Baltimore pushes back against EPA order to cover more sewage backups

Baltimore officials are pushing back against an order from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to assist residents with a wider range of sewage backups into their homes. Currently, under a pair of pilot programs, the city sends cleanup crews to Baltimore residents’ homes — or reimburses cleanup costs — only if a backup was caused by wet weather, which can overwhelm the aged sewer system because of cracks where rainwater can enter.