Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Pyles on getting married over the weekend. It was a wonderful family and friends’ event, and I gained a beautiful, and talented daughter-in-love and now have four grandchildren.
The photo session after the ceremony was held outside near a beautiful lake. A piece of trash was on the ground and my grandson Bryce noticed it. He walked over to me and quietly asked if I had my litter reachers. We both smiled and one of the building workers saw it too and picked up the piece of trash.
I was proud of him for knowing that trash does not belong on the ground and that something needed to be done about it. Keep Liberty Beautiful is now preparing for the Countywide Great American Cleanup scheduled for April 27. In one day, with the help of local partners, local cities, national sponsors, and volunteers, Liberty County will make a great impact for our community.
The more the weather improves the more outdoor events will happen. When litter and debris are left on the ground, it is washed down into the storm drains in our town. Sadly, the pond at Bryant Commons catches a lot of it, such as cigarette butts, cups, bottles, cans, fast food trash, and other nasty litter. The litter comes from when people toss waste on our sidewalks and streets, and ultimately, it travels down city storm drains. All these items are part of a problem called nonpoint source pollution.
Unfortunately, the most significant danger to our local waterways is these “nonpoint sources” (NPS), which are challenging to control. What are nonpoint sources of pollution? Nonpoint pollution develops mainly in our own homes, backyards, on our roads, and businesses. It also comes from farms and in more heavily populated areas.
NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or irrigation moving over and through the ground. As the water runoff moves, it picks up debris. It carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into creeks, lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even our underground drinking water sources. It is often called stormwater pollution. Those slight downpours of rain wash the pollution and debris into our groundwater and waterways.
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 leading remaining cause of water quality problems. Nonpoint pollution is known to have harmful effects on drinking water and wildlife. As urbanization continues, the impact of nonpoint pollution only worsens. We must take action to change many of our detrimental daily habits and look for proactive ways to create positive change.
As we enjoy the outside and make memories with our family and friends, we need to be involved in keeping our environment safe. We can be a positive change in our community. Great American Cleanup is a great way to keep our roads and waterways clean. You can visit our website www.keeplibertybeautiful. org to sign up. KLB provides all the cleanup supplies (garbage bags, safety vests, work gloves, and even litter reachers), and water for these cleanups. This year, we will provide official Keep Liberty Beautiful T-shirts for all registered volunteers.
We can all find a way to make our community a healthier, safer, and brighter place to live. Don’t forget to Save the Date for the Annual Keep Liberty Beautiful Earth Day Celebration on April 19! Our celebration happens at Bryant Commons, 438 W. Oglethorpe Highway, Hinesville, from 3:30-6:30 p.m. For more information, contact KLB at (912) 880-4888 or email at klcb@libertycountyga. com. We still need booth hosts!