In the Maryland legislative session that starts today, there will undoubtedly be hearings on a variety of bills seeking to weaken, delay or even repeal the stormwater fee. But addressing Baltimore’s urban polluted runoff problem can’t wait, so we need to remind our legislators that the program they passed in 2012 deliberately and critically allows for local flexibility….
Curtis Bay, a community in south Baltimore, is home to more than seven thousand residents. Soon, it could also be home to a plant producing carcinogenic emissions from burning as much as 4,000 tons of shredded tires, vinyl, construction debris and other waste per day. All within a mile of two public elementary and high…
In the next week, there are important hearings about SB 576 / HB 1086, also known as the “Maryland Bag Bill,” to reduce the number of plastic shopping bags that litter our streams. The bill establishes a five-cent fee for single-use plastic and paper carryout bags with the proceeds to be split among retailers, counties,…
If you live in Baltimore, hydraulic fracturing (aka “fracking”) in Maryland might seem like someone else’s problem. After all, it’s not very likely that we’ll see fracking in Patterson Park. Yet, Blue Water Baltimore is taking a strong stance that we need a ban on fracking in Maryland. And we think you should too. Why?…
Stewards of streams and rivers in highly developed areas like Baltimore inevitably spend more of their energy on restoration than on conservation. We often feel this dynamic at Blue Water Baltimore. Occasionally, though, a true conservation opportunity arises and recently one has: preserving Dipping Pond Run. Dipping Pond Run is an intact stream system and…
Blue Water Baltimore is evaluating candidates for the position of Baltimore Harbor WATERKEEPER. Applications were due by December 5, 2011. Keep an eye out for future announcements. The program overview, components and job description are below for reference. Demonstrated passion for our watershed and five years minimum experience in the environmental field are required; legal background…
Blue Water Baltimore’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce Halle Van der Gaag as our new Executive Director. Having served as the Deputy Director of Blue Water Baltimore since its creation in 2010, Halle will immediately and seamlessly take the helm of the organization as it looks to expand its volunteer programs,…