Interview

The following is an interview that I conducted with my roommate, Abby Brengle who is a junior at Northeastern University and currently works for the Boston Bar Association.

Cleaning up the Boston Harbor

The Boston Harbor was once considered to be "one of the filthiest harbors in the nation."

Is this a problem you think is important?  Why/ Why not?

Yes, I think it is a big problem that people should be more aware of, but I'm not sure what I could do to help and fix it. I think it is a big problem because I love the ocean and I wish I could swim in the harbor but that would be disgusting.

Do you think others in our community think that this is an important problem? why/ why not?

No because everyone is self absorbed and neglects environmental issues. 

Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay is an organization that was formed to help clean up the Boston Harbor.  This environmental organization's mission is to restore and protect the Boston Harbor and Bay.  Unlike many other organizations, Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay thrives on entrepreneurial spirit with public foundation funds, private donations, and corporate support, rather than relying solely on government efforts.  The focus of this organization has expanded far beyond a concern for clean water and has begun to also focus on the recreational, cultural, and economic potential of a clean and thriving harbor.  Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay believes that the most important resource that can be brought into the harbor is people.  Their goal is to make the waterfront an enjoyable and exciting destination for everyone living and visiting the great city of Boston. 

What are advantages of this policy?

To improve life for everyone in the Boston area by making the waterfront a more enjoyable place to relax.

What are disadvantages of this policy?

I don't see any disadvantages in environmental activism.



After interviewing my roommate, I realized that many young people are unaware of the seriousness of the health of the Boston Harbor.  I do not think that these young people are necessarily opposed to assisting in the cleanup and improvement of the harbor, however, it may have never been brought to their attention.  SImilarly to my roommate, I love the ocean and think that it is our duty as inhabitants on this planet to take care of the natural resources, such as this harbor.  There are many things that young people can do to help with this cleanup project and I would like to discuss some of these in my next blog post!

Boston Harbor Cleanup Programs & Policies

Save the Habor/ Save the Bay

    

    Save the Harbor/Save the Bay was founded in 1986 by the attorney involved in the initial suit to clean up the Harbor, the judge who heard the case, and the reporter who covered it for the region’s largest newspaper.

    This environmental organization's mission is to restore and protect the Boston Harbor and Bay.  Unlike many other organizations, Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay thrives on entrepreneurial spirit with public foundation funds, private donations, and corporate support, rather than relying solely on government efforts.

The focus of this organization has expanded far beyond a concern for clean water and has begun to also focus on the recreational, cultural, and economic potential of a clean and thriving harbor. 

    Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay believes that the most important resource that can be brought into the harbor is people.  Their goal is to make the waterfront an enjoyable and exciting destination for everyone living and visiting the great city of Boston. (www.bostonharbor.com)

Environmental Assessment of Georges Island Pier (January 2009)

    

    The National Park Service (NPS), in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) proposds to replace the deteriorated pier facility on Georges Islands. The goal of this project is to replace the pier facility in a culturally and environmentally safe way that will aid in the protection  of the resources of the Boston Harbor Islands national park areas. (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/publicHome.cfm)

Other Important Programs & Policies (2009)

• Assessment of South Bay Harbor Trail Project (March)
   
• Waterways License No. 11419 Russia Wharf, Fort Point Channel, Boston (April)
   
• EOEEA #14255 - Notice of Project Change Seaport Square Project, South Boston (April)
   
• EOEEA #13861 - Draft Environmental Impact Report, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston (June)
   
• EOEEA #14255 - Draft Amended Record of Decision, Seaport Square Project, South Boston (June)
   
• South Boston Municipal Harbor Plan Amendment, 100 Acres (June)
   
• Administrative Consent Order #ACOP-BO-08-6Y002 - Waterways License #8959 Independence Wharf (June)
   
• EOEEA #14411 – Harbor Garage Redevelopment, Boston (July)
   
• Project Notification Form – Harbor Garage Redevelopment (July)
   
