Presentation Abstract
Over 7 million quarts of motor oil are dripped onto streets and highways in the Puget Sound Basin each year, resulting in over $53 million worth of motor oil going down storm drains each year. But it’s not only money that’s lost. Toxic, petroleum-based oil, grease and other fluids such as transmission, power steering, brake and windshield wiper fluids, often leak from vehicles, and these contaminants are carried by stormwater to streams, rivers and Puget Sound, where they accumulate in sediments, harm water quality, and harm or kill aquatic life. The Washington Department of Ecology has identified leaky vehicles as among the most significant pollution sources affecting the Puget Sound’s health. Until recently, relatively little effort was made to address the impact from leaky cars and trucks in Washington State. Starting in 2012, a committee comprised of local and state governments, non-profit organizations and industry representatives began using a systems approach to map the vehicle leak system and develop programmatic and policy recommendations to the Washington State legislature on effective measures that can be taken to address this issue, due in summer 2014. Among the list of recommendations includes the continuation of the Totem Award winning Don’t Drip & Drive Campaign, a behavior change campaign that helps owners fix their leaky vehicles. In 2013, a consortium of over 80 cities and counties known as Stormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities (STORM) collaborated with state agencies, numerous non-profit organizations, and over 80 auto repair shops to launch the campaign pilot. During the one-month pilot, over 7,000 vehicles were inspected and 709 vehicles had leaks repaired. Efforts are now underway to expand the campaign and improve effectiveness prior to launching Phase 2 in June 2014.
Session Title
Session S-03H: Social Science Strategies for Ecosystem Recovery: On-the-Ground Applications of Social Science
Conference Track
Social Science Plus
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
30-4-2014 3:30 PM
End Date
30-4-2014 5:00 PM
Location
Room 607
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Runoff--Public relations--Washington (State)--Puget Sound Watershed; Runoff--Environmental aspects--Washington (State)--Puget Sound Watershed; Motor vehicles--Environmental aspects--Washington (State)--Puget Sound Watershed; Water quality management--Washington (State)--Puget Sound Watershed
Geographic Coverage
Puget Sound Watershed (Wash.); Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Don't Drip & Drive- Greasing the Skids with Social Science to Prevent Vehicle Leaks
Room 607
Over 7 million quarts of motor oil are dripped onto streets and highways in the Puget Sound Basin each year, resulting in over $53 million worth of motor oil going down storm drains each year. But it’s not only money that’s lost. Toxic, petroleum-based oil, grease and other fluids such as transmission, power steering, brake and windshield wiper fluids, often leak from vehicles, and these contaminants are carried by stormwater to streams, rivers and Puget Sound, where they accumulate in sediments, harm water quality, and harm or kill aquatic life. The Washington Department of Ecology has identified leaky vehicles as among the most significant pollution sources affecting the Puget Sound’s health. Until recently, relatively little effort was made to address the impact from leaky cars and trucks in Washington State. Starting in 2012, a committee comprised of local and state governments, non-profit organizations and industry representatives began using a systems approach to map the vehicle leak system and develop programmatic and policy recommendations to the Washington State legislature on effective measures that can be taken to address this issue, due in summer 2014. Among the list of recommendations includes the continuation of the Totem Award winning Don’t Drip & Drive Campaign, a behavior change campaign that helps owners fix their leaky vehicles. In 2013, a consortium of over 80 cities and counties known as Stormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities (STORM) collaborated with state agencies, numerous non-profit organizations, and over 80 auto repair shops to launch the campaign pilot. During the one-month pilot, over 7,000 vehicles were inspected and 709 vehicles had leaks repaired. Efforts are now underway to expand the campaign and improve effectiveness prior to launching Phase 2 in June 2014.
