Fall 2024
Baltimore Civil Rights Complaint Targets Incinerator
In the fight for environmental justice and cleaner air and water, CBF worked with the South Baltimore Community Land Trust, Environment Integrity Project, and community advocates to file a Title VI Civil Rights complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the pollution and health concerns caused by Maryland’s biggest trash incinerator. The complaint states that Baltimore’s Department of Public Works failed to adequately transition away from its reliance on the Baltimore Refuse Energy Systems Company (BRESCO) trash incinerator for waste management, causing unjust health risks for communities nearby.
BRESCO is the largest stationary source of industrial air pollution in Baltimore. A 2017 CBF study concluded that living near BRESCO is equivalent to living with a smoker. Its emissions contribute to respiratory issues and heart conditions and pollute the air and local waterways. The complaint was filed in May 2024, and shortly after in July, EPA agreed to accept the complaint and investigate further.
Maryland Highways Need Better Pollution Control
This summer, Maryland had a major opportunity to significantly reduce the amount of polluted runoff from the state’s extensive network of highways, bridges, and roads from entering the Bay. Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) issued a new stormwater management permit—a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit—to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)’s State Highway Administration (SHA).
This permit covers a huge surface area. MDOT SHA manages nearly 15,000 lane miles and roughly 2,600 bridges. Regulations are necessary to effectively mitigate the harmful effects of oil, gas, and other pollutants that rainfall washes off of roads and into local waterways. But in many cases, Maryland’s MS4 permits have fallen short for water quality, relying on outdated rainfall data and prioritizing ineffective “check‑the‑box” practices. Stormwater runoff remains one of the fastest‑growing sources of pollution in the watershed. To address this, CBF worked closely with advocates and municipalities to incorporate critical enhancements to MDOT SHA’s permit that will have lasting benefits for the Bay watershed.
Oyster Restoration in St. Mary’s River
This summer, CBF added 600 reef balls, set with millions of oyster larvae, called spat, into the St. Mary’s River in southern Maryland. St. Mary’s is one of the 11 Bay tributaries targeted for oyster habitat restoration by 2025—and the only one on Maryland’s western shore.
Oyster sanctuary reefs like this one are powerhouses for the Bay. Oysters filter water and provide habitat for many species, including blue crabs and striped bass. However, oysters are most vulnerable during their first few weeks of life. Spat is microscopic and requires a hard surface to latch to for survival. Reef balls are manmade, three‑dimensional concrete structures that serve as excellent substrate for oyster spat, naturally replicating oyster reefs and keeping larvae elevated from the Bay’s muddy bottom where they can suffocate.
Chesapeake Bay oyster restoration has been an extremely successful model to date. In its 2024 Hope on the Half Shell report, CBF recommended building on current success and targeting an additional 20 Bay tributaries for oyster restoration beyond 2025.
—Allison Colden
Maryland Executive Director
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
