A Clean Boston Harbor

It was a cold Massachusetts day. Nothing out of the ordinary. The beautiful blue waves crashed against the shore while the seagulls were wandering around looking for any signs of food. The icy wind that blew my hair in my face didn’t bother me at all. Everything was perfect.

After a few minutes of admiring the scenery, I realized what time it was. I quickly got up to see if my mom had come to pick up my sister and me.

Concentrating on looking for my mom, I didn’t realize that my orange juice had flown right out of my hand, and landed on the beige, stone floor.

“You’re not going to pick that up?” my sister Delany asked, looking uneasily at the plastic cup I dropped.

“No, it’s just ONE plastic cup. Now, let’s go!” I said, thinking about how annoying Delany can be.

“You should really pick that up, young lady,” said a nearby middle-aged man with a disappointed look on his face.

“It really is just one cup, though. I don’t understand how bad it can be,” I replied, reaching over to pick it up. As I threw it in the garbage can, the man approached me yet again.

“Would you like to hear the story of Boston Harbor?” he asked, with a more saddened look on his face. Not so long ago, this place was filled with trash. People like you threw their plastic cups, glass bottles, and aluminum cans in to the water. Everyone suffered because of these people’s actions, including the animals that lived in and around the toxic shores. What is now alluring with its precious birds and clean, clear waters, was once known as the dirtiest Harbor in the United States.”

“Really?” I asked. This nosy stranger had piqued my interest.

“Just picture it,” the man continued, “Brown water, the fetid smell of waste conquering the harbor. The –“

“Wait…waste? As in ‘number one’ and ‘number two’?” I asked, interrupting the man.

“Yes,” the man informed me. “Although littering was one reason why the Boston Harbor was one of the dirtiest harbors in America, it wasn’t the only reason the harbor got that title. Many years ago, sewage from schools, hospitals, homes, and even the rainwater from the streets ended up in the Boston Harbor. What a mess! Thankfully, the MWRA was established and was given the task of improving the sewage system and making sure the water is clean.”

That night, I thought about what a clean Boston Harbor meant to me. It means that I can enjoy the spectacular views and pleasant breezes of the harbor. It also means that I don’t need to live near a noxious harbor that would affect my health whenever I breathed in the disgusting air.

Just because we are blessed enough to have the MWRA, doesn’t mean that we can leave everything to them. All of us – the sewage treatment plants, the citizens of Massachusetts, and even anyone visiting the Boston Harbor Islands – should do their part by picking up after themselves and others.

A clean Boston Harbor means that we can see the animals that inhabit the water thriving and living peacefully. These animals don’t have to constantly worry about getting hit by a part of a glass bottle, or getting stuck in plastic, or having their ability to reproduce diminished by toxic chemicals. Simply put, a clean Boston Harbor means a healthy and happy environment for all of us.