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Boston Harbor Marine Debris Removal
and Prevention Program
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Boston Line & Service Co., TBHA’s contractor,
removing debris
from Boston Harbor.
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Thanks to generous funding from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
(MWRA), Massport, the City of Boston, and Eastern Salt Company, The Boston Harbor Association's Marine Debris Cleanup Program is in its tenth summer of making Boston harbor and its surrounding areas
cleaner and more accessible for swimmers, boaters, and marine life.
From late June through September 2009, The Boston Harbor Association’s on-water contractor, Boston Line & Service Co. removes floating debris from the Inner Harbor and Chelsea Creek. Over 220 tons of debris have been removed from the harbor since the program began in the summer of 2000.
The most common types of debris removed from the Harbor are plastic bottles, paper and styrofoam cups, plastic wrappers, and cigarette butts, particularly in high-activity areas such as Fort Point Channel, Long Wharf, Central Wharf, and Rowes Wharf. Floating wooden pilings that have come loose from the harbor wharves are also removed.
As part of TBHA’s sustainability efforts to create a greener Boston Harbor, plastic bottles are recycled. Plastic bottles comprise over 20% of the debris removed. In 2008, Save That Stuff, Inc., recycled the plastic containers that were removed from the Harbor.
To remind boaters of what they can do to prevent pollution, The Boston Harbor Association distributes a Boaters’ Guide to marinas and yacht clubs. In addition, TBHA works with local Conservation Commissions and waterfront property owners to minimize the amount of construction debris and trash overflow entering the harbor.
For more information on TBHA's Marine Debris Cleanup Program, or to obtain a copy of past Marine Debris Reports, please contact The Boston Harbor Association at 617-482-1722.
> Click here for further information about the Summer 2008 Program.
Complimenting TBHA's Marine
Debris Cleanup Project, the Charles River Clean-Up Boat is proud of
their ongoing efforts to keep the Charles River free of floating trash.
For the last five years, the Charles River Clean-Up Boat has operated
from Watertown to the locks at the mouth of the Charles. Four days a
week, the 20-foot boat cruises the river as the volunteer crew looks for
trash. Funding is from private donations. Those interested in making a
difference for the Charles River can volunteer. Please visit www.cleanupboat.org.
Working
Port Advocacy and Education
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A cargo vessel unloads at Conley Terminal
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Sustainability of the Working Port of Boston is critical to the long term
health and prosperity of the Boston Harbor and economy. Long a champion of
sound environmental practices, The Boston Harbor Association continues to
support measures taken by various port entities to reduce their
environmental impacts. Steps taken to date by the Massachusetts Port
Authority, for example, include the usage of less polluting Tier II
engines for gantry cranes in Conley Terminal to proposed future expansion
of shore power electric plug-ins to all thirteen berths at the Boston Fish
Pier. At The Coastal Society’s National 21st Biennial National Conference in June 2008, TBHA Executive Director Vivien Li outlined efforts underway to realizing a Green Port of Boston.
To obtain a copy of Li's June 2008 “Sustainability of the Port
of Boston” presentation, please contact The Boston Harbor Association at 617-482-1722 or
mail@tbha.org.
> Learn more about Working Port
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Students learn how to test water quality
on a 16 June 2009 trip to Deer Island. |
Educational Programs
TBHA offers unique and exciting programs for the general public, as well
as organized groups and classes that educate and engender a sense of
stewardship. Each year, these events and programs create opportunities
that bring aspects of the Harbor to life for children and adults.
> Learn more about our Education Programs
 HarborWalk
Thanks to the
efforts of The Boston Harbor Association, Boston Harbor's waterfront is a
wonderful area for walking, sightseeing, fishing, or simply enjoying
spectacular views of the Harbor! Join The Boston Harbor Association in
celebrating this unique resource by attending one of our programs,
exploring the bostonharborwalk.com
website, or go on your own with a free
downloadable audio tour.
> Learn more about HarborWalk
Back to the Beaches
For the first time in more than two decades, the public can now enjoy
greatly restored and enhanced Boston Harbor beaches. The Boston Harbor
Association's work with Department of Conservation and Recreation's
"Back to the Beaches" has been a critical component in the
continuing improvements to local beach water quality and facilities.
Participants on TBHA’s “Back to the Beaches” trip to
Spectacle on 25 July 2009 enjoy the beach.
In addition to working with
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Boston Water and Sewer
Commission, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation in ensuring
monitoring of water quality at
Boston
Harbor
beaches, TBHA organizes community service projects to enhance
Boston
Harbor
beaches. With funding from the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, The Boston Harbor Association is promoting environmental stewardship and public use of the Boston Harbor beaches. In 2008, thousands of Boston residents enjoyed “Back to the Beaches” activities, thanks to the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. As of late July 2009, “Back to the Beaches” activities organized by The Boston Harbor Association with funding from the Boston Water and Sewer Commission have already drawn more than 1,000 residents to Boston’s newest beach on Spectacle Island.
> Learn more about Back to the Beaches
The Boston Harbor Islands
Visitors to Boston have a
unique opportunity to view the Boston skyline from the Boston Harbor
Islands, which host a variety of activities including hiking, swimming and
fishing. The islands are home to such unique features as the oldest
operating lighthouse in the country, one of the largest wastewater
treatment plants in the country, and a spectacular new park on top of
capped landfill.
>Learn more about the Boston
Harbor Islands
Policy Positions
The Boston Harbor Association gets results! TBHA's policy positions are
carefully developed by TBHA Trustees, TBHA Committees, and staff who have
technical expertise. Consequently, these highly regarded comments make a
dramatic impact in planning and development on Boston's waterfront.
>
Learn more about TBHA Policy Positions
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