Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
September 18, 2008
4. Water Quality -
Dirty Water: Environmental group lists trashiest streams that flow into the San Francisco Bay
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP LISTS BAY'S 10 NASTIEST STREAMS
By Paul Rogers, staff writer
Vast amounts of trash — from Styrofoam cups to old tires — pollute nearly all of the streams that flow into
In a new report released Wednesday, Save the Bay highlighted nearly two dozen clogged streams where the environmental group says debris endangers wildlife and human health.
Among the Top 10 "Bay Trash Hot Spots" most choked with litter:
"These are the worst spots around the bay. People would be shocked to see the photos,'' said Jessica Castelli, a spokeswoman for Save the Bay.
"They don't realize that a candy wrapper that fell out of their hand or a plastic grocery bag that blew out of their car can very easily make it to the bay. And when you think that there are 7 million of us who live around the bay, all of our impacts really can add up.''
The group, which ranked the streams based on photos from its volunteers and surveys by state water quality officials, is pushing for three reforms.
First, it is urging Bay Area residents to volunteer for the annual California Coastal Cleanup, which takes place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Last year, more than 61,000 people statewide collected more than 903,000 pounds of trash and recyclables along coastal beaches, but also along inland streams and bayfront marshes.
In the 2007 cleanup,
"I think people do see it as more of an ocean beach cleanup, but there's a big need along the bay, if not more than along the beach,'' Castelli said.
Oakland-based Save the Bay also is pushing for state water regulators to name 23 streams and creeks around San Francisco Bay as "impaired'' for trash pollution under the Clean Water Act. Such designations, which have historically been for pollutants like mercury or pesticides, require the state to draw up a plan to bring the water bodies affected back to environmental health.
In the case of trash, that could mean requiring Bay Area cities to put trash-catching devices over storm drain pipes, to crack down more on businesses that pollute — like supermarkets whose dumpsters cause litter to blow into the streets — and to provide more garbage cans at public parks.
The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board is scheduled to make a decision on the designations by the end of next month. In 2001, state water officials in
Finally, Save the Bay also is pushing the San Francisco regional water board to impose tough new trash rules for storm drain permits for Bay Area cities, since nearly all garbage on the street washes into storm drains and is flushed into the bay, where it harms wildlife and can drift into the ocean.
"Trash is harming water quality,'' Castelli said. "It's killing animals in the bay.''#
http://www.mercurynews.com/localnewsheadlines/ci_10490472
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