Current Campaigns
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Stormwater Management
In late 2007, PRA conducted an analysis of several stormwater management structures in or near the critical areas. Many of these structures had been built by developers in exchange for the county’s permission to build on or disturb sensitive areas near the waters’ edge. PRA’s analysis revealed that all of the systems were in various states of failure and not performing the protective role they were designed for—they had been allowed to fall into disrepair. An additional, cursory survey suggested that a majority, if not all, of the 3,000 such installations in the county might be in similar states of neglect and non-performance. PRA forwarded its study to the county agency in charge of such things. The report was well-received and follow-up action was promised by the county. At this point PRA has not yet seen adequate progress on this matter and is planning on recruiting and training citizen volunteers who can evaluate stormwater management systems and identify non-performing systems. PRA will contribute its resources to help the county do its job, but at some point PRA expects the county to improve its monitoring and enforcement efforts.
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Air Quality Monitoring
Over the years, many residents of Piney Point have complained of foul, chemical odors in the air and the evidence of airborne particulate matter that they could occasionally see on their cars. Their complaints to government officials did not result in any investigation or action. In 2007 PRA spent $3,000 to buy a high volume air sampling machine. We lent the machine to St. Mary’s College to sample and analyze air in Piney Point. Preliminary analysis of a month’s worth of data showed extraordinary levels of certain pollutants and hazardous particulates. Further study is planned to see if these toxins originate from the petroleum storage and trans-shipment facility in Piney Point or elsewhere. This research is not cheap, but if government will not do it, PRA must. It seems that for the past forty years the PRA has spent a lot of its time trying to get government to do what it should have been doing all along.