Harbor clean-up continues with Battery Wharf

By Ben Austin






NORTH END -- On a recent afternoon, Stavros Krinizas walked along the Battery Wharf, holding his wife's hand while they admired the scenic view of Boston Harbor.


"It appears to be quite clean and accessible," said Krinizas, 38, who has seen waterfronts from Athens, Greece to Monterey, Cal. "I can't tell [anything] about the sanitation of the water, but it all looks pretty nice."


Two decades ago, Krinizas would have had a less desirable view. In the 1980s scientific studies and the press declared the harbor was among the filthiest in the nation.


Since then, the state has cleaned up the harbor. Taking a lead role in the clean up has been the Boston Harbor Association. Funded by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the Boston Harbor Association is responsible for, among other things, a decade of debris clean up, the distribution of a Boaters' Guide, and accessibility to areas surrounding the harbor.


"The harbor is really enjoying a renaissance," said Vivien Li, of the Boston Harbor Association. "When we talk about the renaissance of the harbor, it's not just the water, it's the land side as well that draws tourists to the area. If it was a dirty, smelly waterfront, you wouldn't have that."


Li points to the improvements over the last two decades as evidence that the organization is making a difference. Harbor seals and jellyfish have begun to return to the area, and 90 percent of the harbor is now clean enough to swim in 90 percent of the year, she said.


Some visitors are not as enthusiastic about the cleanliness of the harbor.


"Clean doesn't really come to mind," said Dave Kallay, 38, of Edmonton, Canada, while looking out across the harbor from the Battery Wharf.


Still, Kallay couldn't argue with the price and accessibility that the Boston Harbor Association sets for it's designated locations along the Harborwalk tour. At the Battery Wharf, which is the newest location for the Harborwalk tour, there are free binoculars, public restrooms, a maritime museum and a 24-hour observation deck.


While it may be difficult for visitors to appreciate the improvements to the once dirty water of Boston Harbor, those who grew up in the North End have witnessed the changes first hand.


"I would say the area in and around the harbor is much cleaner. The water is much healthier," said Stephen Passacantilli, a member of the North End/Waterfront neighborhood council, who lives on the harbor. "Just from my perspective, from the human eye, it looks much better than it did [a decade ago]."