D.C. Beltsville is located in the northern portion of Prince Georges County, Maryland. Large agricultural plots and 800 buildings, including research laboratories, administrative offices, shops, greenhouses, barns, and a few houses are located on the site. Of the 16 sources of hazardous wastes BARC has identified to date, only the Biodegradable Materials Disposal Site was evaluated in detail initially. A trailer park, high school, several housing developments, and many other Federal installations are located within 4 miles of the site. Paint Branch, Little Paint Branch, Indian Creek, and Beaver Dam Creek collect drainage from BARC, which flows to the Anacostia River and eventually to the Potomac River.
Hazardous substances threaten the wetlands adjacent to Beaver Dam Creek.
Fisheries in the Northeast Branch and the Anacostia River provide a habitat for the Bald Eagle, a species designated as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and for the Swamp Pink, a flower designated as a threatened species. The description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.