Drive Fights Storm Drain Dumping
Heal the Bay, a Santa Monica-based environmental group known for its grass-roots efforts at cleaning up local waters, will help launch a countywide program this week to educate people about the dangers of dumping hazardous waste into storm drains, which empty into the ocean.
Under the Gutter Patrol program, conducted in conjunction with the Los Angeles city and county public works departments, volunteers will place 65,000 stenciled signs reading “No Dumping, This Drains to Ocean” on storm drains across Los Angeles County.
The project is expected to be completed in two years.
Urban storm water runoff contributes the largest amount of pollution to area beaches, said Heal the Bay Executive Director Adi Liberman.
Rainwater washes fertilizers, motor oil, pet droppings and other pollutants into storm drains, which flush into the sea.
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