How does the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse impact water quality?

July 29, 2024
In March, a Singapore-flagged container ship MV Dali hit the bridge and caused it to collapse. Now, with clean-up efforts, the impact to water quality is in question.

Allison Colden, Maryland executive director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation discusses  how the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse could impact water quality, especially in Chesapeake Bay. In March, a Singapore-flagged container ship MV Dali hit the bridge and caused it to collapse, resulting in the death of six people. All maritime traffic was blocked until mid-June while salvage crews worked to remove enough wreckage from the 984- foot vessel to allow channel re-opening. This presents a unique situation when it comes to water quality.  

Colden discusses how events like this impact water quality, specifically in the Cheeapeake Bay, why collaboration is vital in clean-up efforts and more.

To read more on the water quality impacts of the collapse, click here. 

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About the Author

Katie Johns

Katie Johns, editor-in-chief of Stormwater Solutions, graduated from the University of Missouri in 2016 with a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Johns joined the Stormwater Solutions team in September 2019. Johns also helps plan the annual StormCon conference and co-hosts the Talking Under Water podcast. Prior to entering the B2B industry, she worked as a newspaper reporter and editor in Sarasota, Florida, and a magazine assistant editor in the Chicago suburbs. She can be reached at [email protected].