THE AOC HAS BEEN NEGOTIATED WITH THE EPISCOPAL MINISTRIES FOR THE AGING, INC ( RESPONDENT ) FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING FOR ACCESS BY EPA AND ITS REPRESENTATIVES TO THE 300-ACRE PROPERTY OWNED BY RESPONDENT AND LOCATED AND ABOUT OBRECHT ROAD IN SYKESVILLE, CARROLL COUNTY, MARYLAND (THE SYKESVILLE OIL SITE OR SITE ). SPECIFICALLY, THE ORDER PROVIDES THAT EPA AND ITS EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, CONSULTANS, CONTRACTORS, AN OTHER AUTHORIZED AND/OR DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVES, SHALL HAVE TO ACCESS THE SYKESVILLE OIL SITE IN ORDER TO ABATE, MITIGATE AND/OR ELIMINATE ANY THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE AND THE ENVIRONMENT POSED BY A DISCHARGE AND/OR THREAT OF DISCHARGE OF OIL AT OR FROM THE SITE BY CONTAINING AND PREVENTING THE MIGRATION OF OIL FROM THE SITE TO ADJOINING SHORELINES AND NAVIGABLE WATERS, ASSESSING THE EXTENT OF THE OIL CONTAMINATION AT AND FROM THE SITE, RECOVERING OIL FROM THE SITE AND PROPERLY DISPOSING AND/OR ARRANGING FOR THE REUSE OR RECYCLING OF THE RECOVERED OIL OR OIL-CONTAMINATED MATERIALS.
THE SITE INCLUDES A WOODED AREA AT THE BOTTOM OF A STEEP SLOPE. AN UNNAMED CREEK FEEDING PINEY RUN RUNS THROUGH THIS WOODED AREA. PINEY RUN IS A TRIBUTARY TO THE PATAPSCO RIVER. IN JANUARY, 2004, MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT ( MDE ) DISCOVERED # 2 DIESEL FUEL SURFACING FROM AN UNDERGROUND-FED SPRING AND DISCHARGING INTO THE UNNAMED CREEK. BEGINNING IN EARLY MARCH 2004, MDE PERSONNEL ENLISTED THE SERVICES OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP CONTRACTOR TO MITIGAT