KIDS! Stop Pointless Personal Pollution! Part One

It’s a beautiful Saturday—a perfect day to make some extra spending money washing cars for family and neighbors, gassing up and oiling the lawn mower, laying down some fertilizer on those yellow patches in the yard, walking the dog, and spraying your mom’s rosebushes for pesky  bugs. Work hard and maybe you can make enough money to spring for movie tickets for you and your date. The health of your nearby stream is probably one of the last things on your mind as you tackle your tasks. But guess what! Each of your jobs could harm a nearby stream, lake, or wetland.
How? Well, consider....

Washing Cars 
Many cleaning products contain phosphates and other chemicals that can make fish and other aquatic life sick. Using a hose to wash off suds creates a stream of wastewater that can travel down your driveway, into the street, and down a storm drain. No prob? Well, what do you think is at the other end of your storm drain? Usually a stream! You can help protect streams when you wash your car if you:
• Use a bucket instead of a hose to save water and limit flow.
• Wash your car in sections and rinse it quickly using the high pressure flow on an adjustable hose nozzle.
• Use biodegradable soaps.
• Park your car over gravel or your lawn so wastewater doesn’t flow into the street.

Working with Motors 
Motors must be maintained if you want them to work properly. Oil, gasoline, brake fluid, degreasers, and antifreeze are a few of the products you need. All of these products contain chemicals that can harm aquatic life if they get into a stream, lake, or wetland. One gallon of used oil can ruin a million gallons of fresh water—a year’s supply for 50 people.
If you accidentally spill these products on the ground when you’re working, clean them up quickly. If you don’t, the next rainstorm will pick them up and carry them to the nearest stream. Some chemicals are acutely toxic and can cause immediate harm or death to insects, fish, and animals within 96 hours or less (for example, antifreeze, which is toxic to pets, has a sweet taste that cats and dogs love). Others are chronically toxic and cause harm over time.
You can help prevent hazardous substances from getting into natural waterways if you:
• Use the product only when necessary and use only the amount needed. When it comes to hazardous
chemicals, more is not better.
• Clean up any spills immediately.(Wear protective clothing and gloves.)
• Never flush chemicals down the toilet or pour them onto the ground or into a storm drain.
• Dispose of used oil and other hazardous products in a safe manner. Participate in collection programs or take products to collection centers for disposal.