Did you know polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) is the second most common type of litter collected by the Baltimore Harbor Water Wheel, known as Mr. Trash Wheel? In Baltimore City, we recognize the need to address our pervasive litter issue yet many of us find ourselves unsure of where to start. As expanded polystyrene…
It has been three weeks since the beginning of the 2017 General Assembly session and our push for a polystyrene phase out is in full swing! Overall, we have received positive feedback regarding SB186/HB229 to eliminate the use of polystyrene to-go packaging. We have been working hard alongside our partner Trash Free Maryland and champions…
January 11th marked the opening of the 2017 Maryland General Assembly legislative session. Blue Water Baltimore will be in Annapolis collaborating with fellow environmental advocates to ensure our local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay are protected. Over the next 90 days, we will be providing up-to-date information on this blog regarding important environmental legislation and…
As the Water Quality Manager at Blue Water Baltimore, my days are usually spent collecting water samples in our streams and Harbor or teaching people how different types of pollution enter our waterways. Earlier this month, I swapped my work boots for a suit jacket when I testified in front of the Maryland House Environment…
[Note: Elise Bruner is Blue Water Baltimore’s Community Organizer.] On March 2, Blue Water Baltimore’s Executive Director, Halle Van der Gaag, Stormwater Program Manager Erin Bennett, and I traveled to Washington, D.C. for Choose Clean Water Coalition’s annual Chesapeake Bay Day on Capitol Hill. Halle joined other environmental leaders from the coalition in encouraging legislators to…
[Katie Dix is Blue Water Baltimore’s Volunteer Manager. She recruits, trains, and coordinates the many volunteers and programs that enable us to accomplish our mission.] Last month nearly seven hundred sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School signed a pledge to reduce their plastic consumption after they viewed Bag It, a documentary about the effects of plastic….
If you support a clean environment and strong, healthy communities, be an advocate for clean water issues at the federal, state and local levels! Blue Water Baltimore is different from other environmental non-profits because we bring the combined expertise of implementation and advocacy together under one roof. Advocacy is the effort to influence an outcome, the…
This year’s report is dedicated to the diverse people and institutions we work with to accomplish our mission of clean water and strong communities. We truly value all those who engage with us as partners in our shared vision of better water quality and a healthier, more vibrant Baltimore region. Below, read excerpts from our…
On September 17, 2015 Blue Water Baltimore, Natural Resources Defense Council, and American Rivers submitted a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking the agency to require certain types of private properties to reduce the amount of stormwater pollution they send into the Back River. Becky Hammer, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Staff…
On Saturday, June 27 the Baltimore region was drenched with over three inches of rainfall in a matter of hours. Whenever large rainstorms like these hit Baltimore, stormwater runoff leaks into our sanitary sewer system through cracks in aging pipes. As a result, the capacity of sewage pipes is overwhelmed and causes massive sewage overflows…