Bear Creek is a tidal waterway next to Sparrows Point peninsula in Baltimore County, Maryland. More than 100 years of steelmaking by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, which operated from 1887 to 2013, left hazardous substances in the creek's sediments. Contaminants migrated into the water through mill processes and wastewater and stormwater discharges. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) on March 16, 2022, making it eligible for long-term federal Superfund cleanup funding.
The sediments contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo(a)pyrene, and metals including arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. Oil and grease are present at concentrations high enough that bottom-dwelling invertebrates cannot survive in some areas. People can be exposed by fishing, crabbing, or recreational use of the water. The Maryland Department of the Environment has issued a fish consumption advisory for ten fish species and blue crab in the Patapsco River-Baltimore Harbor Watershed due to PCBs. EPA assessments indicate that human exposure is currently under control and there are no unacceptable human exposure pathways, though cleanup construction is not yet complete.
On-land contamination sources are being handled by the current facility owner under Maryland Department of the Environment and EPA oversight. The Tin Mill Canal, a major source of contamination to Bear Creek, has already undergone extensive removal and capping work. In September 2024, EPA approved a removal action called Alternative 4, which combines capping with partial sediment removal and offsite disposal for sediment within a designated removal action area. From September to November 2025, EPA and its contractor completed sediment, water, and soil sampling to inform the removal action design. In April 2025, EPA conducted surveys to map the creek bottom, identify obstructions, and document shoreline features. That investigation data is now being evaluated in technical reports before removal action design begins. A separate remedial investigation and feasibility study for sediment outside the removal action area is estimated to start between June and August 2026.
Pre-design investigations are expected to take 12 to 18 months, followed by about one year of design work and approximately two years for the removal action itself. The site has three operable units covering the full site, sediment inside the removal action area, and sediment outside it. Cleanup technology decisions for those units are still under review. Community members can stay involved through EPA's Community Involvement Plan, developed using local interviews. EPA plans additional outreach tied to the pre-design studies and removal action design.
