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…
Today, Blue Water Baltimore filed a notice of intent to sue a chemical factory for releasing more than twelve times permitted levels of nitrogen pollution into a tributary to the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay. The notice is the first legal action to result from a systematic review by our Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper and the Environmental Integrity…
When we were putting together our 2012 Annual Report – our first as a merged organization – we wanted to illustrate how we work on water quality issues in Baltimore. This infographic was created by our designer, Redstart Creative, to highlight the four major sources of water pollution in Baltimore: sewage, polluted runoff, trash, and…
Hi! My name is Erin McVey and I am the new Rain Barrel and Water Audit Program Coordinator at Blue Water Baltimore. Having just moved to Baltimore, it is great to be out and about getting to know the city and talking to residents about ways they can make a difference on their property by…
[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…
[Note: Lisa DeGuire is the 2012-2013 Chesapeake Conservation Corps member for Blue Water Baltimore. She assists with greening projects, environmental education, and the Clean Water Community Initiative.] Today, the Clean Water Act turns 40! Although I wasn’t yet born when the Clean Water Act was enacted, I have been reaping the benefits my entire life….
This month I had the honor of participating in one of the most inspiring events I’ve experienced since I started my position as Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper: the public hearing on the draft Baltimore City stormwater (aka MS4) permit. You might be wondering what the heck is so inspiring about a pollution permit hearing? I’ll tell…
My name is Tina Meyers and I just started two weeks ago at Blue Water Baltimore as the new Baltimore Harbor WATERKEEPER for Blue Water Baltimore. I am SUPER excited to be your new on-the-water advocate, and I can’t wait to get to know our supporters in more depth. However, there is an urgent issue…
Last week, in the first part of this two part series on water pollution, I explored the connection between energy, water, and pollution. This week my focus is on the home: how water and pollution are connected to where we rest our heads. You’ve likely heard the terms stormwater and urban runoff (if you’d like…
[Note: This post was written by Dana Puzey, program manager for the Water Audit program, and is the first of a two-part series on how you can reduce your ecological footprint as an individual.] When you are tuned into local environmental issues, you hear the rallying cries against water pollution all the time: Save the…