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Spring has sprung, and if you are looking to do some spring cleaning around your neighborhood, check out Spring Cleaning SMC! This is a new page devoted to listing all the spring cleanup events taking place all over San Mateo County that need volunteer support to be successful. You won't have to travel far, and you'll be making a difference in your local community! Environmental restoration, painting, planting, trash pick-ups- all provide opportunities to connect with neighbors and friends and make a big difference in just a few hours. Your help is needed and appreciated!

If you are spring cleaning at home, many chemicals found in garages, basements, and under sinks are Too Toxic To Trash. San Mateo County has a permanent Household Hazardous Waste facility that accepts these chemicals, along with flourescent light bulbs and batteries, for FREE! Special collection events are also scheduled throughout the county during the year. The dates and times for these collection events can be found on our Calendar of Events.

2012 Car Wash Discount Coupons are now available to anyone living, working, or passing through San Mateo County. There are 11 San Mateo County carwashes that offer discounts to encourage people not to wash their cars at home. When washing cars at home, soap, oil, copper brake dust, and other road pollutants flow into the gutters and stormdrains, and eventually make their way to the Bay or ocean. Stormwater flows down these drains untreated. Even biodegradable soap harms aquatic life before it completely breaks down. Besides, if you go to a commercial car wash, you will save time and water, and have more of your Saturday free enjoy other fun outdoor activities with friends and family. So email pollutionprevention@smcgov.org - give us your name and address and we will send you a coupon for a discounted car wash (names and addresses are NOT retained for any future contact).

If you are planning to get out into the yard this spring and work in the garden, you should know about a program that is established in stores where garden chemicals are sold in San Mateo County. It is called "Our Water Our World" and it consists of shelf labels identifying certain pest and weed control chemicals that are less toxic to people, pets, and the environment. This is important because many pesticides are washed out of gardens during heavy rains and are showing up in the Bay and ocean via the stormdrain system. Choosing less toxic alternatives is one way you can help. Click for a list of participating stores- many of which have trained staff to help you make a less toxic choice. All stores also have information fact sheets on display that give tips on how to solve a variety of garden and household pest problems.

Curbside options for pickup of used oil, filters, batteries, and household hazardous waste are becoming more and more available in San Mateo County. The variety of trash companies that serve various cities each have their own menu of services. Find out more about how to contact your waste hauler to determine whether some or all of these services are available where you live.

2012 Spring P3 Newsletter is coming soon. Check back here for availability.

NEW Watershed Groups Guide Environmental Resource Guide of Groups and Organizations in San Mateo County with Watershed Stewardship Efforts. Search local groups by location or topic of interest. Find volunteer opportunities and free events. Want to start your own watershed group? Check out this page for ways to get started.

New Spanish-language Stormwater Brochure available Usted es la Solución para Prevenir la Contaminación del Agua que va a los Desagües

We are now sending out "tweets" on Twitter. Follow SMCWPPP to get updates on pollution prevention tips and upcoming community events.