What's next for the Harris Creek Watershed Project? September 26,2010

   The Project that the Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association took up nearly two years ago has been completed. Final Changes will take place shortly and be incorporated in the Draft that will be available early this week both on the BHWA Web Site (http://www.baltimorewaters.org/)  as well as sent out to all the people who took part in developing this Community Stormwater Plan.

  Along the Way (Journey Page),we discovered that Baltimore City Services (DPW) needed to enhance their Services to Clean Up Trash that had been building over a long period of time in the Backyards of Vacant Houses,on the large number of Vacant Lots and in the Alleys where Trash Trucks could not get through. To understand this Problem better,to the Credit of the Department of Public Works Solid Waste and Code Enforcement Housing,a Plan was designed to get at this accumulated Trash Dumping by targeting an area in the middle of the Harris Creek (246) Watershed to undergo a Major Trash Sweep. It was from Fayette St (south) to Eager St (North) and Streeper St (East) to Duncan St (West) where 4000 Houses/Homes were located. Leaders in the Community first informed citizens that a Major Trash Sweep was about to take place and that all illegal practices would be in violation. Citizens were being asked to call in (311) all Trash Problems as a Way to Clean Up their Neighborhoods. In addition,approximately 500 galvanized Trash Cans were pruchased and given out Free to some residents. This is all we could do.We did not have the Funds to purchase the 5000 Trash Cans that we needed.  Why are they needed?  Because,well over 70% of the Trash that is put out comes in Trash Bags which are all over these Neighborhoods.....all of this illegal and needs to be addressed. In many cases,residents are encouraged to place their Trash Bags at the ends of the Alleys so that the Trucks can easily pick them up. To make a long story short,more that 100 Service Reports (SRs) on accumulated Trash Dumpings were entered into the 311 Call System over this 10 week period from June 14 to August 31,2010.      

 When a Visitor from outside Baltimore comes up to you NOW and ask the proverbial Question,Where does all of this Trash in the Baltimore Harbor come from and where do we strart to Clean it up?  You can tell them that it comes from upstream Trash Dumpings that have been allowed to pile up without Action Steps from Citizens as well as Baltimore City Services.  Yes,it probably is more Complex than that. There are a Huge number of Vacant Houses that provide Dumping Spots in their Backyards....and go unnoticed and neglected....poverty stricken areas have many more other problems....and you have to pick your poison to complain about....left too long,Trash Problems seem insurrmountable...and soon only a few complain. Many of these Houses are owned by the Mayor and City Council,others by HUD,and others by absent Landlords....and as you can see,this is another Major City Problem which demands Action Steps. As the Saying goes,"Poor People get Dumped Upon" and often little address to their Problems. What is to be seen by all is that these are unfair practices....and unjust...and calling these as such is the First Step to doing something about them.

  Perhaps the Most Important Finding is the Fact that we are seeing a significant Reduction in Trash being delivered to the Harris Creek Watershed Outflow Drain on Boston St in Canton.  Previous to this Trash Sweep,we were seeing between 3-5 Tons of Trash each month.  NOW,we are seeing very little Trash  coming out.    We are hoping to say that we have now found a way to prevent Trash from coming into the Baltimore Harbor....that is having Major Trash Sweeps in the Backyards of Vacant Houses throughout BaltimoreCity. There are 26 Outfalls to the Baltimore Harbor and the one at Harris Creek is one of them. If we establish this Discovery in the Harris Creek Watershed ,we can take this successful Model and implement it in the other 25 Outfalls.  How can we establish this Discovery?   Simply by measuring before and after a  Major Trash Sweep.......but unfortunately,the Trash Collector now located at the Harris Creek Watershed Outfall has been broken many times and not given the DPW Prioity to complete this very Important Part of the Trash Collection Equation Problem . We are having the DPW Director Al Foxx visit with us tomorrow to go over this Problem and to review the more than 100- Service Reprts collected so far to see as to how many of these SRs have been cleaned up.   Respectfully submitted,Raymond D.Bahr MD