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Pollution
Solution
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An
overview of Massachusetts Bay. Arrows indicate the direction
of ocean currents. The pink line indicates the end of
the outfall pipe.
(Click for larger image) |
Surprisingly,
the Boston Harbor Project came in under budget and almost
on time. Nearly 90% of the $5 billion price tag came out of
the pockets of area residents and businesses, who watched
in dismay as water bills increased dramatically throughout
the '80s and '90s. Now that boaters, birders and beach-goers
are reaping the benefits of the newly clean harbor, most Bostonians
consider the price tag well worth it. It's also a lucrative
tourist destination. Even the Deer Island Plant attracts some
5,000 visitors each year.
"We
just abated pollution," says Rex. "What happens
next happens naturally. The main point is that the harbor
cleaned itself."
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Today,
the MWRA is shifting gears from cleaning the harbor to keeping
it clean. This means looking upstream to Boston's rivers,
the Charles, the Mystic and the Neponset—also famously
dirty. To this end, the MWRA has supplied more than $20 million
to communities' efforts to reduce storm water and run-off
pollution. According to Rex, these forms of pollution are
difficult to control, requiring changes in individual behavior
and public land-use.
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The
satellite image includes Boston's Habor Islands, now a
popular recreational destination |
Still,
Rex remains optimistic the harbor will respond to every little
positive change upstream. After all, in the big sea change
that's now come to Boston Harbor, it was the harbor itself
that did most of the work.
"We just abated pollution," says Rex. "What
happens next happens naturally. The main point is that the
harbor cleaned itself."
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Photo:MWRA
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