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Spring 2004

C i t y o f T a c o m a E P u b l i c W o r k s E E n v i r o n m e n t a l S e r v i c e s

S o l i d W a s t e E W a s t e w a t e r E S u r f a c e W a t e rE n h a n c i n g y o u r q u a l i t y o f l i f e

When you wash your vehicle in the driveway or on the street, fish get soap for dinner.

Yep, dirty, soapy wash water runs straight into the storm drains and goes—untreated—into the nearest creek or, depending on where you live, straight into Puget Sound.

Soap and dirt can harm fish and other critters living in the water. How can you help? Wash your vehicle on grass or on gravel so the ground will act as a filter to take soap out of the water. Contrary to popular belief, soap will

not hurt the grass, and neither will your car, as long as you don’t leave it parked there for days!

After you’re done washing, pour your icky wash water into the sink or bathtub. Water that goes down a drain inside

your home is treated before reaching our local waters.

You can also take your vehicle to commercial car washes because they recycle

their wash water.

Storm drain stenciling for dummiesLooking for a fun, educational activity for your kids this summer that will keep them busy for hours and won’t cost you a penny? Try marking storm drains.

It’s a little known fact that water flowing into Tacoma’s storm drains goes directly into our waterways without treatment. Lawn and garden chemicals, car oils, pet waste and litter washed into drains by the rain hurt salmon and other aquatic critters.

You can help by marking some of the City’s more than 17,000 storm drains with stencils or curb markers that say, “Dump no waste, drains to stream.” The “no dumping” message reminds people that our everyday activities can pollute our environment.

You pick the day and we’ll give you materials and instruction. We hope to mark more than 1,000 drains this year. To schedule, contact Kara Haney, Citizens for a Healthy Bay, 383-2429 or khaney@healthybay.org.

Groups and individual families welcome. Weather-dependent. The storm drain marking program is a joint effort between the City, Citizens for a Healthy Bay and the Pierce Conservation District Stream Team.

SoapSoapfor dinner?Yechhh!

Holding a fund-raising car wash? Borrow one of our free Clean Bay Car Wash Kits. Learn more at

www.cityoftacoma.org/carwashkits or 502-2120.

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Pack

tho

se packing peanuts on over

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Is it time for a remodel or demolition of your home? Know what you’re dealing with before you swing a sledgehammer.

Asbestos was commonly used before 1980 in such things as popcorn ceilings, insulation, cement siding and some roofing shingles. Asbestos, a chemical- and heat-resistant fibrous material, has been known to cause lung disease and cancer, although it poses no known health risks if it remains intact or is handled correctly.

Here’s an overview of asbestos requirements that will protect your health and the environment.

IdentifyPrior to all renovation, repair or demolition work, the law requires owners of owner-occupied, single-family homes to identify asbestos and if it will be disturbed during the work. Requirements vary depending on the nature of the work, and they range from a certified inspection to a self-assessment.

NotifyWith most projects involving asbestos, you’re required to submit a “Notice of Intent” form (found at www.pscleanair.org) to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency before beginning work. The City of

Tacoma Landfill also requires a copy of this form before asbestos disposal.

DisposeThe Tacoma Landfill accepts properly managed asbestos waste, but special requirements and fees apply. Improperly managed asbestos waste will be rejected and could lead to hefty fines when regulatory agencies become involved.

Asbestos projects done safely

For more information about asbestos disposal, call Tacoma Solid Waste Management, 591-5543. For other information regarding asbestos, contact the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, www.pscleanair.org or (800) 552-3565.

Never quite sure what to do with packing peanuts? Recycle them!

Bring clean, dry Styrofoam™ packing peanuts to the City of Tacoma’s Recycling Center and place them in the appropriately

marked bin. Other Styrofoam™ packing material or products cannot be recycled and must be thrown in the garbage.

We bring the peanuts to The UPS Store™ for reuse.

The Recycling Center (Tacoma Landfill, 3510 S. Mullen St.) is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week. For

more information, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/recycle, or call 591-5543.

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Got a recipe that calls for fresh dill? Craving chives for your baked potato? Plant an herb garden in TAGRO Potting Soil this spring and it’ll be easy to satisfy your culinary needs.

