Without good erosion control, dirt washing off a single construction site can damage three miles of downstream waters (see article). The second Greater Baltimore Survey is now being organized by Sierra Club partner, CEDS. The survey of construction sites will assess how well erosion control measures have been applied. The goal is to provide Baltimore City and the five surrounding counties – Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard – with the public support needed to further reduce construction site mud pollution.
The first Greater Baltimore Survey led to increases in enforcement staff and in compliance with erosion safeguards. The second Survey will begin in a few weeks. If you’d like to be part of this effort or learn how to win similar improvements in your watershed, then sign up for a survey date at Registration.
No prior experience or any particular expertise is needed. The Survey will be conducted by nearly a hundred volunteers on 18 different dates – three per jurisdiction. On each Survey date a team of five or six volunteers will travel from site to site in an SUV. We will not trespass onto sites or confront anyone: we’ll view construction sites from adjoining roads or other public areas. Each survey lasts two or three hours. Further information about survey procedures can be found at: 2015 GBC Procedures.
We’re currently compiling a database of active construction sites in the Greater Baltimore Area. If you know of a site in the City or five surrounding counties, please add it to the Construction Site Database.
For further information contact Richard Klein at 410-654-3021 or Rklein@ceds.org