BALTIMORE — The bright, orange paint chips beneath the 28th street bridge are nearly impossible to miss. They're on the Jones Falls trail, in the leaves, and even in the water.
Last month, they tested positive for lead nearly 36 times the standard amount.
"It can break down into tiny little pieces, and then smaller fish can start feeding on that substrate in our streams, and ultimately that bioaccumulates, which means that we're getting lead poisoning in our fish that ultimately people might consume,” Alice Volpitta said.
Peeling paint chips test positive for high concentrations of lead at three area bridges
Volpitta is the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper with Blue Water Baltimore.
They were first made aware of peeling paint beneath the bridge last month. They’ve since discovered two other bridges that are also shedding lead paint, the Orleans Street overpass in Baltimore City and an I-95 overpass at Potomac and Arbutus avenues in Baltimore County.
Testing results received on Monday revealed they have concentrations of lead 5.5 and about 9 times higher than the standard, respectively.
The group is also now investigating another reported spot at Falls and Clipper Miller Road, beneath the Falls Road exit from I-83 North.
“It's not normal, it's not something to ignore, it's something to be reported,” Volpitta said. “Unfortunately, it just seems like we don't know where the problems are, and so we have to rely on community members to speak up when they see something like this happening."
If you see similar issues, she encourages you to report it to Blue Water Baltimore or the Maryland Department of the Environment, which is investigating both Baltimore City bridges confirmed to be shedding lead paint.
Matt Baris and his rescue-pup, Hugo, usually walk the Jones Falls trail a few times a week, except recently when the path has been icy.
He first noticed the bright paint chips on Monday.
“[Hugo] was really excited to do it and this is his first day in awhile but it might be awhile before we come back, unfortunately,” Baris said. “I’m not sniffing the ground, I’m not eating things off the ground, so I’m more worried about him than myself. But I’m sure that all this running into the Jones Falls is really not good for anybody."
“This is an ongoing investigation. We have directed the City Department of Transportation to collect the chips, handle them as hazardous waste and take steps to prevent the release of additional paint chips,"MDE deputy director for the office of communications Jay Apperson shared in a statement to WMAR-2 News. "We will follow up to ensure that the environment and public health are protected."
It’s not clear when that work will begin. WMAR-2 News reached out to Baltimore City DOT but did not hear back in time before this article was published.
“It seems like too little, too late. But something would be nice, some sort of message or posting or signage of any kind. If you didn't tell me, I wouldn't have known for sure," Baris said.
While state law does allow for financial penalties for violations such as this one, none have been issued at this time.
