You'd think they would have generators or something to stop it. This is horrible. Maryland has the worst waters and millions of tax $$ pour into it to save the bay. Gotta wonder if the spills all came from the governors mansion.

B and C Creek - Back River Waste Water Treatment plant isn't listed in the article.

What an amazing lack of environmental responsibility this shows! These spills seem to happen so often; one would think preventing future spills and further damage to our ecosystem would be a priority! The bacterium contained in the sewage not only damages the health of Back River and the Chesapeake Bay but has also been proven to destroy coral and invertebrates thousands of miles away!

Baltimore County is under a consent decree because of these things happening to the pump stations. All pump stations are being worked on at considerable expense. It is amazing that back-up power was not available. All the work and money spent on the waterways and these type things set us back years. Unforgiveable!!!

I know they uised back up generators at the pumping station on Sue Grove road, and i believe they used one at the Bauernschmidt Manor Pumping station as well. My questions is: WHat is Baltimore County going to do to help restore water quality and ensure this does not happen again?

They dip into funds meant for certain issues then they say no money like they do with transportation. Yet they have no problem hiring extra people to do work they should be doing themselves. Maybe 3-4 hours a day is a bit much. Omalley and others had money for their vacations for the good of the state of maryland bs..

Kevin, this illustrates just how fragile our infrastructure is across the board.

Your question is a good one and look to the flooding article on Brentwood Ave. in Dundalk for that answer. That issues was 20 years in the making and the county did noting to resolve it.

If they spent as much time in correcting existing problems as they do on the PUD process there would be a lot less suffering encountered by the taxpayers.

Poor leadership and this is not the first time that term has been used.

More BS from the usual suspects.
This has nothing to do with PUD's or vacations or leadership or Chaz Bono on "Dancing With The Stars".

We had a hurricane. It was a 50 year event. You can't put 8 gallons of crap in a 5 gallon bucket.

Not a 50 year event, they had this problem just during a heavy rain. See - http://essex.patch.com/articles/millions-of-gallons-of-sewage-overflow-into-back-river

This situation is unbelievable! I hope someone is doing the followup reports and asking all these important questions/concerns we (the people) have !! While at it, what can "we" do to help this situation, besides giving tax money??

Sad thing is that in a few weeks this issue will be forgotten and will only come up again when the next overflow happens. Everything seems to be about money and elections.

What I find upsetting is that OMalley is furiously pursuing restrictions on development using septic systems RATHER than encourage development that makes use of clustering homes on new and innovative systems. The implications are many but two primary concerns are that this drastically limits land value, tax potential and quality of living for residents and secondly, will require that our aging public sewer be forced to accept increased volume without the capital or design to update the infrastructure. All of which is preached from behind the mask of environmental stewardship. It a load of cr**. Pun intended.

Stranger there is a lot that can be done. Accountability is the first order of business. Read today's article on the investigation into the loss of $35 billion by the Pentagon on the Iraq war while they tippled the no-bid contracts handed out.

One of the reports is to be released Wednesday by the bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting.

Leadership and fiduciary accountability at all levels of government is at the core of many of our problems.

ROTFLMAO.I thought that was all fixed by BGEhrlich's "Flush Fee"

I'm a hands-on type, so by "what can we do to help?" , meant that I am one that is willing to help w physical labor to clean up (if it's even possible). So, back to the issue at hand, the county and the business has to deal w preventing this from happening again, but what can be done to "clean up" the damage done?? Rather then argue, let's use that energy for good.

Robert, you are a like a deer tick: sometimes just an irritant, sometimes a vector of disease, but always a parasite. Governor Ehrlich understood the threat of nonpoint source pollution and acted to protect the Bay within the constraints presented by the Maryland political machine. His approach to protect the freedoms of and promote the balance between environmental stewardship, development and the farming industries was an honest approach to encouraging us all to live responsibly and accountably. Your ignorance and sarcasm reveal you have little to offer the world by way of constructive thought and suggestion.

Keep sitting in your ivory tower and spewing nonsense Schmuck. It would probably behoove you to spend a day in the real world.

Johnny well stated. How else can you deal with one who lacks the education and decorum to engage in any kind of discussion without being bigoted, condensending, crass and fabricating his entire existence.

He wants us to believe he has three college degrees, speaks 6 languages and retired from the military as a major. Anyone with that kind of background would never respond the way he does.

Johnny, sadly though it just does not register with him. I guess that illustrates his maturity level.

He speaks of the real world and yet uses a fake head. He speaks of the real world and makes ludicrous claims as I stated above.

He provides nothing of any credible conformation to any of his claims.

He constantly uses this phrase that can be summed up by this You Tube clip and the empty room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCIWob4qxPA

Go back to sleep you old Goat.

anyone now what are tax $ is being spent on/ what will md be tax for next to cover the cost to fix this problem/ all i have read is a bunch of mombo jumbo and taking this in different directions keep on topic/ how and when will this be fixed and what is it going to cost me/ again what have we been paying for/

Walker, these links might shed some light on the costs issues. It is probably too early to attach a total dollar amount. There will be loses associated with the prolonged power outages.

The ultimate costs will be shared by the insurance companies, local, state and federal governments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEM5Q1TbY2Q

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/28/us-hurricane-state-cost-idUSTRE77R1R620110828

Let's see if the Tea Bagger politicians will accept the Federal Government's help or if they are just a bunch of hot air.

