Sun Trust Bank Headquarters in Richmond, Virginia

Green roofs are roofs that have plants and grasses on top of them. They offer a number of benefits including being an innovative tool to reduce stormwater runoff. Normally, rainwater rushes from rooftops and other hard surfaces into nearby streams and rivers. In highly urban areas, this sudden surge of water can erode the banks of these streams and rivers. Because of the vegetation on top of green roofs, the rainwater that would have poured from the roof is captured by the plants. Green roofs are becoming more popular – SunTrust Bank Headquarters in Richmond, Virginia installed one on its building. and a number of federal government buildings are also getting green roofs.

Is this an idea that’s ready to sprout?

Is it my imagination or is there more trash hanging around outside these days than there was years ago? I was brought up to pick up any trash I happened upon, even if it wasn’t mine. The theory was that if everyone did, our community would always look wonderful — the “Keep America Beautiful” approach.

2009 Anacostia Watershed Society

I still try to pick up any litter I see, but often it seems like I’m the only one. I am amazed at how many people at my train station will walk by an advertisement that has fallen out of someone else’s newspaper, a soda can left on a bench, or those plastic straps used to bundle newspapers. And, it would only take a few seconds of their time. Gosh, there are trash cans right there!

Maybe they don’t understand where that trash can end up. It might be swept away to a nearby stream, affecting the quality of the water. That’s what has been happening in the Anacostia River watershed, part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, 85% of which resides within Maryland and 15% within the District of Columbia.

Because of all the trash that’s been going into the Anacostia River it was designated as “impaired by trash” in early 2007, only the second river in the United States to receive this dubious recognition. An estimated 600 tons of trash and debris enter the river each year. There are trash cleanup days which really help, but wouldn’t it be better if everyone just took the few seconds every day to pick up the trash they see?

Is litter a problem in your community? What have you tried that has worked and what hasn’t? Please share your experiences.

Every year, the Mid-Atlantic Water Protection Division does a few Earth Day presentations at local schools. We have always felt that it’s important to educate young people about protecting the environment.

In certain ways, educating the next generation is one of the most important parts of EPA’s entire mission. This year, we went to a few schools including Julia R. Masterman at 17th & Spring Garden Streets in Philadelphia. Masterman is a public magnet school that includes both a middle school and a high school with young enthusiastic teachers, who continually use their science curriculum to talk about environmental issues.

Sometimes a short presentation on the class’s Smartboard about the history of EPA is offered, including old photos of the Cuyahoga River fire which happened way back in 1969. Or we talk about the first Earth Day in 1970, and how it led to the formation of the EPA. Other times, we change speeds a bit and do a simple chemistry experiment using red cabbage juice as a pH indicator. pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity and changes in pH can also affect the aquatic life in a stream.

For an experiment about pH, we use red cabbage juice because it changes colors quite dramatically when mixed with baking soda, vinegar or even tap water. Purple, dark green and light blue…even a bright yellow can easily be created with the right substance. Middle schoolers love looking at the different colors, and some are inspired them to ask us a few questions about the Schuylkill River or other water bodies in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Read about successful restoration of pH-impaired streams in the Mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

What are some of the lessons you’ve shared with young people about protecting the health of our streams and rivers? The future of our environment is in their hands.

We’ve all seen them and have maybe even helped out. It’s those by-the-side-of-the-road fund-raising car washes, usually with high school or college students having a good time on a weekend afternoon soaping up cars. But, have you ever thought about where the soapy runoff water goes? Sure, it probably runs down to a storm sewer, but what about after that? Did you say, “To a water treatment plant”? If you did, you just might be wrong. In many communities stormwater empties out directly into a stream, river or wetland. That’s right. All that dirty soapy water with residues of gasoline and motor oil may be taking a short trip through some pipes into your local environment, where it could cause damage.

What to do? In planning your event investigate what will happen to the wastewater. Walk around. Are there storm drains? If so, is anything stenciled on them, like “Don’t Dump. Flows to Stream” or “No Dumping — Drains to the River”? Some communities have stenciled their drains to let people know where the water goes.

If you can’t find storm drains or if nothing is stenciled on the ones you find, try calling your local government and, if you have one, the sewage authority for your area. Ask them where the water will go and what damage it might cause.

If the risk for polluting is high, you might want to change your plans. But, if you still want to go forward:
• Use an environmentally-friendly biodegradable soap.
• Lighten up on the amount of soap you use — water is a natural solvent.
• Use buckets and dump the dirty water down a sink drain.
• Use a hose with a shut-off nozzle (this will also conserve water)
• Wash cars on a grass, gravel or other permeable surface so the dirty water will soak into the ground instead of running off.

And, check out these resources from Maryland.

Make Your Car Wash Event Eco-Friendly from the Maryland Department of the Environment

Facts About ….Car Washing Fundraisers from Maryland Public Schools

These tips are also appropriate for those of us who wash our own cars.

So, how do you get the dirt off of your car? Are you environmentally aware when taking sponge and hose in hand?

Visit the Chesapeake Bay TMDL website

Are you missing out on the discussion?

EPA is setting a strict, binding “pollution diet” to restore the Chesapeake Bay and local waters.

Its impact will stretch from upstate New York to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, affecting six states and the District of Columbia.

The diet, formally known as a Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL, will be established by the end of this year with key milestones between now and then.

Each month, EPA and a special guest or two are providing online updates on the Bay TMDL via webinar. Hundreds of people are tuning in to each session. It’s easy to connect.

The next webinar is scheduled for Thursday, July 8 at 10 a.m. In addition to our EPA experts, we will get an update on Delaware’s plan and how the state is moving ahead on a plan to meet reduced pollution levels.

Do you have other suggestions on how EPA can get the word out about this novel initiative?