The Howard County Sierra Club supports the work of Community and Environmental Defense Services
CEDS has created a database showing stream quality in each of Maryland's legislative districts. The database has been forwarded to each state legislator, along with links to a checklist for verifying current stream quality and the webpage Making Neighborhood Waters More Child Safe & Friendly.
The Excel file contains an introduction describing the data source and limitations. Clicking the blue-highlighted District number in the left column of each Excel worksheet will open the Stream Health Map for that District. Clicking on a legislator's name will take you to the legislator's bio page. A How-To on viewing Stream Health and District maps is provided on the CEDS website.
The percentage of streams in good, fair, and poor condition is summarized for each Senate member and for each House member.
The database is free to use or forward as needed. If you have any questions, contact Richard Klein at 410-654-3021 or Rklein@ceds.org.
CEDS recommends the following resources:
A 12-minute YouTube presentation on Improving MS4 & Other Clean Water Programs is available at: https://youtu.be/4mL_2CDTwTo.
A six-page document on Opportunities To Improve The Maryland Forest Conservation Act is posted at:
http://ceds.org/audit/OpportunitiesToImproveTheMarylandForestConservationAct.pdf.
EROSION
No other nonpoint source releases more pollution per acre than construction sites. And 90% of the pollution leaves construction sites during the top 10% of the worst storms.
The massive volume of runoff generated during these worst storms scours pollutants trapped previously by silt fence and ponds during lesser storms. Odds are that one or more of these massive storms will occur while most sites are active. The scoured, resuspended pollution is then transported downstream. This is why the myth that silt fence and ponds are enough is simply not true. It's also why exposed soil = pollution and greater compliance with erosion control laws is needed.
Straw mulch, grass and other erosion controls reduce construction site pollution by 90% - 99%. Federal, state and many local laws call for blanketing all exposed soil with erosion control measures once construction site grading and other earth-moving has ended. This point is reached when building, road and other construction begins.
One effort that focused public attention on the benefits of erosion control and the need to improve enforcement resulted in a 61% increase in compliance in an area covering 4% of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Clicking on the following titles will take you to two graphics you can use to convey this message:
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CEDS has completed an easy to use checklist for assessing stream health and tracing pollution to a source. The checklist is oriented towards the suburban-urban waters closest to 81% of all U.S. homes. Most Americans are probably unaware that the waters nearest their home are degraded by stormwater, sewer overflows and other pollution sources. Widespread use of the checklist might expand public awareness of this issue and lead to far greater support for Clean Water laws, programs and environmental organizations.
To download this new resource click on: Stream Quality Checklist.
Users can add their findings to the: Stream Quality Database.
If you'd like to tailor the checklist to conditions in your area then please request the Word version (www.CEDS.org). Please feel free to replace the content as well as CEDS' name and contact info with yours.
CEDS Water Surveys
The volunteers who participated in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Greater Baltimore Surveys won up to a 61% improvement in clean water law compliance. But even with this victory, we are still far from the 100% compliance needed to gain the benefits of growth without sacrificing the quality of our streams, rivers, creeks and lakes.
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To learn how you can strike a blow for cleaner water using online aerial photos to assess construction sites for compliance with one of our most important clean water laws, click the following link: http://ceds.org/espyoutube.
This 12-minute presentation explains that exposed soil equals pollution because construction site mud pollution can only be prevented if soil is protected with straw mulch, grass and other erosion control measures. Federal and state law requires protection of all soils once earthmoving ends and road or building construction begins. Yet few of the thousands of Chesapeake Bay watershed construction sites fully comply with these laws.
You can help halt construction site pollution by assessing sites in your area then adding your findings to the Exposed Soil = Pollution database at: http://ceds.org/espaerial. Your findings will then be used to provide enforcement agencies with the public support needed to save the Bay and local waters from this very costly pollution source.
Further detail can be found at: http://ceds.org/esp.html.
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CEDS Attorney Database
Recommendations to 34 Maryland attorneys, 254 nationwide, who have a good for helping citizens with land use-environmental issues were compiled from 78 citizen groups in 2017.
CEDS exists solely to help citizens with land-use and environmental concerns. Frequently CEDS can find ways through their Equitable Solutions approach of helping citizens resolve concerns without having to retain an attorney or any other professional. When legal counsel is needed CEDS will link citizens with attorneys listed in the database for their state. The Smart Legal Strategies approach can then be used to greatly increase the likelihood of success while reducing expenses.
Following are some of the many free online resources to help citizens resolve concerns:
· How To Win Land Development Issues, a 300-page book,
· CEDS Development Project Impact Assessment Checklist,
- Protecting Wetlands, Streams, Lakes, Tidal Waters & Wells from the Impacts of Land Development;
- Traffic, Development & Neighborhood Quality of Life;
- Preventing Overcrowding & Other Development Impacts to Schools;
- Quality of Life Growth Management: Getting the Benefits of Growth without the Growing Pains, and
- Many more free resources listed along the right side of our main website: ceds.org.