Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Job Corps students show off pavement for Earth Week

LONG BEACH - Job Corps students celebrated Earth Week Tuesday by demonstrating the advantages of using permeable pavement instead of concrete to keep polluted runoff from reaching the sea. The display at the Long Beach Job Corps Center was part of a week-long attempt to raise awareness of the environment, sustainability and climate change.

Earth Day is Thursday and Earth Week continues through Sunday.

Water hitting the permeable pavement sinks through the layers, returning to the ground instead of running off into storm drains and carrying bacteria or trash to rivers and oceans, Meredith Reynolds, Long Beach Sustainability Coordinator, said.


By Pamela Hale-Burns. Long Beach Press-Telegram. pam.hale@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1476
Go Here for full story: http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_14922898

Thursday, April 8, 2010

You and storm water: A major source of pollution

via McClatchy Newspapers; By Terri Bennett


How would you feel if you knew that you and your neighbors are the biggest source of water pollution in the U.S.? Well, it's true.
It's generally not intentional, but each day we all do things that add up to one big problem.

Storm water runoff is just what it sounds like: water from rain or snowmelt that flows over the ground. Impervious surfaces like driveways, streets and parking lots prevent storm water from being absorbed into the ground, contributing to the flow of runoff.

Storm water flows downhill to the nearest storm drain. What most people don't understand is that anything that enters a storm drain flows untreated into a nearby creek, river or lake. These rivers and lakes are the source of drinking water to 85 percent of Americans and a valued resource for swimming, boating or fishing for all of us.

FOR FULL ARTICLE GO HERE: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/homegarden/2011528718_drains.html