Rain barrels can be extremely effective at reducing stormwater pollution and our clients love them! But they are not always trouble-free. Have you been having any issues with your rain barrel in the recent storms? After we experienced a storm that produced over one inch of rain in one hour or less we heard about…
Stormwater runoff is a long-ignored and growing source of pollution and sediment—which hurts the quality of our streams, the harbor and the entire Chesapeake Bay—and causes flooding and property damage. Our 2012 Healthy Harbor Report Card grade of C- illustrates the impact that stormwater pollution can have even in a relatively dry year. Baltimore City…
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?…
From the desk of Halle Van der Gaag, Executive Director The 2013 Maryland General Assembly is here! This is a preview of the legislative issues on which Blue Water Baltimore will be focused this year. Check out our blog and our website often–more specific details, actions steps and bill numbers will be updated on our…
[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…
As a staff member who spends most of her time in front of a computer and out in the field assessing homes for runoff reduction opportunities yesterday was an exciting change of pace and more than a little bit rewarding. I’ve spent the past three years working for Blue Water Baltimore (and the Jones Falls…
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…
In the United States we are blessed to have tremendous protections afforded to us by the Clean Water Act and other Federal and state environmental laws. Citizens of other nations lack the most basic legal protection preventing sewage or untreated industrial waste from contaminating their drinking water and natural resources. However, great legal protections do…
Note: BWB staff member Brian Dawkins is an Americorps Public Ally who performs site visits, installations, and outreach for our Water Audit program. On Friday, April 27th, Blue Water Baltimore teamed up with Eastwood Elementary Magnet School for their 5th Annual Environmental Fair. As BWB’s representative at the fair, I was asked to speak to…
Rain is great. I heartily encourage my kids to stick out their tongues and catch a few cold drops of precious spring moisture every April. Rain on impervious surfaces, however, is bad. In our developed environment, impervious surfaces such as streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and roofs are often more prevalent than green space. And lacking…