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.