Preventing Pollution with One Easy Click

We are honored to partner with the Galveston Bay Action Network for this post. Our readers now have the power to report and prevent pollution in our beautiful cities!

As parents, we want our kids to be healthy. When we hear about a sewage or oil spill in the Bay, it can feel overwhelming. We don’t know what the immediate impacts are, or what’s being done to prevent them or even how we can, as parents, can help prevent pollution. The environmental non-profit Galveston Bay Foundation is putting the power to report pollution back into the community’s hands with a new easy-to-use app called the Galveston Bay Action Network (also available on Google Play). Users in the greater Houston region can file a report within minutes and they are automatically sent to the proper authority, resulting in the quickest response to get the pollution cleaned up.

What kind of pollution should I be reporting?

If something seems off to you like a large oily spot floating in the marina you frequent, or if you’re having to constantly steer your kids away from stepping in an unhealthy amount of dog poop in your apartment complex – report it! Pollution comes in all shapes and sizes. To help guide you in further reporting, here are a few kinds of pollution reported this past year in the areas the Galveston Bay Action Network app covers {Harris, Galveston, Brazoria, and Chambers} ::

Sanitary Sewer Overflow

Sanitary sewer overflows look like they sound: sewage water spilling into a manhole. Our community became all too familiar with these during Hurricane Harvey.

Algal Blooms

Harmful algal blooms usually look like scum or paint covering the surface of the water and can be green, blue, red or brown.

Chemicals & Discolored Water

Water that is cloudy, has a strange or uncharacteristic color or foul odor is usually polluted.

Trash

Whether it’s an abandoned vessel or a pile of trash along the road or on a shoreline, trash and debris are forms of pollution and should be reported.

Clean communities make for healthy kids and parents! Improve your community’s quality of life when you give pollution reporting a try on the Galveston Bay Action Network. Download the app on Google Play or on iTunes, or report pollution on a desktop at www.galvbay.org/gban

We’re here to help! If you have any questions about pollution reporting, call the Galveston Bay Foundation office at 281-332-3381.


The Galveston Bay Action Network was developed under the guidance of Galveston Bay Foundation, with funding from the Texas General Land Office {TGLO}, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration {NOAA}, and the Environmental Protection Agency {EPA} Gulf of Mexico Program. In order to ensure these reports were sent automatically to the proper authorities, GBF worked with the technology company Vertices to create the necessary code and software for the Galveston Bay Action Network.

Previous articleBest Frenemies :: Navigating Love/Hate Sibling Relationships
Next articleSnow Day Parenting :: A Timeline
Meagan Clanahan
Meagan is a Dallas native who has lived in the Katy area for over a decade. She kicked a soccer ball all the way to Louisiana to attend college at her family’s alma mater of LSU, where she promptly fell in love with a Texas Aggie in Baton Rouge for an internship. After swimming back to Texas following Hurricane Katrina, Matt and Meagan fell in love with the Houston area and now couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Following several years of infertility, their miracle twins Ryan and Quinn were born in June of 2010. She believes there is nothing better than a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio, a large Sonic Diet Coke, sushi take-out, Girls Nights Out, and a mindless book to curl up with. Besides playing chauffeur and catering to the whims of her children, Meagan also is the Co-Owner of Houston Moms Blog. You can keep up with Meagan at The Clanahan Fam and on Instagram @meaganclanahan!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here