Back in November 13, 2025, SBCLT members and South Baltimore residents turned out to oppose a construction permit for Petroleum Recovery and Remediation Management, Inc. (PMI) to build two large mixed-fuel storage tanks across the street from Benjamin Franklin High School in Curtis Bay.
On November 9, 2026, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) announced their denial of PMI’s construction permit, citing the project’s environmental justice score of 97.3. An MDE spokesperson told the Baltimore Brew “that the proposed project poses an unacceptable public health risk and that Petroleum Management Inc. cannot ensure safe, compliant operations.”
Here in South Baltimore, we’ve known that PMI is a negligent, polluting company for a long time. In 2022, a PMI employee was killed on the job in an explosion caused by 16 safety violations in the facility. This summer, South Baltimore residents woke up to horrific gas odors from a PMI fuel oil spill along Pennington Avenue (pictured above), stretching for a half mile, flowing into the city’s storm drains, and causing days of nausea and headaches. This hazardous event was monitored by SBCLT in collaboration with local residents.
This permit denial is considered “tentative” at the moment. Community members and PMI have opportunity to request a public hearing or submit written comments before a final decision is issued.
