Baltimore

"I don't want to be sitting here when something happens and we didn't do everything we could possibly do to prevent it."

In Baltimore, Clean Water Action has been working for two years to prevent further oil train traffic from passing through our city and to make sure the City government, emergency services, and the public know all of the risks and health impacts that oil train shipments can cause. Our campaign is only a part of a nation-wide effort to stop oil trains, and the past few weeks have seen a lot of important victories and news across the country.

When Baltimore City’s sewer system was first installed in 1909, it was considered cutting edge technology. Now, after over a century of neglect, it is undersized and outdated, and has led to raw sewage flowing into the city’s waterways and flooding residents’ basements.

Stormwater runoff is one of the leading contributors to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. After big storms, the water carries whatever is on the ground and in the streets into our waterways. Impervious surfaces, such as the roads and pavement that cover densely populated areas, don’t allow rain to seep into the ground, causing more polluted stormwater to enter the Bay.

On Saturday, July 30th, a flash flood devastated Ellicott City. Approximately six inches of rain fell in two hours, which carried away over 100 vehicles and caused millions of dollars of damage to the City’s roads, sidewalks, and buildings. Not only was there severe destruction of infrastructure, but the storm also killed two people who were swept away by the water.

On Monday, July 4th, a sinkhole formed on West Mulberry Street in Baltimore City. Located between Greene and Paca Streets, this sinkhole will block traffic on Mulberry street for weeks and has already caused transportation officials to close a ramp off of U.S. Route 40 that led to downtown Baltimore. Not only is this sinkhole an inconvenience for traffic, but it is also unsafe. An inspector from the Department of Public Works (DPW) was injured as he examined the sinkhole when the ground collapsed under him, which widened the sinkhole.

Wednesday, July 6th marked the third anniversary of the deadly oil train explosion in Lac-Mégantic, when 47 people lost their lives in the fires caused by train cars carrying crude oil derailing and breaching in the center of their town.  In commemoration of this tragedy, over 60 communities across the continent put at risk by oil trains are holding vigils and protests this week to draw attention to the deadly risks of these shipments. In Washington DC,  we j

Last night, the Baltimore City Council held a public hearing on two ordinances that would provide transparency and accountability for how funds being collected from Baltimore City residents intended to be used for stormwater infrastructure improvements and environmental restoration are being spent. Check out the bills for yourself:

One of my favorite places to ride my bike in Baltimore is the Jones Falls Trail between North Avenue and Druid Hill Park. The trail follows the last section of the Jones Falls before it flows underground in pipes underneath downtown on its way to the Inner Harbor, in a narrow stream valley below the traffic of I-83.

I’d like to introduce myself as Clean Water Action’s new Maryland Program Organizer! I started just two weeks ago, and I could not be more excited to work with you to protect clean water and healthy environments in our state.