Gore continues to work with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and third-party technical experts to evaluate groundwater, soil and surface water conditions near certain Gore facilities in Elkton, Maryland.
This update summarizes site investigation activities at Cherry Hill, Fair Hill, Appleton and Elk Mills campuses between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026. These activities are part of Gore’s ongoing work, which began in 2023, to collect and analyze site-specific data, develop a detailed understanding possible of conditions at each site, support residents where appropriate, and help inform next steps in coordination with MDE. Where the data indicates remediation is needed, the goal is to develop an appropriate remedial approach, obtain MDE approval and move that work forward.
Recent Progress At-A-Glance
- Cherry Hill: Submitted a revised Interim Remedial Action Plan; conducted shallow soil sampling and provided the sampling results to MDE; proposed a revised surface water and sediment sampling plan; and provided MDE a third iteration of the Cherry Hill Conceptual Site Model (CSM).
- Fair Hill: Installed seven groundwater monitoring wells on offsite Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) property, collected groundwater samples from the new wells and provided MDE with a revised Fair Hill CSM.
- Appleton: Installed two new offsite monitoring wells, one deep and one shallow, and collected groundwater samples from the new wells in September.
- Elk Mills: Provided MDE with revised and additional work plans for additional soil sampling, monitoring-well installation and expanded residential well sampling.
The work completed during this period advances each site investigation and the review process with MDE. The information collected through sampling and monitoring, together with the technical analysis reflected in the Conceptual Site Models and other plans, helps Gore and MDE evaluate site conditions and determine appropriate next steps.
Site Updates
Cherry Hill
Recent work at Cherry Hill focused on Gore’s submission of a third iteration of its Conceptual Site Model (CSM) and an updated report of findings on PFOA in groundwater to MDE in September. A CSM brings together data about groundwater, soil, geology and other factors to provide a current technical understanding of conditions at a site. This process is an important step in developing a shared technical understanding of conditions that can inform decisions about whether additional investigation or remedial actions are appropriate.
Field and planning activities also continued in accordance with approved work plans. In July, Gore submitted a revised Interim Remedial Action Plan. In August, Gore collected four shallow offsite soil samples and will provide MDE with the results. Gore also submitted a revised Cherry Hill surface water and sediment work plan to MDE. That work will be incorporated into a future iteration of the Cherry Hill CSM.
Fair Hill
At Fair Hill, Gore installed seven groundwater monitoring wells on offsite DNR property in August and collected groundwater samples from the new wells in September. Gore also submitted a revised CSM to MDE that incorporated additional information about geology, hydrogeology, soil and groundwater quality in September. The updated technical information will help inform future work at the site.
Appleton
At Appleton, Gore installed two additional offsite monitoring wells, one deep and one shallow, and collected groundwater samples from the new wells in September.
This work builds on investigation activities conducted earlier in 2026. From March through May 2026, Gore installed monitoring wells, conducted aquifer testing, and collected soil, surface water and groundwater samples. The additional offsite wells and groundwater sampling conducted between July and September 2026 add to the information being gathered to support development of the Appleton CSM, which is planned for late 2026.
Elk Mills
At Elk Mills, Gore provided to MDE a revised work plan for additional soil sampling and monitoring well installation. In September, Gore also submitted a work plan to expand residential well sampling. The work-plan process helps define where additional sampling is proposed and the basis for selecting particular sampling locations.
Soil sampling and monitoring-well installation began in late September.
Next Steps
The sampling, monitoring, technical analysis, and report updates and submissions to MDE between July and September 2026 continue Gore’s effort to build a clearer understanding of conditions based on data at each location.
Gore will continue advancing the investigation at each site in coordination with MDE. As the technical record develops, we will work with MDE to determine whether additional testing and investigation are needed and, where the data indicates, plan for and advance remediation activities.
The timing and specific next steps will vary by site, based on actual conditions and available data.
Committed to Continued Communication
Gore understands that questions about water quality matter to our community, and we remain committed to sharing regular updates as site investigation and response activities continue.
Members of our community with questions can contact Gore at [email protected].
