The Elkton Farm site is located at 183 Zeitler Road, Elkton, Maryland. The farm itself consists of approximately 400 acres and is situated in a rural setting just north of Triumph Industrial Park. The farm is currently owned by MARVA Limited Partnership. The property has historically been a working farm. For a brief period in the mid 1940s to early 1950s the property was impacted by military operations. MARVA Limited Partnership, the current owner, leases the property to a commercial farming operation that continues to rotate several seasonal crops through the Elkton Farm’s fields. There are no access limitations to this property.
The Elkton Farm Firehole site is located two miles northwest of Elkton, Maryland near the intersection of Routes 40 and 279. The Firehole property occupies approximately 32-acres of the 400-acre Elkton Farm and is located just south of Zeitler Road between Little Elk Creek and Laurel Run. The most recent use of the site has been as a working farm. During the decade before and during World War II, the parcel had been the site of activity related to the manufacture of fireworks and munitions.
The Firehole parcel is located on the USGS Bayview/Newark West quadrangles at approximately 39°38’ north latitude and 75°53’ west longitude and has a Maryland grid coordinate of 655,000 N and 1,117,500 E. The roughly triangular 32-acre site is bounded on the west by Laurel Run, to the north by Zeitler Road, and to the East by Little Elk Creek. A gravel access road bisects the western quadrant of the site. The Firehole is in this western quadrant west of the gravel road. Land use surrounding the site is primarily agricultural/residential, with an area of medium to heavy industry property to the southeast across Little Elk Creek.
The EPA Region III Removal Response Section, via memo dated 1/05/05 was asked by EPA Region III, Brownfields and Site Assessment Section, to assist in evaluating subject site for a potential removal action of unexploded ordnance and potentially TNT contaminated soils at or just below the surface. The OSC visited the site on 01/13/05 and met with an MDE representative.
The OSC has initiated a Removal Site Evaluation for determination of the implementation of a time critical or emergency removal action to mitigate any imminent and substantial threat to human health, welfare and the environment. The OSC, with assistance from its START contractor explosive ordnance personnel, review of all relevant historical documents and consultation and coordination with Maryland Department of the Environment will determine the direction of this response action
To be determined.
The OSC will evaluate the need for posting of warning signs and or erection of security fencing. The site is essentially a farmland in a rural setting. The site does have remnants of hunting activity and/or target practice. It is also utilized as an active crop generating farm. If a time critical removal action is warranted it is anticipated that this action be initated after the winter season and in early spring.
The OSC is working with EPA and MDE attorneys to obtain site access so that posting of warning signs can be initiated. In addition, the termination of farming activities at the firehole will need to occur to prevent further surfacing of ordnance.
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