzene, cadmium, chlorobenzene, vinyl chloride, chromium, lead, nitrite, trichloroethene, and thallium. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) appear in groundwater, soil, sediment, and solid waste. Benzo(a)pyrene is found in groundwater, surface water, and sediment. Sediment also contains benzo(a)anthracene, endrin, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Selenium is present in soil and solid waste. Three surface water bodies are associated with the site: Herring Run, Moore's Run, and Redhouse Run. EPA has determined that human exposure and groundwater migration are currently under control, though physical cleanup is not yet complete.

Cleanup work stretches back to the 1980s, when the Maryland Department of the Environment removed over 50 drums of waste. EPA conducted expanded inspections in 2000 and 2001. In 2008, parties removed contaminated soils, containers, and batteries under an EPA consent order. A remedial investigation and feasibility study finished in March 2013, and EPA issued a final cleanup plan in September 2013. That plan calls for capping contaminated areas, excavating hotspots, removing surface debris, treating leachate and groundwater through engineered wetlands and biowall systems, and restoring stream banks with native vegetation. In November 2017, EPA finalized a consent decree with over 40 responsible parties, including major corporations, to fund the $51.5 million project.

Active remedial construction began in March 2023 and is expected to finish by late spring 2027. Long-term operation and maintenance will follow. A five-year site review is estimated between March and May 2028. Future reuse options identified for the site include passive recreation and a solar energy facility.

Community members can follow cleanup progress at the dedicated site website, https://www.68thstreetlandfillsite.com/, where EPA posts regular updates. Key documents, including the Final Record of Decision from September 2013, fact sheets, and a Community Involvement Plan, are available online or in person at the Baltimore County Public Library Rosedale Branch, reachable at (410) 887-0512, or at EPA Region 3 in Philadelphia at (215) 814-2396. Appointments are recommended before visiting either location.