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MDE Permit for Valley Proteins Critically Deficient
December 16, 2021
CBF, ShoreRivers, and Dorchester Citizens For Planned Growth have filed comments on the proposed Maryland Department of the Environment wastewater discharge permit for Valley Proteins, finding it critically deficient.
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BWB and CBF Take Action Against Short-Sighted Stormwater Permits
December 6, 2021
Blue Water Baltimore, partnering with CBF, today filed a petition for judicial review of to the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits recently issued for Baltimore City and County.
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CBF Raises Concerns over New MDE Permits
November 5, 2021
CBF raised serious concerns about municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits that the Maryland Department of the Environment issued today for Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Prince George’s, and Montgomery Counties.
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New Report Raises Questions about Maryland Department of the Environment’s Draft Wastewater Permit for Massive Eastern Shore Development
October 27, 2021
An engineering report being released today found several issues with Maryland Department of the Environment’s issuance of a draft wastewater permit that would enable the proposed Lakeside at Trappe development to spray wastewater onto fields near Miles Creek and the Choptank River.
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Partners Introduce Oyster Spat to New Solar-Powered Aquaculture System in Baltimore
October 21, 2021
Staff from CBF and Solar Oysters loaded about 300,000 spat-on-shell oysters onto a new automated aquaculture platform in the Baltimore Harbor. The platform uses solar power to rotate large oyster cages filled with young oysters to clean the bivalves and help them grow over time.
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Volunteers Needed for Tree Plantings in Maryland This Month
October 13, 2021
CBF is hosting three tree plantings in October to help bolster shorelines and reduce Bay pollution. Volunteers are invited to planting events across Maryland to bolster shorelines along streams.
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Prizes Announced for Rod and Reef Slam Fishing Tournament That Starts Oct. 9
October 5, 2021
Anglers who catch the most different species of fish in the unique Rod and Reef Slam Fishing Tournament can win a grand prize worth up to $1,400 in Under Armour fishing apparel and All Tackle gift certificates while division winners receive other exciting prizes.
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Maryland Environmental Groups Respond to Newly Released Draft Wastewater Permit for Valley Proteins’ Eastern Shore Rendering Plant
September 16, 2021
Yesterday, Maryland Department of the Environment issued a new draft wastewater permit for the Valley Proteins chicken rendering facility, which is the largest point source polluter in the Transquaking River watershed on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
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CBF Issues Statement on EPA Proposal to Add Bear Creek Sediments Site to Superfund List
September 8, 2021
Today, the federal Environmental Protection Agency proposed adding at least 60 acres of Bear Creek in Baltimore County to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL lists hazardous waste sites eligible for cleanup financed by the federal Superfund program.
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Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Outdoor Education Program Restarts This Fall after Pandemic Shutdown
September 1, 2021
CBF educators are excited to welcome teachers and students back to outdoor education programs this fall. The outdoor class program was suspended in March 2020 when the pandemic began.
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Rod and Reef Slam Fishing Tournament Returns This October in Maryland
September 1, 2021
The Rod and Reef Slam Fishing Tournament returns for its fourth year in Maryland waters this fall from Oct. 9 to Oct. 17. The contest is designed to highlight the diversity of fish that surround oyster reefs. To do that, anglers will fish in areas where oyster reefs have been restored in Maryland.
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CBF Urges Baltimore Department of Public Works to Fix Major Issues at Maryland’s Two Largest Wastewater Treatment Plants
August 31, 2021
CBF is urging Baltimore’s Department of Public Works to take swift action to address the litany of pollution problems revealed at the Back River and Patapsco wastewater treatment plants. The issues have the potential to significantly harm the success of Maryland’s ongoing Bay cleanup work, which depends on significant pollutant reductions from wastewater treatment plants.
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Partnership Adds 78 Oyster Reef Balls off Coast of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
July 29, 2021
CBF staff and project partners added 78 reef balls to the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative site located in the Herring Bay oyster sanctuary. The oyster reef balls were placed about two miles offshore in a sanctuary protected from oyster harvesting.
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Report: Freshwater Mussels Unsung Heroes at Risk in Chesapeake Bay Watershed
July 29, 2021
Freshwater mussels play an amazing yet little-known role in healthy rivers and streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Maryland recently began several pilot restoration projects to monitor and augment mussel populations in the Bay watershed.
