Maryland agency, CSX reach settlement over Curtis Bay explosion

BALTIMORE — The Maryland Department of the Environment and CSX Transportation have reached a settlement over charges stemming from a December 2021 explosion at the railroad’s Curtis Bay Coal Piers, with CSX required to pay $100,000 for an environmental project in the neighborhood where the blast occurred.

The railroad will also pay a $15,000 penalty to the department, must make safety improvements to the coal facility, and coordinate with city officials to improve emergency responses and notification procedures, according to the Department of the Environment press release.

The explosion on Dec. 30, 2021, caused no injuries but led to significant damage to the facility, and caused broken windows and other damage to nearby residences [see “Explosion damages CSX coal facility …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 30, 2021]. The Department of the Environment had cited CSX for air pollution violations from the explosion, sending the matter to the state attorney general’s office for further action [see “State cites CSX …,” News Wire, July 25, 2022]. The settlement cites five alleged violations.

The $100,000 will go to the South Baltimore Community Land Trust to turn a vacant building into a community center for environmental research, education, and training; there is also an option to use the funds to purchase an electric van, charging station, and cover associated vehicle costs to provide transportation for students of the Towson University Department of Sociology and Anthropology-Ben Franklin High School environmental education program.

The Department of the Environment said in its release that it decided it was appropriate the settlement “include the uncommon provision of requiring that the bulk of the penalty go to a community project because of the effect of the explosion on the neighborhood and the longstanding environmental injustices affecting Curtis Bay residents.”