Visit MDE at its new location during the Maryland State Fair
Join MDE at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium and help us celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. This year, the MDE outreach booth will be in the Department of Natural Resources building and will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, Friday, August 24, to Monday, September 3.
MDE invites all Marylanders to stop by to learn more about how the Clean Water Act has led to improvements in the quality of our nation’s water supply and what you can do in your own backyard to make a difference.
Get recognition for your innovative stormwater project
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2012 Smart, Green & Growing Award for Sustainable Infrastructure and Innovation in Stormwater Management. Award nominations are due by Aug. 31. Award winners will be recognized at MDE’s Clean Water Innovations Tradeshow on October 24th at MDE headquarters.
In 2011, MDE honored the City of Rockville and Town of Edmonston with the Stormwater Management Award. Rockville renovated the six-acre College Gardens Park, creating a functional stormwater management facility with aesthetic features, and restored sections of stream. Because of the project, stormwater is treated from 79 acres that were previously untreated.
Edmonston’s Green Streets project addressed flooding and stormwater runoff problems in the town, and included a bioretention area and pervious surfaces. It also included street trees, LED lighting and bike paths.
Nomination forms for the Smart, Green & Growing Award for Sustainable Infrastructure and Innovation and in Stormwater Management are available on MDE’s website and may be submitted by email to adiaczok@mde.state.md.us or by mail to: Maryland Department of the Environment, Office of Communications, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore Maryland 21230, Attention: Adrienne Diaczok.
Straight poop on pet waste
MDE has partnered with several local watershed groups on a pilot project to address pet waste pollution in Maryland. The project will include a study of the water quality of two Anne Arundel County watersheds in conjunction with public outreach efforts. A study will also be conducted on the behaviors of pet owners before and after the campaign. In 2011, Washington State developed a similar pet waste campaign for Puget Sound. The Puget Sound Partnership created posters, musical parodies and children’s games to encourage citizens to care about pet waste.
Pets are a major source of bacteria in Maryland’s waterways. Bacteria-contaminated surface water is not only harmful to the health of the Chesapeake Bay but also to humans. It can result in lost economic and recreational opportunities when beaches or shellfish harvesting areas must be closed for health concerns.
For information on the pet waste pilot project, contact MDE’s Pamela Harris at pamela.harris@maryland.gov.
“Admiral” Eskin
Richard Eskin, who until recently headed MDE’s Science Services Administration, has been designated by Governor Martin O’Malley as an “Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay” in recognition of his work to protect and restore Maryland’s environment.
Eskin, who headed the MDE team that prepared the Watershed Implementation Plan to restore the Chesapeake Bay, received the designation from Governor Martin O'Malley. The Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay award is the highest honor the Governor can bestow on an individual for environmental contributions.
Eskin, who joined MDE in 1985, served as director of the Science Services Administration (formerly known as the Technical and Regulatory Services Administration) from 2003 until his recent retirement. In that role he was responsible for leadership and oversight of a staff of approximately 100 and a $12 million budget. He was the State’s technical lead in interactions with EPA’s regional office on that agency’s role in determining the Bay’s Total Maximum Daily Load, often called a “pollution diet.” He served as Bay science policy advisor to the MDE secretaries. He also was a frequent participant in Bay Cabinet meetings and provided support to BayStat and other Bay governance committees and technical workgroups.
Eskin received a Ph.D. in biology in 1985 from the University of South Carolina, a master’s degree in 1980 from Hofstra University, and a bachelor’s degree in 1973 from State University of New York at Stony Brook.
The Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay is awarded by Maryland's Governor to those who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the conservation and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, its surrounding landscapes, and the life that inhabits them. MDE Secretary Robert M. Summers presented the award to Eskin at a retirement luncheon in June.
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