Why Baltimore?
The Wheelabrator (BRESCO), Curtis Bay Energy, and Quarantine Road Landfill are Baltimore City’s largest waste management systems that primarily service populations in Baltimore City.
These waste management systems receive waste from Baltimore County, states on the east coast, and Canada. The Wheelabrator is the tenth-largest incinerator nationally, while the Curtis Bay Energy operates the nation’s largest medical waste incinerator (2020). Curtis Bay receives medical waste from 19 states, DC, and Canada due to stringent air pollution regulation that dwindled the number of facilities nationwide from over 6,000 to 33. Quarantine Road Landfill was 85% full at the end of 2017 and is expected to reach capacity in 2028. This is the city's largest landfill and is needed to meet the demands of the residing population. Incinerators are detrimental to health as they emit greenhouse gases, particulate matter, hazardous gases, toxic chemicals, and nitrogen oxides into the breathable air daily; landfills release ash through the disposal process.
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Baltimore residents face severe adverse heath and financial effects that are directly correlated to the air pollution produced by their waste management systems.
Goals of the Project
The project researches the connections between livability aspects including socioeconomic status, pollution, and negative health outcomes found within communities surrounding municipal waste management sites. Our goal is better understand the impact waste management systems have on local communities and to create an easily accessible and usable website that can assist residents in Baltimore City understanding their current situation and how they can join the fight for cleaner air.
Research Method
The project consisted of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis and a literature review. The GIS analysis served to portray the relationship between municipal waste sites and various livability aspects of Baltimore City, Maryland. The literature review identified additional sources to determine the possibility of waste sites negatively impacting the livability aspects. Camden provided and identified all necessary components to complete her GIS analysis, while Jordan, Sandrine, and Sierra found relevant, peer-reviewed literature.
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Group Members
Camden Carpenter
Camden is a senior majoring in Smart and Sustainable Cities with a minor in Real Estate. Her completion of Principles of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) provided her with the skills to map the relationships between municipal waste management sites and various aspects of the Baltimore City community. Her familiarity with United States Census Bureau data has allowed for the identification of relevant datasets on a specific geographic scale. The GIS analysis aided her in understanding how both the public and private sector can work to alleviate issues in their community. For the final deliverable, Camden completed “Mapping out the Issue” which includes: a description of ArcGIS and how it functions, the limits and benefits of incorporating United States Census Bureau data into a GIS analysis, interactive maps with a description of each layer, and an explanation of the benefits GIS provide regarding policymaking and planning.
Sierra Garrity
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Sierra is a senior majoring in Environmental Policy and Planning with a minor in Biology. She interned with the Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE) zero waste certification team last summer and learned about the negative impacts of waste sites and ways to reduce waste before it ever reaches disposal. It was then that she was exposed to the critical situation in Baltimore. Sierra primarily focused on the studied health impacts of waste (landfill sites and WTE sites). She studied the continuing situation with the Wheelabrator Waste-to-Energy facility and reviewed the legal documentation of complaints filed by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation against the incinerator and Baltimore City for not restricting their emissions to livable limits. For the final deliverable Sierra completed the “Current Situation” which included: broad research/ connections, facilities and problems in Baltimore and the Wheelabrator Legal Battle.
Sandrine Janowsky
Sandrine is a senior majoring in Environmental Policy and Planning with minors in French, Political Science and International Business. She focused on the regulatory aspects of waste management sites on the local (Baltimore), state (Maryland), and federal levels. Her work reviewed the comprehensive plans of Baltimore to research the capacity and projected future of these facilities. Sandrine's background consists of government regulation and oversight due to her internship for Senator Angus King on Capitol Hill and as a Page in the Virginia State Senate. The internships familiarized her with legal language frameworks and practices that can assist in understanding Baltimore City's current situation and the realistic potential for change. For the final deliverable, Sandrine completed “Regulations” which included federal, state (MD) and local (Baltimore City) regulations and comprehensive plans. Sandrine also completed “Our Project” which included: why Baltimore, our goals, our research methods, and contributions/ interest in the project.
Jordan Wells
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Jordan is a junior majoring in Packaging Systems and Design. He focused on broader connections of factors involved in the case study (health, environmental, social). He compiled research on how pollution affects health outcomes, how proximity to waste sites affects surrounding communities, and how other related variables have been studied to date. He has experience with complex environmental issues from being in the College of Natural Resources and Environment (Packaging Systems and Design). He contributed to analyses of this issue as it pertains to the Green New Deal in addition to doing general research. For the final deliverable, Jordan completed “How To Get Involved” which included: the GND, options available for communities (education & health auditing), and local action groups. He also worked on “The Current Situation” that included health statistics.
