Keep
Port
Below is a list of topics of interest and issues that
face not only Port Aransas, but also communities around Texas
Sargassum
Learn about seaweed. Click here for a flyer.
Water Quality
Check water quality on Gulf Coast beaches
This site allows the public to see real time water quality data on the Gulf Coat beaches, including Port Aransas.
Recycling
Reduce,
reuse, recycle and rebuy!
Reduce: Buy products with less packaging.
Reuse: Share magazines and books with friends.
Recycle: Participate in recycling programs offered
in your community.
Rebuy:
Buy products made from or packaged in recycled materials.
Find
out how Texans can recycle everyday!
Storm
Drain Pollution
PLEASE DON'T FEED THE STORM DRAIN!
When
grass clippings, pet waste, automotive products, fertilizers, pesticides and other
chemicals wash down a storm drain, they don’t go away. They flow into rivers and
lakes, harming plants and animals and contaminating the water we drink. The technical
term is "nonpoint source pollution." Here's
how to make sure that you don't help feed the storm drain:
YARD
Two
of our biggest sources of nonpoint source pollution
are over-watering and excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides. Here are some
tips for reducing nonpoint source pollution from your yard.
Do
not over fertilize. Sweep (do not wash) fertilizer and soil off driveways and
walkways. Use native and adapted plants and grasses that require less water and
fertilizer.
Leave
grass clippings on the lawn to retain moisture and to insulate and nourish the
soil.
Use
nontoxic pest controls.
AUTO
Each
year Texans improperly dump millions of gallons of used motor oil. One quart can
pollute 250,000 gallons of drinking water, enough water to supply a family of
four for a year! Autos contribute to nonpoint source
pollution in other ways, too.
Recycle
motor oil, filters, fluids and batteries by taking them to service station that
has a recycling program or call 1-800-CLEAN UP for
the motor oil recycling center nearest you.
Drive
less to reduce auto runoff, carpool, consolidate trips or use mass transit whenever
possible.
PETS
Every
year thousands of pounds of pet waste wash down storm drains and into rivers,
lakes and other sources of drinking water. For your health and the health of others,
please pick up after your pet.
Pick
up pet waste from your lawn. It is not a fertilizer.
Encourage
friends and family to pick up after their pets using a mutt mitt or plastic, disposable
bag and never allow pet waste to wash into storm drains.
HOME
Although
most cleaners, paints and pesticides used at home go into the trash or down the
drain, if they are used outside or improperly discarded, they create nonpoint
source pollution.
Use
cleaning products that are phosphate free, biodegradable or nontoxic, especially
if they are used outdoors. Avoid products
with ammonia, chlorine, diethylene glycol, hydrochloric
acid, oxalic acid and petroleum solvents.
Discourage
insects with good housekeeping. If you must eradicate insects, avoid toxic chemicals
or use pest control companies that use less toxic products.
TO
LOCATE A HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITY NEAR YOU, CALL 1-800
CLEAN UP.
(Taken from the TCEQ (
Litter
Control
WINNING
THE
Litter is an ugly, expensive problem. But every Texan can help banish trash from our
roadsides! Here are some simple things you
can do to keep
Keep
a litterbag in your car and use it. When
it's full, empty the contents into a trash can and reuse it.
Remember
that throwing lightweight items like cans or wrappers in the bed of your pickup
truck is like throwing them out the window, and you can risk a $500 fine. Use
your litterbag or cover your load.
If
you smoke, dispose of your cigarette butts in a pocket ashtray or the ashtray
in your vehicle, not on the ground. Each
year 140 million cigarette butts are flicked onto
If
you see a piece of litter, pick it up and throw it away properly.
Teach
children not to litter.
Find
out more ways to get involved by logging on to www.dontmesswithtexas.org
Learn
how you can become a Don't Mess with Texas Partner.
Take
care of your very own stretch of road through Adopt-A-Highway.
Report litterbugs online You'll need to note the date, time, location,
license plate number (
Taken from the Don't Mess with
The
Beach
There
are several things that you can do to improve the quality of water at the beach.
For example, you can learn more about the quality of the water at your local beach,
you can become involved as a responsible citizen to reduce pollutants that can
wash into the water, and you can find out what state or local agencies or departments
are responsible for protecting the quality of the water at your beach. Even if
you don't live at or near the beach, you can still protect the water quality by
learning how pollution in your local stream or watershed affects water quality
at downstream beaches.
(Taken from the
Visit
http://epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/goer2.html
to see what you can do!