Reposted from the Baltimore Banner: Coal pollutes the air in Curtis Bay.
Researchers found it in the harbor, too. | By: Adam Willis

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South Baltimore residents have long called for the closure of an export terminal that
loads tens of millions of tons of coal each year near their homes. A 2021 explosion at
the site blanketed the Curtis Bay neighborhood in dark dust, and advocates have
documented how winds routinely blow coal off the terminal’s piles and into the
community.

State regulators in recent years have begun to acknowledge the prevalence of coal
dust in Curtis Bay’s air, but a new report suggests the fossil fuel has contaminated
nearby waters, too.

The report, conducted by a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University and
the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, found coal and toxic metals in
sediment drawn from the harbor surrounding the site, which is owned and operated
by the railroad giant CSX.

The study, which has not been peer reviewed, didn’t examine whether this coal came
from the CSX piers or when it entered the water. Researchers said more work is
needed to determine the origins of the coal and hazardous metals.

A CSX spokesperson declined to comment. The Jacksonville, Florida-based company
has pushed back on claims that it’s to blame for the dark dust coating Curtis Bay, a
working-class neighborhood surrounded by other industrial sites, and pointed to
mitigations it has installed — like sprayers to dampen coal dust and fence-line
monitors to measure escaped particles.

CSX also fought a new regulation, imposed by the Maryland Department of the
Environment last year, that would force the company to build a huge windscreen
around its premises to stop coal from blowing into the community.

The new study, which examines sediment samples taken from six sites near the CSX
terminal in March of last year, found almost no life in the sediment, just tiny worms
and a single small clam — a sign that the waters don’t support underwater life, said
Maya Gomes, an associate professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Planetary
Systems.

One of the researcher’s samples, however, contained visible coal particles, while all
of their samples contained metals often associated with coal at levels higher than
federal environmental standards.

To Upal Ghosh, a UMBC environmental engineering professor and author on the new
report, that’s no surprise.

“If we have piles of coal next to the water, some of it will get into the water,” he said.
“The question is: How much, and what’s the impact?”

For now, those questions remain unanswered.

John Scheinman, co-founder of the group Coal Kills Baltimore, which secured
funding for the new report, hopes to see the Maryland Department of the
Environment investigate the contamination source. He doesn’t expect the
windscreen will be enough to shield the community and nearby waters.

“When there is virtually no life, except a few little worms, it’s not exactly
representative of a healthy coastal community,” said Scheinman, who also sits on the
attorney general’s environmental advisory council. “So, who is responsible, and
what’s going to be done about it?”

MDE spokesman Jay Apperson said the agency appreciates research into Baltimore’s
environmental challenges and will review the findings.

The concentrations of many metals measured by the research team weren’t unusual
for the Baltimore harbor, which has suffered from generations of industrial and
stormwater pollution, but Ali Meek, an environmental researcher in Baltimore, found
the findings concerning.

Sampled arsenic concentrations exceeded those found elsewhere in the harbor,
reaching nearly four times the highest levels Meek has observed in studies of the
nearby Middle Branch.

Arsenic, a toxin linked to certain cancers, measured 11 times higher than what
researchers would expect to find in nature, said Meek, while lead levels in the Curtis
Bay samples were 18 times higher than the natural state. Both chemicals are found in
coal.

Even so, Curtis Bay is home to dozens of industrial sites, and Ghosh said it’s possible
that metals and even coal contamination could have come from somewhere other
than the sprawling CSX terminal.

The team’s samples are made up of decades of sediment accumulation, and
Baltimore has a long legacy of reliance on coal. The Curtis Bay piers date back to the
1880s, and a century ago coal provided heat for many Baltimore homes.

While Maryland has almost entirely phased out reliance on coal power, exports
through the Port of Baltimore have boomed in recent years. Between CSX’s site and
another terminal across the harbor in the Canton Industrial Area, Baltimore is the
country’s second-largest coal exporter, sending most of the black Appalachian rock
to India.

Recent research has focused largely on coal in the air around Curtis Bay, leaving
environmental advocates with little grasp of CSX’s potential impacts on the harbor,
said Alice Volpitta, a water quality watchdog with the group Blue Water Baltimore.

One reason may be the challenge of investigating waters near the terminal. Volpitta
said Blue Water Baltimore has tried to assess impacts there before, but because of
CSX’s security protocols, they’ve been unable to get close to the site.

The new findings help complete the picture, she said. “This is a really good first
step.”

Saturday, April 18, 2026 | IMET Building, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD

Baltimore’s creative heart beats stronger than ever as we gather for Art Rysing 2026: Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation — a citywide celebration of art, equity, and community healing through creative expression.

Building on the legacy of previous Art Rysing gatherings as a creative response to the murder of Freddie Gray in 2015, this year’s 11th convening expands its reach and impact, bringing together youth arts organizations, cultural leaders, educators, and community visionaries who use art as a catalyst for justice, belonging, and renewal.

