Latest news with #ChristineCondon
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Piedmont power line company fights for land access in Baltimore court
The Edward A. Garmatz United States Courthouse in Baltimore. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters) The contentious debate over a 67-mile power transmission line proposed for Central Maryland reached a Baltimore courtroom on Monday, with three hours of arguments on eminent domain. PSEG, the New Jersey-based power company building the line, sued more than 100 landowners along the proposed route of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, who it said were refusing access to company representatives for environmental surveys. The company asked U.S. District Adam Abelson to issue an order allowing it to conduct the surveys — including boundary studies, wetland delineations and forest evaluations — where property owners had refused. It has said that it needs the surveys for its proceeding before the Maryland Public Service Commission, which will determine whether the construction of the line — planned to run through parts of Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties — can go forward. But the property owners, represented by five different attorneys Monday, argue that the company can't exercise eminent domain rights until it has earned its certificate from the PSC, and that entering properties for surveys constitutes a 'taking' under eminent domain law. Kurt Fischer, an attorney representing PSEG, said that 'narrow' interpretation of the law would set the power line up for failure from the start. 'It simply is untenable to try to say that all these conditions have to be satisfied before you can take surveys,' Fischer said. People power vs. electric power in feud over proposed transmission project Fischer said the company has authority for the land surveys because it has secured a 'designated entity agreement' with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, making it an entity that could conceivably earn the power of eminent domain from the Maryland PSC. Therefore, state law entitles it to complete the survey work. But the landowners' attorneys pointed to a provision in state law granting survey access to corporations 'having the power of eminent domain.' ''Having the power' means you have it right now,' said David Wyand, an attorney representing dozens of landowners. He argued that in order to gain access to the properties to survey ahead of the PSC's decision, the company would need to go to the Maryland General Assembly for a law change. 'They don't want to go to the legislature for a fix,' Wyand said. 'This should be a political solution — not a court solution.' There could be more lawsuits to come. Fischer said that the 117 landowners named in the suit were 'prioritized' because their properties likely host 'flora and fauna' that can only be studied at particular times. But other landowners have refused access, and they could also face similar legal action, he said. At times, Monday's arguments also reached beyond eminent domain and into the state's complex energy picture. Attorneys for the landowners argued that there is wiggle room in a directive from the regional transmission grid, calling for the power line to be in service by June 2027, in part because the grid has reached agreement to keep two Maryland coal-fired power plants running through May 2029, meaning power needs will be met until then. 'The predictions about disaster are not reality,' said Harris Eisenstein, who represents the same set of landowners as Wyand. Because the deadline can be adjusted, the power company failed to show that it would suffer irreparable harm if it didn't get the order from the judge. If the project has to be scrapped for reasons outside PSEG's control, the company can also recoup its costs by appealing to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Eisenstein argued. 'They have an economic safety net,' Eisenstein said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE But PSEG attorneys said reimbursement isn't a guarantee. FERC can determine that costs weren't 'prudent,' and nix repayment. The agency also only reimburses 50% of any costs incurred by developers before it approves a start theto project, said PSEG attorney Kenneth Thompson. 'There's a guaranteed loss here,' Thompson said. The order proposed by PSEG didn't set many limitations on its access to properties, allowing any access up until the Public Service Commission issues its ruling, so long as the company gives 24 hours notice. At least one respondent took issue with that proposal Monday. Attorney Jennifer Wazenski was representing the owners of River Valley Ranch, a youth camp and retreat center that hosts 'the most vulnerable children' for activities including horseback riding, she said. The owners would take issue with characterizing 'any entry by strangers as non-invasive,' Wazenski said. But PSEG attorney Emily Wilson said the order is 'a proposed order for a reason' and told Abelson that the company would be amenable to the court requiring a conference between attorneys to find acceptable times for surveys. 'It is not the company's intention to have unfettered access to these properties,' Wilson said. Wilson that the assessments mostly involve surveyors walking around the properties with tablets in hand, taking note of particular features. For the wetlands surveys, surveyors would take soil samples about 4 inches into the ground, before returning the sampled material 'immediately.' As demand for AI rises, so do power-thirsty data centers The surveys will take 'in the space of hours,' Wilson said, rather than 'days and days.' If there were damage associated with the surveys, the landowners could seek relief in court, but Thompson said PSEG would endeavor to remedy the problem so that landowners wouldn't have to take that step. 