Local
State cites Baltimore feed plant after molasses reached Patapsco River
About 5,000 gallons of molasses entered the Inner Harbor after an overflow at Westway Feed Products’ Hull Street facility. Maryland inspectors found the company violated environmental law and ordered it to stop unauthorized discharges and clean up the release.
A tank overflow at Westway Feed Products sent about 5,000 gallons of molasses into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, prompting Maryland environmental inspectors to cite the company for an unauthorized discharge.
Inspectors from the Maryland Department of the Environment visited the facility at 1075 Hull St. on Oct. 17 after receiving two complaints about molasses near the Patapsco River. The site is less than 200 feet from the river, which is protected for marine life, shellfish harvesting and recreation.
The facility’s site manager, Matt Belstra, told inspectors that a chemical reaction began in a tank shortly after midnight and caused it to overflow around 2 a.m. Belstra estimated that 15,000 gallons left the tank, which was about three-quarters full. Paul Rutherford, vice president of operations for Miller Environmental, estimated that about 5,000 gallons reached the harbor.
During the inspection, state officials saw hot, pressurized molasses continuing to spill from the top of the million-gallon tank, as well as molasses on the ground around several sides of it. No dead fish or immediate harm to aquatic life was reported by inspectors or facility staff.
Crews used a sand berm near the harbor and a waterborne boom to limit the spill’s spread. Vacuum trucks removed molasses, and a Miller Environmental boat assessed conditions in the water. A stormwater outfall near the tank was isolated; inspectors found no nearby storm-drain inlets along Hull Street.
Cleanup crews arrived at about 5 a.m. and began transferring molasses to a larger storage tank. Belstra told inspectors the overflow had stopped by 5 p.m. No further molasses was reported entering the harbor after the release was contained, though cleanup was expected to continue overnight and into the next day.
The Maryland Department of the Environment found Westway in violation of state environmental laws for allowing molasses waste to enter the water. It ordered the company to stop unauthorized discharges and use approved methods to remove the material from the ground and water. The department warned the company could face daily penalties if violations continued. The agency later closed the complaint cases and sent its inspection report to facility representatives.