Maryland shares more information about Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant explosion

The “working theory” on the explosion last week at a building on the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant campus is that it might have been ignited after hot oil escaped from a leaking pipe, according to an inspection report from the Maryland Department of the Environment. The explosion blew holes in three walls of the building, which is operated by a private contractor called Synagro, and the firefighting efforts covered the first floor in 6 to 8 inches of water, according to the state’s report. No one was injured, but the building remains closed.