'They want a good relationship with these folks. They don't want to be in a World War III fight,' Thompson said. Attorneys for the landowners have asked Abelson to dismiss the case altogether. Barring that, he ought to allow three to four months of discovery, followed by an evidentiary hearing in the fall, Eisenstein said. 'That's what this case deserves,' Eisenstein said. 'It's an important case.' Discovery would let the landowner's attorneys take depositions from key personnel at PSEG, they said, to answer 'unanswered questions' about the line's route, and whether PSEG would face an 'irreparable harm' if it did not get the surveys completed. Otherwise, Abelson would be granting a preliminary injunction that would essentially decide the entire case right at the beginning, Eisenstein said. 'The toothpaste is out of the tube,' Eisenstein said. 'That's the end of the case.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maryland joins suit against Trump administration on electric vehicles
An electric vehicle charger owned by Baltimore Gas & Electric in Annapolis. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters) Maryland joined 15 other states in a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to overturn President Donald Trump's executive order blocking billions in congressionally approved funding for electric vehicle charging stations and other infrastructure. It was the third suit the state has joined this week, part of an aggressive strategy by Democrat-led states targeting Trump actions. The states also won a preliminary injunction against Trump initiatives this week in an another suit, when a federal judge in Rhode Island blocked Trump's order severely curtailing operations at federal agencies that oversee mediation services, minority business development, and museum and library services. The EV-infrastructure suit, filed in U.S. District Court for Washington state, challenges the U.S. Department of Transportation for illegally withholding about $3 billion in previously approved funding to build electric vehicle infrastructure. The suit says Maryland stands to lose $49 million from the five-year funding program approved under former President Joe Biden (D). 'Charging stations and ports are critical to helping more families transition to cleaner vehicles that reduce pollution and support our environmental goals,' Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. 'By unlawfully withholding $49 million in approved funding, the Trump Administration is undermining efforts to expand our state's charging network, reduce emissions, and build a healthier future for generations to come.' The suit challenges Trump's 'Unleashing American Energy' executive order, signed on his first day in office, which sought to 'eliminate the electric vehicle mandate.' Maryland, other states, take more legal actions against Trump administration But Wednesday's suit says there was never any such mandate, and that by trying to eliminate 'this fictional mandate, the Executive Order directs the Federal Highway Administration to usurp the legislative and spending powers reserved to Congress by withholding congressionally appropriated funding for electric vehicle ('EV') charging infrastructure required by statute to be distributed to States.' In February, the U.S. Department of Transportation did just that, suspending the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program and directing states to stop spending money on electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The states' suit says Congress approved a total of $5 billion for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program when it approved the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. 'The Maryland Department of Transportation values the U.S. Department of Transportation's intent to modernize and update NEVI program guidance as soon as possible,Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a statement. 'However, the action taken to indefinitely pause the NEVI program is harming current and future EV drivers in Maryland.' Besides Maryland, the suit includes the District of Columbia and 15 other states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin and Vermont. Maryland and 20 other states, meanwhile, won a temporary injunction Tuesday in another suit against a Trump order that would have critics said dismantle federal agencies that provide federal money to libraries and museums, promote labor peace and assist minority-owned businesses. The Rhode Island Current, which is part of the States Newsroom network, reported Tuesday that the preliminary injunction handed down in U.S. District Court for Rhode Island blocks the order affecting the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Trump on March 14 had ordered those agencies to 'reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel.'The order violates the federal Administrative Procedures Act 'in the arbitrary and capricious way it was carried out,' wrote District Judge John J. McConnell. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'It also disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated,' McConnell wrote. The states' lawsuit was filed April 4 against Trump, Keith E. Sonderling, the acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and other federal agencies and officials. 