Baltimore-area drinking water deemed safe following chemical spill near Philadelphia

BALTIMORE, MD—Baltimore’s Department of Public Works has deemed drinking water in the Baltimore region as safe following a hazardous chemical spill that occurred in Bristol, Pa. — outside of Philadelphia. DPW officials have been closely monitoring the situation and confirmed on Wednesday that there have been no reports of the hazardous materials spreading beyond the affected area in Bristol, Pa. […]

Ohio waste water not coming to Baltimore after Mayor Scott denies permit

BALTIMORE, MD—The contaminated waste water from East Palestine, Ohio that was set to be processed at the Back River Waste Water Treatment Plant will no longer be coming to Baltimore. On Friday, March 24, 2023, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works was notified by Clean Harbors Environmental Services that it was selected by the Environmental Protection Agency to accept, […]

Elected officials speak out after EPA selects Back River Wastewater Treatment Plan to treat wastewater from Ohio train derailment

UPDATE: Officials say the contaminated waste water from Ohio will no longer be coming to Baltimore. Original story below… NOTTINGHAM MD—Elected officials are speaking out after it was announced that the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant would be treating wastewater from the recent Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio. On Friday, March 24, 2023, the Baltimore City Department of Public […]

Maryland enters into consent decree with ABF Freight System to resolve allegations of Clean Water Act violations

BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown this week, in partnership with the Maryland Department of the Environment, announced a proposed settlement (consent decree) has been reached with freight carrier ABF Freight System, Inc. to resolve allegations that it violated requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA) relating to industrial stormwater at locations across the country, including one located in […]

Attorney General Brown supports EPA proposal to strengthen regulation of methane emissions

BALTIMORE, MD—Attorney General Brown has submitted comments, as part of a multistate coalition, supporting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) supplemental proposal to strengthen regulation of emissions from new, modified, and reconstructed facilities in the oil and natural gas sector, and to, for the first time, regulate methane emissions from existing facilities, which comprise the majority of the emissions in this […]

Board of Public Works approves funding for clean water, Chesapeake Bay

BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Board of Public Works in Annapolis has approved more than $12 million in grants to reduce water pollution and flooding risks. The board is composed of Governor Larry Hogan, Treasurer Dereck E. Davis and Comptroller Peter Franchot. Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford chaired this week’s meeting. “These are smart investments to advance our Chesapeake Bay goals, protect […]

Attorney General Frosh, Secretary Tablada announce settlement with Eastern Shore poultry processing facility

BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh and Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Horacio Tablada this week announced a settlement with Valley Proteins, an Eastern Shore poultry processing facility that uses poultry industry refuse to make food for other animals. The consent decree settles the lawsuit filed by the Office of Attorney General (OAG) on behalf of MDE in […]

Chesapeake Bay Foundation encouraged by changes to protect declining Chesapeake blue crab population, issues statement on dead zone forecast

BALTIMORE, MD—In response to the lowest abundance of crabs ever counted in the 33-year history of the Chesapeake Bay’s winter blue crab dredge survey, fishery managers at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Virginia Marine Resources Commission this week adopted new regulations designed to reduce the crab harvest. The regulations aim to help the overall Chesapeake crab population rebound. […]