HEBRON, Md. -- According to the Maryland Department of the Environment, between 35,000 and 50,000 gallons of DAF leaked out of the poultry waste tank. MDE tells us the cause of the leak was a pipe failure.
DAF material includes matter removed from wastewater from poultry processing.
According to MDE, the Maryland Department of Agriculture was the first agency to respond. Since then, MDE's Water Compliance Program has been on-site, monitoring the cleanup.
A contractor hired by the tanks owner, Biff Burns, is handling the cleanup efforts.
From Chopper 16, you could people in what appeared to be hazmat suits walking around the wetlands. It also looked like the leakage was being sucked through a giant yellow hose and being fed into tanker trucks stationed right behind the poultry waste tank.
From the ground, you could see crews gathered on the left side of the tank, closest to the woods and wetlands.
Bruce Nichols, who runs a Christmas tree farm about a half mile from the tank, said while it normally produces a bad smell, he noticed it was much worse this past weekend.
"The odor was ungodly when we stepped out of our house," said Nichols.
Bill Jones, who lives in Hebron, said he's hoping some good comes out of this incident.
"It's a shame it happened because I don't want it to contaminate anything," said Jones. "On the other hand, I think it might be a benefit because it's bringing attention to a problem that should be solved."
MDE has not provided a timeline for when this issue will be resolved. They said their focus is on providing oversight and guidance for the removal of the material and restoration of the wetlands once the cleanup is complete.
