- Suing to Stop Oil Refinery Pollution
- Protecting Tribal Water Uses in the Bay-Delta
- Tipster Catches Sewage Polluter in Berkeley
- Don’t Miss River’s End on PBS
- Three Ways to Celebrate Earth Day With Us!
- Join Our Special Bay Celebration on May 20
Happy Earth Month! Enjoy celebrating this beautiful corner of the planet that we call San Francisco Bay (don’t have plans? Scroll down for our Earth Month activities!).
And don’t miss KQED Newsroom’s Earth Day special this Friday at 7pm, featuring Baykeeper Executive Director Sejal Choksi-Chugh in a discussion about Bay Area refinery pollution.
Suing to Stop Oil Refinery Pollution
Earlier this month, Baykeeper and our allies filed a lawsuit against the EPA for failing to update pollution limits for the harmful chemicals pouring out of oil refineries and industrial facilities.
“The EPA still follows wastewater pollution standards from the 1980s, which means that Bay Area refineries have not been required to update their pollution control technology in decades,” said Baykeeper managing attorney Eric Buescher, “Our lawsuit will force EPA to do its job and crack down on the toxic pollution from oil refineries that’s harming both wildlife and human health around San Francisco Bay, and across the country.”
Photo above by Hudson Henry
Protecting Tribal Water Uses in the Bay-Delta
Last week, Baykeeper science director Jon Rosenfield participated on a panel at the Tribal Water Summit to discuss necessary protections for cultural and tribal subsistence uses of the water that flows through the Delta and Bay. Jon highlighted the adverse effect of massive diversions of water from Central Valley rivers on the fish, wildlife, and water quality that tribes rely on.
Baykeeper has advocated for identification and protection of tribal beneficial uses for over a decade.
Illustration by Mike Rodriguez of the La Jolla Band of Mission Indians
Tipster Catches Sewage Polluter in Berkeley
A kayaker recently reported a tip to our pollution hotline after noticing a strange discharge in the Berkeley Marina coming from Skates restaurant. After investigating, Baykeeper’s field team engaged the city and the Regional Water Board. The restaurant promptly fixed the pipe, which is no longer releasing its sewage and other polluted water into the Bay.
Have you seen signs of pollution in the Bay? Contact our hotline.
Photo of the Berkeley Marina by David Abercrombie, Flickr
Don’t Miss River’s End on PBS
California’s water wars have never been a fair fight. Big money wins every time—and the price is paid by fish, water quality, and the people who depend on a healthy Bay.
River’s End: California’s Latest Water War, which airs this month on PBS, reveals the real reasons behind the state’s water shortage. You don’t want to miss it, or the important interviews with our staff experts and allies! You can also rent the film on Amazon Prime and other streaming platforms.
Three Ways to Celebrate Earth Day With Us!
Looking for a way to celebrate Earth Month that makes a real difference for the Bay?
1) Our April Clean Bay Challenge inspires volunteers to conduct local cleanups to stop trash before it reaches the Bay. Baykeeper will provide all the guidance you need to clean up in your neighborhood, local park, or shoreline.
2) This Sunday, April 23, we’re co-hosting the People’s Earth Day for Water Justice at Lake Merritt from 1 to 3pm! Join Baykeeper and our community partners for an afternoon of activism, dance, spoken word, and music—including a live performance of the Baykeeper-inspired song Small but Mighty by hip hop artist RyanNicole Austin.
3) Celebrate the Bay with the new 2022 vintage of Obsidian Wine Co.’s beloved Rosé for the Bay, released just in time for Earth Day! The Rosé for the Bay is the perfect summer pour and, even better, 100% of proceeds go to Baykeeper. Click here to get your rosé by the bottle or case. In checkout, look for “How did you hear about us?” and select “SF Baykeeper”.
Join Our Special Bay Celebration on May 20
Toast the impact of your generous support at the upcoming Bay Celebration! We invite our wonderful Baykeeper community to join us for the Bay party of the year at the Dolphin Club in San Francisco on Saturday, May 20.
Come celebrate our latest wins, enjoy spectacular Bay views and delicious refreshments, and win big in the auction. Tickets now on sale—we hope to see you there!
[Registration is now closed]
Photo, above, by Robb Most. Rainbow Clean Bay Challenge photo by Daniel Parks/Flickr.