Storm Water & Plastic Pollution
Up to 80% of the plastic entering our waterways and ocean come from inland sources! That means a cigarette butt or tennis ball on your street can find its way to the ocean. Clean Virginia Waterways has provided leadership on exploring ways to keep plastic pollution out of stormwater.
Annual Storm Water & Plastic Pollution Workshops
WHY STORMWATER & LITTER?
There are growing concerns about the impacts of debris and plastic pollution in our rivers, lakes, oceans, and coastal waters, along with an increasing emphasis on stormwater management of litter and debris. Virginia faces a new urgency to understand and address the sources of litter and marine debris in our waters.
The Stormwater Connection:
60% to 80% of marine debris comes from inland sources including littering, mis-managed solid waste, uncovered trucks, balloon releases, illegal dumping, etc. (Source: National Marine Debris Monitoring Program (NMDMP) research report, April 2008)
Since 2018, the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program and Clean Virginia Waterways have gathered stormwater professionals from across Virginia (plus a few from other states) to spend a day sharing case studies, ideas and strategies to address urban trash pollution. The goal: explore ways to prevent litter through community-based social marketing, education, legislation, and innovation.
Speakers share strategies to intercept a piece of trash before it becomes part of stormwater runoff and conveyed to and through the storm sewer system via storm drains. Interception of trash is a sub-set of marine debris prevention, and it has unique features, challenges, and solutions.
To learn about future workshops, send an email to cleanups@cleanvirginiawaterways.org
