FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Scouts’ Idea Nets Prize for the City

Eagle Scout Michael Ecker wanted people to understand how the environment is damaged when paint, pet waste, motor oil, grass clippings and other toxic materials are dumped down city catch basins. Untreated materials dumped into the city drainage system go directly into the ocean.

“I go to the beach a lot,” said Michael, 13, a Kazuo Masuda Middle School student. “I felt that if I could clean up the ocean in any way, it would be helpful to everybody.”

As a project toward earning his Eagle Scout rank, Ecker organized Scouts from his troop to paint the words “No Dumping . . . Drains to the Ocean” on 70 catch basins in the city.

Boy Scout Colin Burns, a 15-year-old from Orange also trying to make Eagle Scout, has plans to stencil the warning message on more city catch basins.

“I want to do something to keep the ocean clean,” said Colin, who also frequents the beach. The El Modena High School student said he plans to organize Scouts from his troop to paint the words on up to 100 catch basins.

City Councilman Guy Carrozzo thought the Scouts’ work was worthy of notice and submitted their projects in a statewide contest for cities on ways to improve communities.

Fountain Valley won the contest, sponsored by California Healthy Cities Project, a nonprofit Sacramento group that works with cities to promote healthier environments.

Gregory Shaffer, program development specialist for the group, said that more than 20 cities submitted ideas and that a random drawing was held. The prize was a free trip to the group’s recent conference in Monterey.

Susan Lynn, Fountain Valley’s environmental programs manager, attended the conference on behalf of the city.

Lynn said the Boy Scouts saved the city more than 100 hours in labor costs by performing the work.

“Their message will help prevent people from putting waste down the drains,” she said.