MONTGOMERY COUNTY SIERRA CLUB CALLS FOR

ADDITIONAL FINES FOR TURKEY BRANCH FISH KILL

The Montgomery County Group of the Sierra Club is calling for Montgomery County to increase the fines it charges businesses that pollute the environment. Currently the maximum fine the county can levy is $500. “This amount is so small that it can be justified as a cost of doing business,” said Betsy Johnson, Chair of the Montgomery County Group.

Last week Chamberlain Contractors applied sealant (coal tar, kaolin, and latex) to the
parking lot of North Gate Shopping Center when a heavy rain washed it into underground stormwater chambers. Some of the sealant was released and .8 miles of Turkey Branch were polluted killing a thousand fish, a thousand crawfish, and other aquatic life. Ordinarily asphalt sealant should not be applied within 24-36 hours of a predicted rain. Rain was predicted for that evening. The company was fined $500 and ordered to pay clean up costs of up to $7000.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has recommended to the state’s Attorney General that the contractor be fined the maximum $10,000 and be required to submit a plan on how to avoid future violations of the Clean Water Act. “Clearly $10,000 would make them sit up and take notice,” Johnson said.

“This is déjà vu all over again” quipped Jim Fary, Conservation Chair of the Montgomery County Group. “It was only two months ago that we were reporting on the huge Rock Creek fish kill due to a spill of cypermethrin directly into the creek. To have another occurrence now in a major tributary of Rock Creek points up the lack of oversight by the county. Mr. Duncan’s administration needs to get tough on companies that violate our environmental laws. We need higher penalties, but also more inspectors who will help to educate those who handle hazardous materials.”

We’ve stated it before and we state it again: Training and supervision of those who handle hazardous chemicals should be mandatory. And that training should include how to dispose of the substance in a way that will not harm our environment. Our health and the health of our families and our natural world depends on this

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