It’s been a whirlwind of a year on all fronts, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ve navigated through many challenges, welcomed new staff members to our BWB family, and we’re working every day to hold polluters accountable. So, what has your Baltimore Waterkeeper team been up to? Growing our Team of Water Protectors Our…
THE ISSUE: The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has proposed a series of changes to the municipal separated stormwater sewer system (MS4) permits that dictate how much stormwater pollution local jurisdictions can allow, and what they are required to do to offset it. Urban and suburban stormwater runoff is untreated – it kills fish,…
Over the past weekend, thousands of people have taken to Twitter to showcase why #WeAreBaltimore and #WeLoveBaltimore. Residents from all walks of life are sharing positive stories about their lives in Charm City. The outpour of pride and love for Baltimore has taken the world by storm. From world-class seafood to Edgar Allen Poe, there…
(ANNAPOLIS, MD) — For many years, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has called for more extensive testing for toxic chemicals in the waters off the former Sparrows Point steel plant near Baltimore. As recently as 2012 CBF and Blue Water Baltimore filed an appeal in the U.S Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, VA,…
With 2013 now firmly in Baltimore’s rear view mirror, we thought it’d be fun to take a look back at the most popular Blue Water Baltimore blog posts from last year. #5: Baltimore Icons: The Jones Falls Baltimore radio station WTMD produced a great story on Jones Falls. If you haven’t listened to it, you…
Can you imagine a city without impervious surfaces? Actually, engineers call them “impervious surfaces”. People in Baltimore know them as streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and roofs. These hard surfaces make urban and suburban life possible, but they also cause big environmental problems. In a natural environment, soft surfaces like meadows and forests can absorb and…
After a wonderful year and a half as the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper at Blue Water Baltimore, and five years in the Baltimore area, I have decided to move to California in September to “test other waters.” This is a bittersweet farewell for me, as I have grown extremely fond of the Baltimore area, the amazing…
We are excited to announce that the newly released Healthy Harbor Report Card 2012 contains our annual assessment for the Baltimore Harbor. This year the Harbor received an overall grade of C-. The Harbor’s grade, which is based upon 2012 monitoring data collected by the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, was higher than we expected. Still, the Harbor…
[Note: Tina Meyers is the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper.] One of the reasons I love the Clean Water Act, passed by Congress in 1972 to prevent pollution to our nation’s waterways, is that it allows citizens the right to participate meaningfully in the regulatory process. Under the Act, citizens are empowered to help protect their local…
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, and in celebration the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper and Blue Water Baltimore are joining the Waterkeeper Alliance in promoting clean, swimmable waters. The Waterkeeper Alliance has designated today, July 26th, as “Swimmable Action Day.” Few cities depend on water more than Baltimore does, and we are committed…