A black and white picture of a plastic bag in the middle of a sidewalk. The bag features a smiley face that says "Have a Nice Day!" The Baltimore plastic bag ban will help curb plastic bag litter like this.
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Baltimore’s Bag Ban: What Will It Do? What’s Next?

Eight attempts at a Baltimore plastic bag ban have come and gone since 2006. Today, nine times proved to be the charm.  This morning, Mayor Jack Young signed the Comprehensive Bag Reduction Bill into law. The signing drew dozens of advocates, city officials, press, and community members together.  In Baltimore, plastic bags are everywhere. They…

A woman without gloves or protective equipment holding a trash bag cleaning up after a sewage backup into her home. (Credit: John Klein / Journal Sentinel).
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Action Alert: Speak Up and Rally Against Sewage Backups

Sewage doesn’t belong in our streets – or our homes.  Speak out against sewage backups into buildings in Baltimore City. Join us at Baltimore City Council’s upcoming hearing on sewage backups and a pre-hearing rally! Wednesday November 13, 2019 4pm: Rally at War Memorial Plaza (will also be livestreamed on our Facebook page) 5pm to…

A sewer overflow discharging brown sewage into a local waterway.
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Action Alert: Speak Out About Sewage Backups

Sewage doesn’t belong in our streets – or our homes. When it rains in Baltimore, millions of gallons of sewage flow into our streams, rivers, Inner Harbor, and even our homes. Sewage backups in homes and buildings are a big problem in Baltimore. Heavy rainfall coupled with the city’s crumbling infrastructure causes toxic sewage to back…

Black and white plastic bangs hanging from a downed tree branch. A Baltimore bag ban could cut down on plastic pollution in our local waterways.
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Imagine Baltimore Without Plastic Bag Pollution

Baltimore is trying to ban plastic bags…again. This time, the ban has a big chance of becoming law…with your help. In Baltimore, plastic bags are everywhere. They fly down our streets, get caught in trees, clog our waterways, and harm our wildlife. A bill to ban plastic bags in Baltimore City has been over a…

Headshot of Mariel Yarbrough wearing a black blazer with a cream colored wall and a U.S. flag in the background.
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Holding Polluters Accountable: A Look At the Work of Mariel Yarbrough

Blue Water Baltimore plays a critical role in identifying pollution in our waterways and taking action to stop it. Thanks to key provisions in the Clean Water Act that give the public the right to directly enforce against polluters, we can hold them accountable and stop pollution at its source. There is no shortage of water pollution…

three women standing on rocks near a river
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Baltimore Water Watch: Presenting Our 2018 Water Quality Scores

How’s the Water, Hon? Blue Water Baltimore is thrilled to announce the launch of our new water quality mapping platform: www.baltimorewaterwatch.org!  We worked with the experts at Chesapeake Commons for our new innovative approach to data visualization.  For the first time ever, we are able share in-depth information about the specific measurements of water health…

two people sitting in the water next to a wall with graffiti on it
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Victory! Court Rules in Favor of Blue Water Baltimore and requires EPA to act on Stormwater Pollution

A federal district court in Maryland ruled last week that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wrongfully denied our petition to regulate stormwater runoff from commercial, industrial, and institutional sites in the Back River watershed. Blue Water Baltimore and its allies took this fight against dangerous stormwater discharges to court so that polluters who contribute…

a woman holding up a sign in front of a building

2018 Legislative Update: Victory for Baltimore City & Chesapeake Bay Funding

Blue Water Baltimore’s advocacy efforts resulted in some major wins, some disappointments, and some hopeful signs for the future this legislative season. As always, we are deeply grateful to all our members, supporters, and community partners who wrote letters, made phone calls, came to our rally days, and made donations to help support our efforts….

Maryland General Assembly Session of 2017

The 2017 Maryland General Assembly session has come to a close. Throughout, Blue Water Baltimore was on the ground in Annapolis, collaborating with fellow environmental advocates ensuring our local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay are protected. This session brought a strong showing of bi-partisan support and a commitment to protecting Maryland’s citizens from the health…

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Blue Water Baltimore Challenges EPA’s Failure to hold Stormwater Polluters Accountable

Blue Water Baltimore and its allies are taking the fight against dangerous stormwater discharges to court so that polluters who contribute to the runoff of hazardous contaminants into our waterways are made to clean up their own mess. Along with co-plaintiffs Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and American Rivers, Blue Water Baltimore is suing the…