“If you’re going to grow something, why not grow something you can eat?” asks Gordy Behnke, a master gardener for the City’s TAGRO program. “Herbs are easy, fun and practical.”

TAGRO Potting Soil is perfect for a small herb garden that you can keep on your deck or porch. Gordy tells us how:

E Fill a container that drains well with TAGRO Potting Soil, about 2 inches from the top.

E Using herb seedlings from a nursery—basil, chives, dill, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and sweet marjoram are good choices—plant the seedlings about 6 inches apart.

E Water thoroughly.

Keep your container outside in full sun (no kitchen windows, please!), keep it moist (not wet) and don’t plant before May 15 in case of a late frost.

Especially designed for container-grown plants, TAGRO Potting Soil is a nutrient-rich blend of Tacoma biosolids, high-quality maple sawdust and clean, aged bark. TAGRO is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency as safe for use on food crops. $30/yard with $5 minimum purchase.

Pick up TAGRO at Tacoma’s Central Wastewater Treatment Plant, 2201 Portland Ave., Gate #5. For more information: www.TAGRO.com or 502-2150. Hours: April through September: Weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. October through March: Weekdays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Congratulations to the winners of the last EnviroChallenge question—Sandra Grape, Carolyn Kaelber, Kristen Marx and Barbara Rudzinski. They successfully named the ingredients in TAGRO Potting Soil (Tacoma biosolids, maple sawdust, aged bark) and Mulch (Tacoma biosolids, blend of fir and hemlock sawdust).

This issue’s challenge: Name the five H’s affecting the survival of salmon in the Pacific Northwest.

E-mail your answer to envirotalk@cityoftacoma.org. (Sorry, we can’t take answers by phone.) The first five Tacoma residents to correctly answer this question will win an Environmental Services backpack/cooler.* Find the answer at www.cityoftacoma.org/environmentalservices.* Limit one winner per household, per calendar year.

If you see activities that potentially threaten the health of Commencement Bay or its surrounding waters, call the

Commencement Bay Water Pollution Hotline

383-2429For weekends or after-hours

emergencies, call 911.The hotline is a joint effort between the City and

Citizens for a Healthy Bay.

HelpStop

Pollution!

HelpStop

Pollution!

potting soilpotting soil

HerbsLoveLoveTAGRO

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pet pollution?

What’s the solution to pet pollution?

free

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Your pets leave “treasures” behind whether they’re in your yard or out with you on a walk. What to do with that pet pollution? Scoop the poop into a plastic bag and dispose of it in the nearest garbage container, or empty it out of the bag into a toilet and flush.

Pet waste contains harmful bacteria that can contribute to water quality problems and can be hazardous to humans. Think one little deposit from your pet won’t make a big impact? With all the pets in Tacoma, it adds up fast.

Keep new or reused plastic bags around the house, or tuck a couple in your pocket for your next animal-outing, and help keep Tacoma clean and protected.

A day’s waste from one large dog can contain 7.8 billion fecal coliform bacteria, enough to contaminate 15 acres of shellfish beds!Source: Thurston County pet waste brochure

Crazy for our creeksDid you know only 2.4 percent of all the water on earth is fresh water? This precious natural resource must be cared for and used wisely, both for our own enjoyment and for the animals that depend on it.

Creeks provide habitat for fish and wildlife, a channel for flood waters, and they help replenish the groundwater. They’re also a basic water source for many living things. Caring for Tacoma’s creeks is easy:

F Step lightly. Walking too close to the edge of the bank can cause soil to break off and reduce water quality. The excess mud and silt also can cover the gravel that fish use to spawn.

F Garden gingerly. Minimize your use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides so they don’t wash into the water, or better yet, use organic products. Plant native species to provide the best food and “housing” options for wildlife.

F Distance animals. Large pets and livestock can damage stream banks, and animal waste contaminates the water and can kill local plant species by stimulating the growth of algae. Remember to scoop the poop.

F Litter not. It may be one gum wrapper to you, but its effects on the wildlife, fish and water can be long-lasting. Tuck litter in your pockets for disposal later.

With the yard and garden season in full bloom, Solid Waste Management makes your yard waste

disposal easy by offering free 90-gallon containers (two per household) to all City of Tacoma

residential garbage customers.