'This ruling safeguards essential lifelines for aspiring entrepreneurs, workers demanding fair treatment, and Maryland families who rely on their local libraries for internet access and childhood literacy support,' Brown said in a statement. 'By defending these vital federal programs, we've ensured they continue delivering critical services to the Marylanders who depend on them every day.' Brown on Monday, Brown joined two lawsuits against the federal government: one to challenge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for cut staffing and close agencies, and another that ordered federal agencies to pause approvals, permits and loans for all wind energy projects both onshore and offshore. Maryland also signed on to a motion seeking a preliminary injunction in another suit against Trump's March 25 executive order that would impose sweeping voting restrictions nationwide.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Turning a marsh into a climate change laboratory with heat lamps and CO2 pumps
Infrared heaters trained on the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's wetland in Edgewater help to warm it by 5.1 degrees Celsius, mimicking the potential effects of climate change. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters) This Chesapeake Bay wetland could be an environmental crystal ball. With infrared lamps pointed down at marsh grasses — and heating cables placed beneath them — the environment is 5.1 degrees Celsius hotter than the surrounding area, simulating a future world warmed by climate change. In nearby sections of marsh, carbon dioxide is pumped into structures that look like mini, open-air greenhouses. 'You're never going to get a warmer world without also having higher CO2 in the atmosphere,' said Genevieve Noyce, a senior scientist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, which runs the wetland site. The wetland is just a few miles from the Research Center's headquarters in Edgewater, nestled in a crook of the Rhode River. And it has become a hotbed — pun intended — for several experiments that mimic global warming. The latest research to emerge from the Global Change Research Wetland, or GCREW, was published last week in Science Advances, a peer-reviewed journal. That study captured data for five years, focused not on the wetland's growth, but on its emissions. But one of the experiments here has been ongoing since 1987, leading the center to pronounce that it's likely the world's longest-running field experiment simulating carbon dioxide elevation. The researchers found that adding carbon dioxide stimulated the wetland's growth by about 30% — and allowed its long grasses to start growing earlier in the springtime and stay green farther into the fall. Some years, the grasses can make it until December before they turn entirely brown, said Andrew Peresta, the site's operations manager. But nearly 40 years after the experiment's beginning, Mother Nature is playing scientist, and adding new conditions to the simulation, Peresta said. Rising water levels, a handful of millimeters each year, have begun to change the story, slowing the rate of increased grass growth. 'All of these plants are adapted to grow with their roots in wet soil. But if it's too wet — if the sea level comes up too fast — and they can't keep up, then they start struggling,' Noyce said. The study's long time horizon has allowed scientists to document the marsh's changes over time, including incursions by invasive phragmites, Peresta said. 'A lot of projects are only two to three years long,' Peresta said. 'You might not learn as much as you do with this.' Collectively, coastal wetland environments are among the world's greatest carbon sinks. According to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration webpage, they annually trap carbon at a rate 10 times greater than mature tropical forests, preventing the harmful gases from reaching the atmosphere, where they contribute to warming. But wetlands also release methane, a greenhouse gas that is about 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Traditionally, wetlands have been considered minor producers of the gas. But the Smithsonian researchers have discovered that raising the temperature of the wetland, with the submerged heaters and overhead lamps, speeds up methane production by about four times, compared to the undisturbed wetlands close by, Noyce said. The same was true when researchers added carbon dioxide to the equation, except the increase was less dramatic — about 1.5 times. In other words, if climate change gets worse, it could tip off a domino effect in the wetlands, yielding more emissions that further worsen global warming. 