BALTIMORE (March 30, 1998) -- The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has established a "Zone of Dewatering Influence" (ZOI) for the Greenspring Quarry that is operated by the Arundel Corporation. The quarry is located on the west side of Greenspring Avenue in Baltimore County.

The Greenspring Quarry ZOI is approximately 4,600 feet long from east to west, and 600 to 1,600 feet wide from north to south. The ZOI boundary runs 300 feet wets of the quarry edge, west to a geologic fault located 1,400 feet west of Greenspring Avenue.

Limestone mining operations are required to repair sinkholes in the ZOI if MDE determines that the sinkhole resulted from quarry dewatering. Companies also are required to replace a water supply that fails due to declining water levels caused by quarry operations at no cost to the property owner. If the sinkhole damage cannot be restored to its pre-subsidence condition, the quarry owner must pay monetary compensation to the property owner. MDE will investigate any complaint of sinkhole or water supply failure in the area of the zone.

Under a 1991 Amendment to Maryland's Surface Mining Law, MDE is required to develop ZOIs around all limestone quarries in Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, and Washington counties. The zones are based upon local topography, watersheds, geologic and hydrologic factors. MDE conducts field investigations and evaluates any available information such as groundwater studies and well monitoring data when establishing ZOIs.

The remedies provided by the ZOI do not apply to improvements that are made within the zone after the effective date of the zone. The effective date for the Greenspring Quarry is March 17, 1998.

Person wishing to report a complaint of a sinkhole or water supply failure should contact MDE's Mining Program at (410) 631-8055.

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