Save yourself a trip or two to the curb by using one convenient container for all your yard waste. The City-issued container holds up to 250 pounds of yard waste, which is then composted and made into soil enrichment products.

Order at www.cityoftacoma.org/solidwaste/form or call 591-5543. Allow at least two weeks for

delivery. Yard waste collection is included in your regular garbage service.

Get a container

yard waste

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Does the inside of your car look like last summer’s road trip ended yesterday?

Whether it’s a little spot on your upholstery or some major spring cleaning, here are some easy home remedies for making the inside of your car look spotless. A quick solution to any messy problem, these earth-friendly recipes can be made with ingredients from your kitchen.

Fabric upholstery: Use 1/4 cup liquid soap (vegetable oil-based works best, but any kind will do) and whip it with 3 tablespoons water. Pull the foam off the top and rub it into the upholstery. Rinse well by blotting with a damp cloth. Be sure to test this recipe on an inconspicuous part first, such as your trunk.

Leather upholstery: Hold the rind of a half-sliced lemon and rub the inside of the fruit onto the stain. Or dab a cloth with lemon juice to clean the spot. A mild solution of dishwashing soap and water works, too.

All methods are tested by City staff. See other earth-friendly recipes at www.cityoftacoma.org/greenercleaners.

Don’t let April showers slow down your golf game. Take advantage of 20 newly-covered, top-level stalls at Tacoma Firs Golf Center.

Optimize your practice time with 60 covered tee stations (out of 80 total). The golf center also features an 18-hole miniature golf course, a natural-grass

putting green and a 50-yard short practice area.

Tacoma Firs Golf Center (4504 S. Tyler St.) operates under a revenue-sharing agreement with the City. Spring and summer hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. For more information, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/solidwaste/golf, or call 472-6899.

Sundays—Bottomless Bucket Night Unlimited balls$12 per person (5-7 p.m.)

Wednesdays & Fridays—Family NightDinner and mini golf or one regular bucket of balls $5.99 per person (4-7 p.m.)

Thursdays—Steak NightSteak dinner and bottomless bucket of balls$12 per person (4-7 p.m.)

Too often, perfectly good furniture ends up in the

landfill. Whether funky or functional,

donate before you dump.

The Goodwill donation station at the

City's Recycling Center (Tacoma Landfill) now accepts reusable

furniture* in addition to the usual clothing, toys and household items.

Offering one convenient location to unload your reusable items, recycling and garbage, the Tacoma Landfill (3510 S. Mullen St.) is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

*Goodwill will not accept broken, damaged or wet upholstered furniture, TVs, bean bag chairs, mattresses or metal bed springs.

Donate before yo

u dump

Donate before yo

u dump

Cleaning out the

insides of your auto

Tacoma Firs Golf Center

Buy one, get one freeRegular bucket of balls

or miniature golfNot valid with any other offers.

One coupon per visit.Value 1/20 cent. Expires 6/30/04.

ES

Clip this coupon to save

TOp O’ the rangefeatures

covered stalls

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natural

products

Discounted natural

yard care products

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issueissuein this City of TacomaPublic WorksEnvironmental Services747 Market Street, Room 408Tacoma, Washington 98402-3769

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

TACOMA, WAPERMIT NO. 2

PWK 5120 0021 (03/04) a

We want your feedback and story suggestions. E-mail us at envirotalk@cityoftacoma.org.

G Fish-friendly car wash tips ..........page 1

G Recycling packing peanuts............... page 2

G TAGRO Potting Soil for herbs ............. page 3

G Free yard waste container............. page 4

G New furniture donation station .. page 5

How healthy is your yard? More importantly, how healthy are the products you use to care for it? In celebration of Northwest Natural Yard Days, take advantage of discounts on many environmentally-friendly yard care items at all Pierce County Lowe’s and Home Depot locations throughout April and May.

Why use natural products? They save you money and time, and they protect the environment and your family’s health. Discounted products include mulching mowers, weed pullers, organic fertilizer, moss killer, slug control, water timers, soaker hoses and more.

For more information, call 591-5543 or visit www.cityoftacoma.org/naturalyards.

GAS MOWER TURN-INRecycle your old gas mower for free!

(Tacoma residents only)

8 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 17City of Tacoma Recycling Center, located at the

Tacoma Landfill, 3510 S. Mullen St.

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