Hosted at the Rita Rossi Calwell Center [IMET] Building on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Art Rysing 2026 will showcase the transformative power of the arts to bridge divides, amplify silenced voices, and foster truth-telling in pursuit of racial equity and collective healing.

Why It Matters

Art Rysing 2026 invites us to pause, reflect, and imagine anew. In a time marked by division, art remains a powerful language of healing and possibility, one that transcends fear and invites us into relationships.

By weaving together stories of struggle and hope, we honor Baltimore’s enduring spirit and affirm that healing is a collective act. Through openness, deep listening, and shared creativity, we move closer to the transformed future we all deserve.  

The event is FREE!!! Doors open at 12:30pm, programming begins at 1 pm and runs through 5pm.  

Watch the 2025 HIGHLIGHTS REEL (created by Digital Empath Studio)

When you register, you can see the list of @30 interactive stations. Register either through the QR code below or go to the WEBSITE

Found water bottle with lots of stickers in ITE 241. Please pick it up in ITE 217 (COEIT Dean's Office)

Participants Needed for IRB-Approved Research Study on Multiracial Racial Identity and Social Upbringing

Kaia Robertson, an undergraduate researcher, is conducting IRB-approved research looking at the relationship between familial and social upbringing and multiracial racial identification. 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jé St Sume, Assistant Professor, Political Science

• Ms. Robinson is seeking multiracial students — students who have two biological parents that identify as two different races — who would be willing to take part in the study.
• Participants will be asked questions related to their experiences of socialization including their connection to monoracial people, and their upbringing.
• As a thank you for their time, participants will receive $15. 

Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Questions: please contact Kaia Robertson at kaiar1@umbc.edu

Title:The Effects of 9/11 on US Immigration: How the US Halted Immigration Reform and Created an Anti-Immigrant Police State

Jessica Busch's oral presentation is from 2:35-2:50pm in RAC 106.

Mentor: Meredith Oyen, History

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 marked a turning point in the way Americans viewed immigration, and those views impacted immigration policy in ways we are still experiencing nearly 25 years later. This research explores the impact of 9/11 on U.S. immigration policy in three parts: the public and political stance on immigration during the 2000 Presidential Election and the first seven months of the Bush Administration; the immediate public and policy response to 9/11 and the increased power given to the Executive Branch through the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001 and Homeland Security Act of 2002; and the ways that the Trump Administration has weaponized the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Patrol against immigrants and U.S. citizens. This research demonstrates that post-9/11 policies, while intended to protect Americans and promote national security, have had unintended consequences that are evident in the actions of the Trump Administration.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22 in the RAC!

URCAD.umbc.edu

The Orser Center for Public Humanities is excited to announce the 2026 BFS 3.0 UMBC Fellows: Click here to learn more abut the 2026 Fellows

The Baltimore Field School 3.0, Collaborative Teaching in Public Humanities is a one-day intensive workshop aimed at creating collaborative teaching tools rooted in public humanities approaches that strive to make the university’s outreach infrastructure more equitable and inclusive. By the end of the day, participants will have contributed to a toolkit that may include syllabus templates, assignment examples, assessment tools, and rubrics that will be localized in a shared online repository.

As part of UMBC’s Public Humanities program, the Baltimore Field School is an ongoing approach to community engaged research that moves from extractive approaches to research and instead is aimed at building sustainable and ethical projects while helping make the university’s outreach infrastructure more equitable.

In January 2026, UMBC and Maryland Humanities entered into a memorandum of agreement to formalize a partnership. This partnership will continue UMBC’s role as the institutional host for Maryland History Day and serve as a foundation for expanded collaboration between the two organizations. These collaborations will include events highlighting One Maryland, One Book; a regional humanities network conference for the Greater Baltimore Region; and America 250 events for Baltimore County. We are planning to create internships for both undergraduate and graduate students in the humanities.

Please stay tuned for upcoming events!

Please, come join us for the Spring Celebration organized by the Russian Area!  

Thursday, April 9th, FA 427, 4:30pm to 6:00pm;

Light refreshments.

Welcome the Spring Season with Egg and matryoshka painting, coloring activities, conversation, and connection!

All are welcome!

NAMI E-board elections are coming up starting April 15th! If you are interested in serving as President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Secretary of NAMI for the Fall 2026 - Spring 2027 academic year, please fill out the NAMI 2026-2027 E-board Application Form before then. Elections for President, Vice President, and Secretary will run from April 15th-30th while the treasurer election will run from April 15th-20th due to our need for a new treasurer to serve starting this semester. 

UPDATE: The deadline to run in the NAMI elections is being extended to this Saturday (April 18th)!

All elections will now run from April 18th-30th.