A campaign for the Bay
A billion dollars have gone toward sewage plant upgrades and other water quality projects in Maryland. But, as WJZ-TV reminded its viewers, the little things also count as we work to Reclaim the Bay.
Maryland’s new public awareness effort seeks to get Marylanders involved in Bay restoration efforts by sharing the steps that everyone can take to help reach our 2025 pollution reduction goals. Don’t litter. Use fertilizer sparingly. Drive less. Clean up after your pet. These are just some of things you can do.
The Carroll County Times also covered the launch of the campaign. The newspaper then followed up with an editorial, “Help protect the Bay,” that discussed how readers can do their part, concluding, “Ultimately, the bottom line is that whether to protect the bay, or just to preserve the planet for future generations, there are things we all can, and should be doing every day.”
MDE invites students in grades K through 8 to participate in the Department’s first Earth Day poster contest. The theme is “Reclaim the Bay. Students are encouraged to submit an entry that depicts what Marylanders can do to help restore the Chesapeake Bay.
Monitoring wells drilled
The Salisbury Daily Times reported on MDE’s work to address contamination of groundwater affecting private residential wells near Salisbury.
Reporters from the newspaper were on the scene as MDE drilled the third of 10 monitoring wells as part of the Department’s investigation into the contamination of groundwater with the solvent trichloroethylene in the Morris Mill Road area.
MDE has provided bottled water to affected homes, and the Department enlisted the assistance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA installed carbon filter systems in homes with the highest levels of contamination and tested for vapors, finding no significant levels.
More than 220 private wells have been sampled, with more than 80 testing for levels above Maryland’s action level for trichloroethylene. The Daily Times also profiled a family affected by the contamination.
WBOC-TV and WMDT-TV also covered the monitoring well drilling.
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