'We knew there was something with adding elevated CO2 to reduce the amount of methane coming out of the plots. But we didn't really know why,' Noyce said. So the researchers looked to the microbial community in the soil beneath the wetland. There, some microbes produce methane, but others consume it. Climate change seems to change the fine balance between these two types of microbes, increasing the methane that is released, said Jaehyun Lee, who was the study's lead author as a post-doctoral researcher at the Smithsonian Center. When carbon dioxide was added to the plots, it stimulated root growth, increasing the amount of oxygen in the soil. This gave more fuel to the microbes that consume methane by oxidizing it, Lee said. Their activity canceled out some of the effect from hotter temperatures, which spurred the methane-producing microbes, causing methane emissions to spike. Even with the increased methane emissions, it seems likely that wetlands will still store more globe-warming emissions than they release, Lee said. But the research proves that the balance is delicate, and could potentially flip in the other direction, said Lee, who is now a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea. Since 2016, experiments in Noyce's section of the wetland, known as SMARTX, or the Salt Marsh Accretion Response to Temperature Experiment, have been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. It remains unclear whether the funding will be impacted by recent Trump administration cuts to scientific research, particularly that which focuses on climate change. The wetland receives three years of funding at a time, and is currently in its last year of the cycle, Noyce said. The team just applied for another three years, she said. The 1987 project is funded by a National Science Foundation grant for long-term research in environmental biology, she said. The new data could help improve the accuracy of climate change modeling, as researchers attempt to predict the amount of globe-warming gases that will be emitted, Lee said. 'When we set the the goal for carbon reduction in the future, to slow down the temperature rise, we also have to consider these types of changes in methane emissions,' Lee said. Otherwise, governments could struggle to reach their carbon reduction goals, he said. The findings, released Wednesday, could also inform wetland plantings and restoration efforts, Noyce said. 'If you can start understanding which plant communities are going to respond in different ways under global change, then you can say: 'Oh, maybe this plant community is going to be better. It might reduce the amount of methane coming out of this sort of ecosystem,'' Noyce said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland judge preparing to rule on Trump administration's DEI letter for schools
The Edward A. Garmatz U.S. Courthouse in Baltimore. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters) Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Education argued Friday that the department's 'Dear Colleague' letter criticizing some diversity, equity and inclusion practices was merely a reminder to schools that existing civil rights law protects white children from discrimination just as much as children from a minority group. But to opponents, the letter represents a significant change in policy, which compels teachers to restrain their speech about diversity for fear that their schools could lose access to critical federal funding. The arguments were part of wide-ranging hearing in U.S. District Court for Maryland over a lawsuit by the American Federation of Teachers, its Maryland chapter and the American Sociological Association seeking to block enforcement of the Feb. 14 letter, which says schools that do not comply with civil rights law 'face potential loss of federal funding.' 'The government is saying, with its power of the purse: 'We don't like diversity, equity and inclusion,'' said Brooke Menschel, a senior attorney at Democracy Forward, who was representing the plaintiffs. U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher did not rule Friday on the request for a preliminary injunction that would prevent the government from enforcing its 'Dear Colleague' letter, but said she plans to issue a written ruling in the days ahead. A similar case is unfolding in New Hampshire, where a federal judge heard arguments Thursday from the government, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Education Association. That judge is also yet to rule. On Friday, Gallagher peppered each side with questions on a number of grounds. Did teachers have standing to challenge rules directed at school districts and states? What type of action exactly did the letter constitute? And therefore, what procedural rules did the government have to follow in order to issue it? At one point, Gallagher probed about how the 'Dear Colleague' letter may be enforced, asking whether a school could come under investigation simply because one student reported feeling troubled by classroom discussions about the historical actions of a particular racial group. 'Some people are more sensitive to discussions in a classroom setting than others,' Gallagher said. 'Where does that line get drawn?' Brown joins another lawsuit against Trump administration, taking on Education Department Abhishek Kambli, a Justice Department attorney, said the letter was not meant to police such classroom discussions. It was meant to address situations in which students are classified based on race, he said. He highlighted 'privilege walks,' wherein participants are categorized based on advantages and disadvantages they've faced because of their backgrounds. He argued that the Civil Rights Act already disallows such activities because they are discriminatory, even though the discrimination may victimize students who comprise a majority group rather than a minority. 'It's highly unlikely that they're going to go after a school because they taught a certain book,' Kambli said. 'All this letter does is just clarify what the existing obligations are under Title VI [of the Civil Rights Act].' 