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Chesapeake Bay Foundation Issues Recommendations for Maryland Oyster Regulations
June 22, 2021
In comments filed with Maryland's Department of Natural Resources, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is asking the state to take stronger action to end oyster overfishing and develop a rebuilding plan for areas of the Bay where the oyster population has declined to the lowest levels on record.
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CBF Issues Statement on UMCES Report Card
June 22, 2021
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science has released its Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card for 2020 and its overall score remained unchanged from last year at a B-.
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CBF Statement on 2021 Maryland Oyster Stock Assessment Update
June 9, 2021
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) presented preliminary information Tuesday evening from the 2021 oyster stock assessment update indicating the market-size oyster population in Maryland rose slightly, while spat estimates increased to the highest level in the previous 20 years.
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CBF Commends Officials on Formal Kickoff for Baltimore Headworks Project
May 10, 2021
Today, Baltimore and Maryland officials held a formal ribbon-cutting to celebrate the completion of the Headworks Project, a $429 million upgrade to the city’s Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant that’s designed to prevent sewer overflows.
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CBF Statement on EPA’s Evaluation of the Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan
May 6, 2021
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Director of Science and Agricultural Policy, Beth McGee, issued this statement following the release of EPA’s comments on how the additional pollution to the Chesapeake Bay from the lost trapping capacity at Conowingo Dam should be addressed.
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Maryland Environmental Groups File Notice of Potential Lawsuit Against Valley Proteins for Pollution Violations
April 13, 2021
Maryland environmental groups sent a notice of intent to bring a lawsuit against Valley Proteins for violating its wastewater permit. The goal of this action is to bring Valley Proteins into compliance and protect water quality, the environment, and public health.
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CBF Statement on Climate Solutions Now Act and the End of Maryland’s 2021 General Assembly Session
April 13, 2021
The Maryland Senate and House of Delegates were unable to reach an agreement over the two different versions of the Climate Solutions Now Act that each chamber had passed earlier this session. However, some of the legislation’s components were added to other bills that were approved.
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CBF Statement on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Decision to Relicense Conowingo Dam
March 18, 2021
Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the relicensing of the Conowingo Hydroelectric Project, effectively ratifying Maryland’s settlement offer with Exelon to enable the utility to continue operating Conowingo Dam. The settlement fails to adequately address water pollution issues associated with the dam’s operations.
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CBF: New Maryland Court Ruling Should Prompt Action to Reduce Poultry-Related Air Pollution
March 12, 2021
On Thursday, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Sharon Burrell ruled that the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) must regulate ammonia air emissions from large chicken farms.
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CBF Encouraged by Maryland Senate's Approval
of Climate Solutions Now ActMarch 12, 2021
Today the Maryland Senate passed a bill requiring the state to reduce 60 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and puts in place concrete actions to guide the state to this goal.
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CBF Statement from President Will Baker on Being Honored by Maryland Senate
February 26, 2021
CBF President Will Baker, who announced in January that he plans to retire at the end of the year, issued this statement in response to the Maryland Senate resolution marking his retirement.
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CBF Urges Maryland Legislators to Restore Funding for Outdoor Education
February 22, 2021
CBF is asking Maryland legislators to restore funding for outdoor education programs that Gov. Larry Hogan zeroed out for the second straight year.
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CBF Adds 14 Million Oysters to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland in 2020
February 11, 2021
CBF continued its long-term push to restore oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay by adding more than 14 million oysters in Maryland waters during 2020’s pandemic-affected season.
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CBF Files Lawsuit Contesting Wastewater Permit for Major Proposed Eastern Shore Development
February 1, 2021
Today CBF filed a lawsuit against the Maryland Department of the Environment contesting the legality of the wastewater discharge permit it issued for Trappe at Lakeside, a major development proposed on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
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CBF Urges Legislators to Approve Climate Solutions Now Act
January 27, 2021
CBF is urging Maryland legislators to support a bill that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable the state to plant millions of trees.
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CBF Statement on the Passing of Longtime Maryland Senate President Mike Miller
January 15, 2021
"The ongoing restoration of the Chesapeake Bay wouldn’t have been possible without a leader like Sen. Miller. He loved history, and he loved the Bay.”
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Josh Kurtz Named Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Maryland Executive Director
January 12, 2021
In his new role, Kurtz will lead CBF staff in Annapolis and Easton as they work on policies and legislation aimed at helping Maryland reach its 2025 Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint pollution reduction goals.