• EEA #14442 – Environmental Notification Form, Logan Airport Runway Safety Area Improvements Project, East Boston (August)
   
• Boston Children’s Museum HarborWalk and Open Spaces
  (September)
   
• TBHA’s Comments on the “Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area in 2016 Strategic Plan” (8 September)
    
• Waterways License No. 9968, Fan Pier, Boston (30 September)
   
• Boston Children’s Museum HarborWalk and Open Spaces (October)

Pollution in the Harbor

    In 1876, with the significant growth of the city, Massachusetts State legislators implemented the construction of the Boston Main Drainage System to handle the accumulating sewage load being dumped into the Harbor.  This system diverted sewage from over 18 cities and towns surrounding the Harbor to Moon Island where it was then released with the outgoing tide.  

    In 1889, the first regional sewerage system in the nation was built in Boston as a result of the formation of the Metropolitan Sewerage District.  Although for years Boston was known for having the most advanced sewage system in the country, this system was not CLEANING the Harbor at all.  As a result of this, by the early 20th century, the Harbor had become incredibly polluted.  In 1940, after all shellfish that had been taken from the Harbor required purification, the state began construction of sewage treatment plants at each of the Harbor's three sewage release locations:  Moon, Nut, and Deer Island.

 

     Although these treatments plants were a step in the right direction for Boston, by the 50's and 60's, they were not enough to stop the increasing pollution levels.  The treatment facilities were often overloaded with sewage and also did not conduct secondary treatment for the Harbor.  As the water quality in the Harbor still did not improve, by 1972 the federal government passed the Clean Water Act, which required administration of both primary and secondary sewage treatment.  However, Boston was unsuccessful in updating its treatment systems and by 1980, Boston Harbor was known as the "filthiest Harbor in the nation". 

    It was not until 1985 when a Quincy city resident stepped on a piece of raw sewage while jogging the beach that things began to turn around.  The Quincy man sued the city of Boston for violation of the 1972 Clean Water Act and was successful.  The city was ordered to begin construction on a new secondary treatment facility right away.  The court case also resulted in a strict schedule for the ultimate "cleanup" of the Harbor.

    Water and sewage control was transferred to the newly formed Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) who built an invisible network of sewage and water pipes.  The new treatment plant at Deer Island was completed in 1998 and since then, things have been looking up.  The Harbor is becoming progressively cleaner and many native animal species have returned to what was once their polluted home. (www.savetheharbor.org)

 

Some Boston Harbor History...

    Even before the 1600's when John Winthrop and the Puritans began settling the area near the Boston Harbor, it had always been an important natural resource for local Native Americans.  With the 30 islands that surround the Harbor, fish and crops were plentiful.  The Harbor began to grow rapidly after the settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Company and soon became a well-known trading port.  By the late 1600's, all English imports to New England states arrived through the waters of the Harbor, greatly contributing to Boston's growth and also helping to pave the way of the American Revolution.

    In 1774, angry and frustrated colonists dumped crates of imported English tea into the Harbor in response to the high taxes that were being placed on such imports.  This historical protest is known as the Boston Tea Party.   A few years later in 1776, as the Revolutionary War began, Boston Harbor was again, a crucial resource for New England soldiers.  The Harbor continued to play its role in civil defense in the War of 1812 where the fort on Castle Island, Fort Independence, protected Boston from the British.  Years later, well into the 20th century, the Harbor remained such a crucial resource for New England soldiers that during World War II its entrance was protected with mines and an underwater torpedo net. (www.savetheharbor.org)

Introduction

Hello! I am Gabriella Vitale and I am enrolled in EDU309 - The Arts and Social Studies in the Elementary School.  In my blog, I will be discussing the current pollution issues in the Boston Harbor.  Residing in Boston and working on the waterfront, I am very passionate about the need for a healthy harbor.  My goal is to bring awareness to my fellow classmates as well as to Boston residents in general, of the current unhealthy, but improving state of our city's harbor and what WE can do to improve it!

http://www.bostonharbor.com/