'They're trying to make the letter into something that it's not,' Kambli said of plaintiffs. But Menschel said that the department, through the letter, was 'putting its thumb on the scale of a particular perspective,' causing reasonable teachers to fear reprisal because of particular classroom lessons, and thereby creating a chilling effect on school speech. One passage in the letter says that 'educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon 'systemic and structural racism' and advanced discriminatory policies and practices.' Menschel also pointed to the department's creation of an online portal titled 'End DEI,' through which community members can report instances of discrimination. 'The name of the portal itself points to exactly their perspective, and they are trying very hard to coerce people into sharing their views — and doing so under threat of withholding funds,' Menschel said. But Kambli argued the portal's name was just evidence that the department has a new priority in enforcing existing civil rights law: Rooting out discrimination occurring under the guise of 'DEI.' 'It is perfectly allowable for the government to have a portal that's aimed at that particular enforcement priority,' Kambli said. A portion of Friday's hearing focused on whether the teachers' groups and the American Sociological Association had legal standing to file suit and seek a preliminary injunction. Kambli argued that the Department of Education does not directly regulate individual teachers or school administrators, but rather school districts. The teachers would have to show that they sustained a direct harm from the Feb. 14 letter in order to have standing in court, he said. But the department has yet to open an investigation focused on something like classroom speech, Kambli said, so the educators' fears are only hypothetical in nature. 'If they're censoring based off of something that the DCL [Dear Colleague letter] does not say is disallowed, then that harm is self-inflicted,' he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE In March, the department announced that it had opened investigations into dozens of colleges and universities stemming from the Dear Colleague Letter. A department news release said 45 of the schools came under investigation because they were participating in 'The Ph.D Project,' which the release called 'an organization that purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants.' Six schools came under investigation for 'allegedly awarding impermissible race-based scholarships,' and one is being investigated for 'allegedly administering a program that segregates students on the basis of race.' Although none of those investigations focus on classroom speech in particular, Menschel said they provide a 'relevant and important backdrop' for assessing teachers' concerns that their own classroom conversations about diversity could result in their schools being penalized by the department. To combat claims that the issuance of the Feb. 14 letter may have violated procedural rules, including by not offering an opportunity for public comment before implementation, Kambli argued that the department only issued the letter as a courtesy to schools. The department could have started investigating instances if considered problematic applications of DEI under existing law, he said. 'We didn't have to provide any of this anyway,' Kambli said. 'We did that to put the schools on as much notice as possible.' But, Menschel asked, if the Dear Colleague letter didn't represent a change in policy, why did the department pull 'hundreds of pages' of prior civil rights guidance documents from its public-facing website? Kambli argued that new presidential administrations are allowed to rescind Dear Colleague letters from prior administrations, calling it a 'common practice.' Menschel also said the department's requirement that school systems certify their compliance with the letter indicates that it is a policy change. The plaintiffs asked\ Gallagher to pause enforcement of the letter as well as the certification requirement. Gallagher said the latter request gave her pause, because the certification process was not mentioned in the plaintiffs' original complaint, which focused entirely on the letter because the certification process had yet to be issued by the department. 'I'm struggling with the fact that I am being asked to enter a preliminary injunction with something that is not mentioned anywhere in the complaint,' Gallagher said. But Menschel pushed back, arguing that the certification process is a continuation of the letter itself. 'The department is just recycling the letter, in a way, and taking another step toward implementation,' Menschel said.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A new trash wheel for Back River: Baltimore funds projects after wastewater woes
Maryland Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain speaks at a news conference in Essex about environmental projects that will be funded as compensation for pollution from the city's two wastewater treatment plants. The Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant is seen in the background. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters) The Baltimore region could get a new trash wheel, one of 21 environmental projects for which Baltimore City is providing funding to compensate for pollution caused by the failure of two city wastewater treatment plants during the pandemic. The projects, announced Tuesday, will be funded by $1.7 million from the city under a consent decree with the Maryland Department of the Environment. The decree also required millions of dollars in repairs and other improvements to the treatment plants, $1.4 million in penalties and the potential for another $1.4 million of improvement efforts fall short. The Chesapeake Bay Trust will distribute funding for the projects, which include tree plantings, rain gardens, waterway sampling, trail stabilization and educational efforts around the Baltimore region. 