Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
Happy Thanksgiving from the Keep Liberty Beautiful staff and advisory board. We hope you thought about ways you and your family can have a green holiday.
Team KLB wanted to remind you that there is still time for you to conduct a Rivers Alive Cleanup and receive one of the coolest purple T-shirts. All you have to do is contact us, and we will supply you with all the cleanup supplies you need. You will also receive a Rivers Alive T-shirt when you are done. It takes us all to save and keep our environment and waterways clean. Understanding our interactions with the environment is crucial for our survival. One key aspect is discerning between point and nonpoint pollution sources. This knowledge is vital for all living creatures, as we depend on clean air, water, and soil. Ecosystems thrive when communities take responsibility for the land we inhabit. Point-source pollution originates from a single identified source, while various factors cause nonpoint-source pollution. The EPA defines point source pollution as any contaminant that enters the environment from a clearly identified and confined place. On the other hand, nonpoint source pollution involves pollutants released over a wide range of sources.
Our community plays a crucial role in combating nonpoint source pollution. Just like the ponds at Bryant Commons in Hinesville, our ponds catch a lot of litter and debris flowing in the pond from city storm drains. Thanks to the efforts of our dedicated volunteers, we’ve seen a significant reduction in the amount of litter and debris in these ponds. It takes volunteers to keep the ponds free of cigarette butts, cups, bottles, cans, fast food trash, and other nasty litter that people toss on our sidewalks and streets and, ultimately, end up traveling down city storm drains. All these items are part of a problem called nonpoint source pollution.
Regrettably, the most significant threat to our local waterways is nonpoint sources of pollution (NPS), which are notoriously difficult to control. NPS pollution originates primarily from our homes, backyards, roads, businesses, farms, and densely populated areas. It is caused by rainfall or irrigation moving over and through the ground, picking up and carrying away natural and human-made pollutants. These pollutants are then deposited into creeks, lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and underground drinking water sources. This process, often referred to as stormwater pollution, occurs when rain washes the pollution and debris into our groundwater and waterways. This pollution has severe consequences, affecting the health of our waterways, the quality of our drinking water, and the survival of our local wildlife.
These pollutants include: * Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production * Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands, and eroding stream banks * Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage from abandoned mines * Bacteria and nutrients from animals, pet wastes, and faulty septic systems * and, of course, litter. According to the EPA, nonpoint source pollution is the primary cause of water quality issues. It harms drinking water, wildlife, and our sport and seafood fisheries. As urbanization continues, the impact of nonpoint pollution worsens unless we change our harmful daily habits and seek proactive solutions, such as our Adopt Liberty groups, to create positive change. There are still plenty of ways that you can be involved in creating positive change in Liberty County. You can organize a cleanup in your neighborhood or join the Adopt Liberty Program, a community- based initiative where volunteers adopt a specific area and commit to keeping it clean and free of litter. Keep Liberty Beautiful provides all the cleanup supplies (garbage bags, safety vests, work gloves, litter reachers, and water for these cleanups. We appreciate any support volunteers can give. Contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888 or email klcb@libertycountyga.gov for more information. We can all find a way to make our community healthier, safer, and brighter.