We often think that pollution mostly comes from major sources such as factories, power plants, shipyards and untreated municipal wastewater. But contaminants of all kinds find their way into our local environment every day, and they affect our health and the health of the ecosystems on which we depend.
What are some of those contaminants? Oil, gas, cleaning products, soaps, detergents, paints and varnishes, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and a wide variety of wastes from businesses.
And they all can affect our health and the health of the environment.
We’ve seen the effects of pollution all around us. One example is the Port of Friday Harbor Aquarium run by Mike Kaill. See the sidebar story here.
Virtually all of us are complicit in letting these substances reach the environment, but with a little education and effort we could all reduce the amount reaching our air, soil and waters.
How Do Toxins Reach the Environment?
Toxins can reach the environment in any number of ways; via vehicle exhausts, oils spills, runoff from certain agricultural and industrial sites, and more. A couple of common ways that pollutants get to our waters here in the islands are via stormwater and substances going down the drain.
Household and business sinks. People pour all sorts of things down their sinks, from detergents to a wide variety of household cleaners and chemicals, often with the mistaken belief that they’ll be treated in the septic system or wastewater treatment plant. But its not true. For instance the treatment process at the Friday Harbor plant consists of a screening process to remove solids, a cyclone process to remove smaller bits of suspended solid material (sand, etc.) and an aeration process where microorganisms break down the biological waste. The wastewater treatment plant does nothing to treat the kinds of chemicals present in many household cleaners and solvents. In essence, pouring these types of chemicals down the drain is the same as pouring them directly into the bay. And some substances, in high enough concentrations, can result in “killing” the wastewater plant. Anything that kills bacteria can damage the plant.
Solving the Problem
Stormwater is a big issue. It carries contaminated runoff from roofs, parking lots and construction sites. See Putting Stormwater in its Place in this newsletter.
Solving the problem of substances going down the drain might seem simple on the surface – we should just stop doing it. But unfortunately its not nearly so simple. First of all, we have to get the word out to everyone about the problem substances and the dangers of disposing of them this way. Then we’ve got to provide, one way or another, safe options for disposal.
San Juan County is working on both fronts, at least with businesses. A Pollution Prevention Specialist position has been created. Brian Rader has been providing education and technical support for county businesses since January. Brian’s job is to visit businesses around the county, take a look at their operations, and provide suggestions and resources for reducing and properly disposing of their wastes. For example, he’s helped dentists divert spent x-ray chemicals and sterilizing substances from the waste stream, and marinas improve their boater education.
But Brian’s work has also exposed a real need for better opportunities for proper disposal of hazardous wastes. There has generally only been one hazardous waste collection event a year on San Juan, Orcas and Lopez Islands for businesses and households. This requires conscientious businesses and individuals to properly store these wastes for long periods and frankly encourages people to get rid of things in ways potentially harmful to the environment.
There’s still work to do. Better education, better programs for waste collection and enforcement of current rules can help. A lot of it boils down to common sense: use and dispose of cleaners and chemicals according to instructions on the labels and replace those substances with natural and safe products whenever possible!
