Industrial wastewater discharge caused by freezing temperatures

CORDOVA - Freezing temperatures may have contributed to approximately 400,000 gallons of industrial waste from the Allen Harim wastewater treatment plant in Cordova being spilled onto the ground and into the Tuckahoe Creek.

On Monday, Jan. 8, at approximately 10:30 a.m, the Talbot County Health Department's Office of Environmental Health received notification of an industrial waste overflow from the wastewater treatment plant.

Investigation of the overflow by representatives from the Talbot County Health Department and Maryland Department of the Environment indicated that industrial waste in the form of biological solids overflowed from one of the tanks at the treatment facility.

The overflow was believed to have been caused by the severe freezing temperatures, which led to the disruption in the wastewater treatment operation.

The waste was discharged to the ground surface. Due to the freezing temperature, most of the overflow froze on the ground surface. However a portion of the overflow reached a tributary of Tuckahoe Creek.

Company officials took immediate action to address the situation and began the clean-up/recovery of the waste. Stream samples have been collected to monitor the water quality of the impacted tributary.

No impact to human health has been identified. At this time, the recovery process is on-going.

Staff from the Talbot County Health Department's Office of Environmental Health can be reached at 410-770-6880 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.