I guess we know now. Head Tea Bagger Cantor is holding out unless he gets massive cuts to First Responders.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/08/30/307557/eric-cantor-wont-support-any-hurricane-disaster-funding-without-massive-cuts-to-first-responders/

The sad part of this if the government did it's job i.e. the ATF debacle among others the money would be there.

Take the medicare fraud issue; there is $60 billion right there.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/23/60minutes/main5414390.shtml

Then there is another $35 billion squandered in Iraq just on construction gaffs.

It's almost like the housing crisis when the government allowed people who could not afford it, jump into a mortgage they could not pay for. Accountability will reduce wasteful government spending.

There could be the dollars if only the government had any sense.

LOL What ATF debacle and how much money did it cost?

A fake head does not have the ability to possess knowledge, like this story that has been in the news for weeks.

It relates to the accountability of government and their decisions whether it be this issue or matters of fiscal spending. It refers to leadership or lack-thereof.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/30/sources-atf-director-to-be-reassigned-amid-fast-and-furious-uproar/?test=latestnews

Either does a draft dodging stooge that managed to get himself fired from the County.

There's no traction to that story. It's just another fake drama staged by the NRA.

"It's just another fake drama staged by the NRA.", not exactly.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/23/eveningnews/main20035609.shtml

http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/DarrellIssa-CharlesGrassley-ProjectGunrunner-OperationFastandFurious/2011/06/15/id/400174

"There's no traction to that story.", not exactly, look at the date of the CBS story, FEBRUARY, 2011!

robert please get your facts straight. boltimore county waste water is in the process of up dating our pumping stations. when that is done they are installine back up generators. they learned after katrina hit new orleans and their pumps failed that relieing on b g e wasent as good as it use to be. so the flush tax is going to that up grade. if you would like to pay for these up grades your property tax will go up because your sewage is paid in them. please research before you sound stupidthanks.

Accountability at all levels of government has been missing longer than most of us have been around. The gov. approved public education system lacks the substance needed to teach the truth about government.... accurate, true curriculum. The lack of education leads to a dumbed down.... apathetic community that does not have the ability to organize an effective solution that will in fact hold elected officials accountable for decisions and actions.
The handful of folks that participate in various blog arena's seem to be on top of things for the most part, but until accountability with real teeth is put into action at the local level first, the larger level government will continue to function without fear of being held accountable. It's just the way it is. Positive change has to begin at the local level with citizens taking the lead. The elected" public servant " officials work for us... if we can't give them direction, they will continue to wander aimlessly with their own agenda. Good leadership requires good leadership. We the people have been missing the target for a very long time by not giving direction and holding the gov. accountable. Blogs are a good start..... hope it doesn't take too much longer to make the shift.

Buck, I always try and be truthful and as accurate as I can. I make mistakes like all of us do and don't mind accepting responsibility for them.

I know that our voices are being heard. Patch is front and center as the focal point of county government. They make it a point to read it on a daily basis.

Thanks for your comment.

Very interesting banter here but you all are like the politicians we abhor. Bickering back and forth, pointing fingers, lots of hot air but no real action. Buzz-I appreciate your efforts to back up the facts with links and articles. I truly grasp and behold the idea of accountability but the true meaning of the word escapes us. I read some of the broken sewer lines were upgraded, relined, and improved within the last 1.5 years. Who did the work? Isnt there a warranty? They obviously didn't do a proper job. I can hear it now, "the system wasn't built for these situations." Well, who designed the improvements? Who authorized the plans? Who handed out the contract? Why did they give the contract to whoever did the work? I am positive all the answers to the above questions will be laced with corruption, ineptitude, greed, and confidence the decision maker will never be called out. Accountability: it has to start somewhere, it has to start sometime. I am willing to commit my time, who wants to join me? Not sure how to get started but I am a fast learner. I am so sick of this country. I use to fight for the reputation of the USA amongst friends who were bitter. Now, sadly, I am one of them. This country is broke and we as a people will only fight and bicker over the ideas of how to fix but not a thing will ever be done to actually move forward. Very sad time in America. I really wish I was alive to see the Greatest Generation in action

How right you are David. As long as governments give out contracts to the lowest bidder, the lowest possible quality and warranties will be the rule. I live in the Towson/Lutherville area, which is chock full of watermains installed in the 60's by the lowest bidder. For more than a decade we have had regular and frequent watermain failures that are causing major damage to roadways, homes and businesses. The faulty pipes were of a poor quality, the company who did the work, AND the contractor are out of business. 40 years is not too old for pipes, either. When they did the excavation for the Towson Roundabout, they discovered a wooden water main from the 1800's, still in working order.

David,
Your thoughts of where our country ( and counties) have come to are spot on...
Stopping greed that is " in power" is a monumental task. Those in power realize that public apathy allows them to continue with their greed driven processes. I believe that small opportunities to convert some of this apathy to public power exist... this site is a clear example. The process of educating a dumbed down public is like swimming against a strong current though. Our society is similar to a drug addict.... we must hit rock bottom before the healing will begin. Each day will present you with a new opportunity to share the sentiment... turn apathy into action for some real "Greatest Generation" change. It worked for them! It takes a relentless commitment to effect change when things are this far out of control.