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Assateague Island, located off the Maryland and Virginia coasts, is famous for its wild horses - also known as Chincoteague ponies, after the Chincoteague Bay that separates the barrier island from the mainland. Capable of withstanding harsh island conditions, these hearty creatures are believed to be descendents of those brought to the island in the late 17th century by mainland owners looking to avoid fencing laws. They are now split into two main herds - one on the Virginia side of the island and the other on the Maryland side.

For years, sand dunes along the island's shores have protected its four-legged inhabitants, as well as its bustling ecosystem, by preventing potential flooding. However, an early winter storm wreaked particular havoc along the shoreline.

"We do beach replenishment about every five years, but the recent winter storm caused a lot of devastation to this area," says John Arford, area supervisor with the Maryland Department of General Services.

Consequently, the State of Maryland's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) called on MARCOR Remediation, Inc., headquartered in Hunt Valley, MD, to perform emergency repairs. This would require rebuilding and replenishing more than 5,000 linear ft. of dunes around the island.

Moving sand by the tons
MARCOR Remediation is a large specialty contracting company performing a full range of environmental contracting services. These include industrial cleaning, asbestos and lead hazard abatement, mold remediation, plant/process decommissioning and demolition, soil and groundwater remediation, emergency spill response, gun range remediation, storage tank management and restorative cleaning projects.