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Sparrows Point and its surrounding residential areas have long borne the effects of heavy industrialization from activities of the local steel industry. In 1956 the Bethlehem Steel Company undertook a major expansion project, and the families in the town of Sparrows Point were given eviction notices. The surrounding communities of Edge mere, Dundalk, Turners Station, and Anne Arundel County, however, were left to deal with the impact of the air, land, and water quality issues raised by the steel operations of Bethlehem and other major industrial concerns that have located in the Sparrows Point area.
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The dangers to local communities, as well as the interests associated with the use and enjoyment of the Chesapeake Bay, led to several consent decrees that were entered into between the U.S. Government, the State of Maryland, and Bethlehem Steel Corporation, under which Bethlehem undertook obligations to minimize the emissions of kish, clean-up operations related to landfill operations, disposal of waste materials, and groundwater monitoring.
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A dedicated group of individuals, including Russell Donnelly, Guido Guarnaccia, Carolyn Jones, Sharon Beazley, Hope Janicki, Linwood Jackson, and Dunbar Brooks, took the lead in pressing for full implementation of the consent decrees against Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The community leader for the Dundalk area was the Greater Dundalk Alliance, an umbrella organization that communicates with dozens of community associations to educate, inform, and network on issues of importance to people in the region.
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Subsequent efforts have been undertaken to stop the establishment of a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal by the AES Corporation, and dredging in the Sparrows Point area.
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The steel plant has changed hands several times and other industries have moved into Sparrows Point, as well. Many current residents are the children or grandchildren of the original Bethlehem Steel plant workers. Residents today have a historical stake in their property and a greater awareness of the legacy of the problems created by pollution of the air, land, and water. They wish to reap the rewards of the enjoyment of their properties and their community, without undue suffering inflicted by their industrial neighbors.
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