By Makya Kreamer
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
County Executive Johnny Olszewski’s “BaltCo Litter Blitz” environmental outreach program continues this month with three more “Put Litter in Its Place” community clean-ups.
The county’s watershed protection partners will be hosting clean-ups at Herbert Run in Catonsville on Saturday, Stansbury Park in Dundalk on May 18, and Powder Mill Branch in Gwynn Oak on May 26.
These events are all part of Olszewski’s “grassroots outreach effort”, according to the county website, to rid Baltimore of some of its litter, whether it be through DIY clean-ups or community programs. Participants are encouraged to share their efforts on social media by using the county’s dedicated hashtag, #BaltCoLitterBlitz, or #trashtag.
Olszewski unveiled the programs in April at an Earth Day celebration in Randallstown.
“We all have a responsibility to respect and take care of our waterways,” Olszewski said. “Earth Day is a great reminder to everyone that we can make a difference in our neighborhoods. If each of us stops to pick up litter when we’re out walking or at our kids’ outdoor activities, we can make a huge difference together in our neighborhoods and help protect our local environment.”
Olszewski’s efforts also included an anti-littering ad campaign, called “Litter doesn’t stop where it drops” that highlights how pollution affects Maryland’s waterways and marine life.
“A staggering amount of plastic pollution enters Maryland’s waterways each year, and the National Aquarium is committed to doing its part to defeat this threat,” said John Racanelli, National Aquarium president and CEO. “Plastic pollution poses a serious risk to Maryland wildlife and the habitats they depend on for their survival—and single-use plastics are the worst of the worst.”
Baltimore County is among the six jurisdictions in the U.S. that have been federally mandated to reduce the amount of trash contaminating their waterways. Baltimore City is also on the list due to its pollution of both Gwynns and Jones Falls. The other four jurisdictions include Washington D.C., Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and Los Angeles County.
These mandates are part of the Clean Water Act, which allows the Environmental Protection Agency to aid areas with impaired waterways in establishing the maximum amount of pollutants allowed to contaminate a body of water.
The EPA lists the Gwynns Falls as being impaired by chloride, a chemical commonly used in paint removers that can cause death in extreme cases, and fecal coliform, which is unlikely to cause illness in humans but is an indicator that diseased animals are in the waterway.
The Jones Falls also contains high levels of fecal coliform as well as chlordane, used as a pesticide up until 1988, which is listed as a probable human carcinogen.
The Anacostia river, which runs through Prince George’s and Montgomery counties as well as Washington , was mandated for cleanup due to its high levels of arsenic, E. Coli and Polychlorinated Biphenyls, which are a man-made chemical group used in a variety of rubber and electrical products that can cause cancer in animals and adverse effects on the regulatory systems in humans.
Water pollution is not Baltimore’s only environmental concern. According to the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air 2019”, both Baltimore County and City received an “F” grade in terms of high ozone days, meaning there are high levels of ozone close to the ground which may cause health concerns. However, when it comes to particle pollution, which is the amount of pollution suspended in the air, the county received an “A” grade while the city received a “B”.
If you are interested in participating in any of the “Put Litter in Its Place” community clean up days, you can register beforehand with the following organizations.