Water Well Permit Denied for Home in Earleville Area Polluted by Federal Dump; Building Ban Looms as State-Local Feud Clouds Prospects for Cecilton Water Line

A CECIL TIMES SPECIAL REPORT The Cecil County Health Department has refused to issue a water well permit needed to build a home in one of the Earleville communities where local aquifers were polluted by the nearby US Army Corps of Engineers dredge spoil dumpsite—a decision that could lead to a virtual building ban on area lots. The health agency ruled that water in the area was not “potable” and therefore state law required denial of a permit. The decision could decimate the property values of lots in the area and prevent construction of new homes, as well as complicating the purchase and sales of existing area homes. It was the first time that a well permit was denied due to water quality problems in the area since a landmark study by the US Geological Survey, issued in January 2013, concluded that the federal government’s dumpsite at Pearce Creek had altered underground water flow in the area and polluted many residents’ water supplies with contaminants, including arsenic and other toxics in some wells. The pollution persists despite the fact that the dump has been closed to new deposits of shipping channel dredge spoils for over 20 years due to environmental [...]