'These projects, they're going to provide real benefits to those communities that have really faced pollution for way too long,' said Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain during an event Tuesday at Cox's Point Park, across from the Back River plant. 'But they're not just going to address the damages of the past. They're actually going to create new opportunities for those communities.' Baltimore City's two wastewater treatment plants — the Back River plant in Dundalk and one on the Patapsco River in Wagner's Point — are the largest in Maryland. And as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, they descended into disrepair. Advocates at the nonprofit Blue Water Baltimore first flagged high bacteria levels in the Patapsco in 2021, tipping off state environmental inspectors who uncovered mechanical failures and staffing woes that led to overages of pollutants such as bacteria and nutrients, which cause algae blooms that harm marine life. Months later, with the Back River plant — the larger of the two — on the verge of 'catastrophic failure,' then-Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles invoked a rarely used provision in state law to send a team of Maryland Environmental Service experts in to oversee operations at the plant. MDE then filed suit against the city, as did Blue Water Baltimore. By about June 2022, Back River plant discharges began to meet pollution limits, and the Patapsco plant followed behind. The city paid MES some $7 million for its assistance. 'These plants, as we all know, have faced some real challenges over the past years,' McIlwain said. 'But how you respond to those challenges is really what matters. And I am so happy to say today that the city of Baltimore responded. The Maryland Environmental Service responded.' While the consent decree included the threat of another $1.4 million in penalties if the city failed to comply, the city is 'on track' not to owe the extra funds, MDE spokesman Jay Apperson said in a statement Tuesday. As of its most recent report, in February, the city has spent $167 million on repairs at Back River and another $92 million at Patapsco. The city has also disbursed some $40 million to hire private contractors to augment city staff at the facilities. The plants are generally compliant with their daily, weekly and monthly pollution discharge limits, but exceedances and spills have led to about $72,000 in additional fines against the city since the consent decree took effect. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D), who turned 41 last week, said Tuesday that the two sewage plants 'haven't had the investment that they needed in my lifetime.' The Back River plant opened in 1911 and the Patapsco plant in 1940. 'We know where we were just a few short years ago, and you can see that we've taken leaps and bounds since then,' Scott said. 'But this is not us celebrating. This is us acknowledging the great progress that's been made, and also acknowledging that we have a lot more work to do.' Community groups who remember when overages at the Back River plant closed the river to swimming just a few years ago remain wary, especially when odors waft around Dundalk and Essex. But Tuesday was still an exciting day, said Desiree Greaver, a project manager at the nonprofit Back River Restoration Committee, which will install the new trash wheel. 'It's like Christmas,' Greaver said. 'This is huge for Back River. It's going to be so impactful, and the community is really excited.' Just about every day, the committee sends volunteers to a trash-collecting boom just upstream of the wastewater treatment plant, who don waders and manually remove trash and debris. Once, they caught a hot tub. Another time, port-a-potties. Even with $655,363 coming from Tuesday's consent decree, the committee still needs to raise several hundred thousand dollars to make the project a reality, Greaver said. But the nonprofit is optimistic that the project will come to fruition, possibly within 18 months. And once it does, it will make life a lot easier for trash-cleaning volunteers. 'We actually have people getting in the water, physically removing the trash, and we can't rely on that forever,' Greaver said. 'It's not a glamorous job. It's not something that's easy to find help for. So we were really looking forward to something that was automated.' The new trash wheel will join four others along Baltimore shorelines, best known for their large googly eyes and varying personas. About $44,000 of the grant money will also go toward a mentoring program administered by One More … One Less, focused on connecting individuals with mental health challenges to water recreation, said Brian Bordley, the group's CEO. During Tuesday's event, Bordley spoke about his own memories fishing with his father near Cox's Point Park, gaining valuable life experience — even when they didn't catch anything. By starting his own mentoring program, he hoped to share those same experiences with local kids. 'We gave access to these kids to be on the water, and we saw things change in their behavior,' Bordley said. 'Their attitudes became adjusted. Their behavior started to become less hostile and angry. We found that they had a mental health byproduct of just being out on the water.'
