San Rafael, CA – State water quality regulations will soon require local governments to prevent trash from passing through parts of storm drain systems to waterways, and the County of Marin has secured federal grant funding to address it.
Much of the grant funding will be applied to the installation and maintenance of “full trash capture systems,” which are designed to remove trash larger than a cigarette butt from the municipal storm drain systems in high priority areas.
The Marin Countywide Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program
(MCSTOPPP) has been awarded a $685,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement projects and programs designed to prevent trash from entering local creeks and bays.
Trash is not only an eyesore, but it pollutes the water and damages the environment and wildlife. Much of the trash that accumulates in our creeks, wetlands, bays and ocean starts as the litter on streets, sidewalks and parking lots. When it rains, the trash goes straight into storm drains and out to the bay.
The grant from the EPA will leverage planned and ongoing efforts by Marin’s local governments to reduce trash in our communities from a variety of sources. MCSTOPPP, which is a partnership between Marin’s 11 cities and towns and the unincorporated areas of Marin, spearheads state and federally mandated pollution prevention activities for Marin. The funding will provide necessary resources to help accelerate trash control programs across the region.
Much of the grant funding will be applied to the installation and maintenance of “full trash capture systems,” which are designed to remove trash larger than a cigarette butt from the municipal storm drain systems in high priority areas.
In addition to these projects and regular maintenance activities, MCSTOPPP is developing various public education and outreach initiatives. This includes working with anti-litter nonprofits and volunteer groups through the Clean Marin coalition, which seeks to empower collaborative litter prevention and cleanup efforts by local government organizations and Marin residents.
“Local government will gain valuable experience installing and maintaining full trash capture systems, as well as pilot testing other localized controls which could be successful in reducing environmental trash,” said Rob Carson, Administrator of MCSTOPPP. “Long-term, this is about minimizing the impact of trash on the natural world, and hopefully inspiring everyone to work together to find solutions.”
To learn about the many ways to reduce pollutants in our waterways, visit the MCSTOPPP website.