Alenah Garcia
Grade 6, St. Mary of the Hills School, Milton
Ms. Marotta and Ms. Norton, Teachers
Our Harbor of Peace
Today we know the Boston Harbor as a fun place to be with your family but we must remember its history to really appreciate its existence. In 1774, the Boston Tea Party took place where colonists disguised as Native Americans got on board a British ship and threw crate after crate of tea into the water to protest the high taxes on imports. It was known as a giant tea cup.
Unfortunately as time went on, the harbor became Boston’s trash bag. By the 20th century the harbor was polluted and needed assistance with the growing sewage load. There were treatment plants established but it was not enough to stop the pollution from continuing. In 1972, the federal government passed the Clean Water Act requiring secondary as well as primary sewage treatment, but Boston failed to update its sewage system to meet those requirements so by the early 80’s the media was calling Boston Harbor the “filthiest harbor in the nation.”
There was a court case that changed everything. Due to that violation of the 1972 Clean Water Act in 1985, the city began to clean it up. The control of the water and sewage system was transferred to the newly created MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority). Save the Harbor/Save the Bay was founded in 1986 by the attorney who brought the initial suit to clean up the harbor, the judge who heard the case, and the reporter who covered it for the region’s largest newspaper. Since 1985, the harbor has become progressively cleaner.
Today a clean Boston Harbor means a place where families can have a picnic and spend quality time. It also means a place where friends can have fun and do things they normally do. A clean harbor means clean water, food, and our health will stay healthy. We should take care of our harbor because it has been with us through history. The harbor has become a location for many to visit from all over the world. As a Massachusetts resident, I think it is very important to embrace the beauty and history attached to the harbor.
We have been given the power to make the harbor greener throughout the years. It means a lot more than just a place to go. It is up to the human population to keep our harbor clean and safe from hazardous waste. History has shown that we can make it better. Peace and harmony comes with the view. I love my harbor and I want it to last forever.
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