Adam Willis
environment reporter
Adam Willis reports on climate and the environment across Maryland for The Baltimore Banner. He previously covered Baltimore City Hall for The Banner. He has also worked as a historical researcher in Washington, D.C., a freelance reporter for national magazines and a reporter covering state government, energy and the environment for the Fargo Forum in North Dakota.
The latest from Adam
In reversal, Baltimore will expand cleanup response to home sewage overflows
After years of pressure from residents and environmental regulators, Baltimore will expand an aid program for homeowners facing sewage backups, Mayor Brandon Scott announced Wednesday.
Data centers promised to transform Frederick County. They tore it apart instead.
Today, Frederick is home to Maryland’s only large-scale data center development, and its leaders are learning the hard way about the hazards of navigating the charged and changing politics of the industry.
The Chesapeake Bay is at its healthiest in decades, report finds
That finding comes from an annual report card, released Tuesday by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
How political winds shifted a Sparrows Point shipyard from green energy to submarine parts
Five years after a section of southeastern Baltimore County was identified as a cradle of wind turbines, that land will be used for a massive weapons manufacturing facility.
Nearly 11,000 fish die downstream from embattled Maryland dairy farm
Environmental regulators say a dairy farm won’t stop dumping manure into a beloved northeast Maryland stream. This week, thousands of fish died downstream from the farm.
Troubled Baltimore incinerator will stop burning medical waste under state deal
A state investigation uncovered rampant environmental violations at the South Baltimore incinerator.
Amazon backs $3B Calvert Cliffs upgrade as AI power demand surges
Amazon partners with Constellation to upgrade Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant in Southern Maryland.
Moore wanted to ‘supercharge’ Maryland data centers. Now he’s changing course.
Moore is trying to balance the allure of an economic driver that has labor support against calls for regulation from environmentalists and community groups.
Baltimore County approves deal that could mean burning trash for 10 more years
The Baltimore County Council on Tuesday narrowly approved an agreement to continue sending massive quantities of garbage to a city incinerator for years, possibly another decade.
Facing data center backlash, Moore lays out a plan but not a pause
The announcement comes as concerns about data center growth have become a top political issue across Maryland and the country
Walter Boynton, folksy dean of Chesapeake Bay science, dies
Boynton, 79, died Sept. 14 at the George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., after a long-term illness.
Tribes withdraw from Chesapeake Bay talks over lack of representation
The group representing seven Virginia tribes said in a statement Monday that state and federal officials are “unwilling to give the tribes a seat at the table.”
A fisherman, a farmer and the fight over a fouled Maryland stream
A Cecil County dairy farm faces lawsuits and scrutiny after repeated pollution in a stream called Basin Run. The Maryland Department of the Environment says releases from Kilby Farms are to blame — and accuses the farmer of defying its order to stop the discharges.
Trump rescinds Obama-era order that overhauled Chesapeake Bay cleanup
President Donald Trump rescinded an Obama-era executive order Wednesday that had organized the federal response to the Chesapeake Bay cleanup for nearly two decades.
Perdue wants to release nearly 5 times more wastewater amid forever chemical scrutiny
Perdue AgriBusiness, which has faced criticism for exposing the community near its Salisbury plant to dangerous “forever chemicals,” is hoping to drastically increase the amount of wastewater it releases into an Eastern Shore stream.
After 52 years, Baltimore picks a native for its official tree. It was kinda dramatic.
Baltimore has chosen the tuliptree as its new official city tree, replacing the invasive callery pear after a months-long public vote and a decidedly dramatic race at Cylburn Arboretum.
With 59 lost to heat, 2026 was Maryland’s deadliest summer on record
At least 59 people have died because of complications from heat since the start of May, according to the health department — a sharp jump from the 36 reported heat deaths last year.
A mysterious new disease is poised to devastate Maryland’s beech trees
The disease can kill a young beech in a matter of a few years, while more mature trees may die within a decade.
