Fort Detrick (Frederick, Potomac, Walkersville: lawyers, home, employment)

[Southern Star]

We were considering a move to the Frederick area and spent a considerable amount of time researching the area. At first, we absolutely loved the town of Frederick but then we looked up the history of the fort and specifically the operations that took place within its walls. Now we are not sure of what we are going to do.
Does anyone have any knowledge about Fort Detrick and how it affects life in Frederick, Md?

[MidValleyDad]

If you mean the stories of cancer clusters Many of us believe it is very overblown. If you mean its history of being a center for chemical and biological warfare I don't think many people even think about it. There have been a few isolated incidents but nothing worse than at any other research center connected with major universities.


Overall it is a major employment center If you don't work on base it is easy to ignore (except that it reduces alternate routes around the west side of the city) I have heard many stories that bear no relevance to reality.

[LesLucid]

We’ve lived here 25 years and highly recommend it. Ft. Detrick is a major employer here and home to USAMRIID and, for many years, a large contingent from NCI, NIAID, even some USDA presence. It has a large work force of very highly educated civilian and military life science researchers. I worked with that community of people and can guarantee that if there was any concern among those best qualified to know, we would all know about it by now. I think they’re a good neighbor and a valued part of the community in Frederick.

[Southern Star]

Thank you both for your thoughts. I really appreciate that you took the time to respond but we are still concerned over the lengthy EPA and court reports that are online and point out that dangerous chemicals have reached water sources outside of Area B and are possibly spreading.
You cannot imagine our disappointment. In the hours since I posted this question, I have read hundreds of pages including litigation relating to this environmental disaster.
Are either of you aware of any documented reports that prove otherwise?

[LesLucid]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

Thank you both for your thoughts. I really appreciate that you took the time to respond but we are still concerned over the lengthy EPA and court reports that are online and point out that dangerous chemicals have reached water sources outside of Area B and are possibly spreading.
You cannot imagine our disappointment. In the hours since I posted this question, I have read hundreds of pages including litigation relating to this environmental disaster.
Are either of you aware of any documented reports that prove otherwise?

Our water comes from Lake Linganore and is routinely tested for all kinds of stuff. I think most of the rest of the city water comes from the Monocacy River. Both of them have sources with a lot of water movement and little connection with Detrick ground water as far as I know. If you were using well water near Detrick, it might be an issue in some areas but I just haven’t heard about it as an issue. People are more concerned about schools, neighborhood developments, etc., the usual stuff.

Can you provide some links to some of the things you saw that have you concerned? I only did a quick search and found this. This is an actual study, not a press report or article. Please see the “Conclusions” section on page 36.

https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/IDE...maryReport.pdf

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

Thank you both for your thoughts. I really appreciate that you took the time to respond but we are still concerned over the lengthy EPA and court reports that are online and point out that dangerous chemicals have reached water sources outside of Area B and are possibly spreading.
You cannot imagine our disappointment. In the hours since I posted this question, I have read hundreds of pages including litigation relating to this environmental disaster.
Are either of you aware of any documented reports that prove otherwise?

The affected water sources were private wells that have all been closed off and the properties connected to the public system which gets its water from Lake Liganore (about 10-15 miles away) or the Potomac River (which further downstream supplies Washington DC and other major systems.


I do not believe the ground contamination was any worse than many other industrial sites from the pre to early EPA era. Because of the 'notoriety' of Ft Detrick.


Public water systems in Maryland have to make their annual quality report public. Many of the communities around Frederick (Walkersville, Middletown, etc) have their own independent water systems. All public water systems in Maryland have to make their annual water quality reports public. I know Middletown's is on the town Website. I suspect Frederick does the same thing.

[Southern Star]

It is interesting how easy it is to present facts in various “lights”. The lawsuits resulting from the entire Fort Detrick area have ended in dismissals based upon technicalities - a testimony to the abilities of the lawyers to steer cases to their desired outcomes. The fact remains that Fort Detrick is a superfund site and includes areas that to this day have not been cleaned up according to the EPA.

[LesLucid]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

It is interesting how easy it is to present facts in various “lights”. The lawsuits resulting from the entire Fort Detrick area have ended in dismissals based upon technicalities - a testimony to the abilities of the lawyers to steer cases to their desired outcomes. The fact remains that Fort Detrick is a superfund site and includes areas that to this day have not been cleaned up according to the EPA.

Which still doesn’t mean that public drinking water supplies are compromised in any way yet detected. Personally, I’m more worried about buying seafood sourced from the Pacific Ocean.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

It is interesting how easy it is to present facts in various “lights”. The lawsuits resulting from the entire Fort Detrick area have ended in dismissals based upon technicalities - a testimony to the abilities of the lawyers to steer cases to their desired outcomes. The fact remains that Fort Detrick is a superfund site and includes areas that to this day have not been cleaned up according to the EPA.

I lived in Frederick about 11 years ago, and have participated in lots of threads on this topic. The advice you are being given is accurate. If you live right by the Fort and start drinking well water, you should be worried. Live anywhere else, and drink from anywhere else, and nothing at the Fort is likely to affect you except the traffic it causes.

[Southern Star]

Thank you for your reply. It is very encouraging.